Perception & Self Perception: Self Awareness is the Key

1. Perception & Self Perception: Self Awareness is the Key Prepared by: Ken Cheng, Chaya Merrell, Nick Smith, & Andy Wislock

2. Definitions • Perception: how you look at others and the world around you • Self Perception: using past experiences to see yourself in your own way

3. Perception & Self-perception • How you look at the world depends on what you think of yourself • Most people communicate best with people of similar culture • Your perception and attributions affect the way you communicate

4. Self Perception • The knowledge of one’s particular mental states, including one’s beliefs, desires, and sensations • The looking glass model: • How we think we appear to others • How we think they evaluate that appearance • The resulting shame or pride that we feel

5. Self Perception and the Sexes

6. Cultural Differences • Stereotype: oversimplifications or distorted views of another race, ethnic group, or culture • Racism: the belief that one race is inferior to another • Ethnocentrism: the belief that ones ethnic group is the most important and/or that some or all aspects of its culture are superior to those of others

7. Ethnocentrism • Leads to misunderstanding others • What is meaningful to other people is falsely distorted • Inhibits constructive resolutions when facing conflicts between social groups • Examples: • Racism • Colonialism • Ethnic cleansing: Persecution through imprisonment, expulsion, or killing members of an ethnic minority by a majority to achieve ethnic “pureness” in majority-controlled territory

8. Addressing Ethnocentrism • One must be made aware that they are falsely assuming something that is not the case, or is out of context • Watch for reactions • Reactions tell one that they are assuming something and that their assumptions are not working • Seek to develop a better understanding • First step: We are the learners • What are their meanings about the behavior and situation • What are the adaptive functions of the behavior and situation

9. Fundamental Attribution Error • Definition: blaming ones behavior on outside influences while blaming other’s behavior on internal flaws • Reducing the error’s effects: • Taking heed of “consensus” information • When most people behave the same way when put in the same situation, then the situation is more likely to be the cause of the behavior • Asking oneself how one would behave in the same situation • Look for unseen causes, especially less prominent factors

10. Improving Self-Perception • Take a self-perception inventory Such as the one from Belbin Associates here • Analyze your behaviors first, others’ behaviors second • Keep a journal: highlight feelings, rethink the situation, and consider causation • Reflect, reflect, reflect: yourself

11. Any questions?