Communications Test Review Chapter 2

Communications Test Review Perception

Chapter 2 –

Word Definitions Perception – The process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting information in order to give personal meaning to the communication we receive. Cognitive complexity - Explains how our minds process and store simple to complex information. Stimulus – Something that incites or quickens action, feeling, or thought. Selection – Sorting of one stimulus from another. Selective exposure – The deliberate choices we make to experience or to avoid particular stimuli. Selective attention – Focusing on specific stimuli while ignoring or downplaying other stimuli. Selective retention – Processing, storing and retrieving of information that we have already selected, organized and interpreted. Organization – Categorizing of stimuli in our environment in order to make sense of them. Closure – Filling in of details so that a partially percieved entity appears to be complete. Proximity – The grouping of two or more stimuli that are close to one another. Similarity – The grouping of stimuli that resemble one another in terms of physical traits. Interpretation – Assigning meaning to stimuli. Perceptual set – A fixed, previously determined view of events, objects, or people Perceptual filter - Your frame of reference (influenced by previous experiences) that molds your world view – peers, religion, culture, etc. Stereotyping – The categorizing of events, objects, and people without regard to unique individual characteristics or qualities. Attribution – The complex process through which we attempt to understand the reasons behind others’ behaviors.

Attribution error – Percieving others as acting as they do because they are “that kind of person” rather than because of any external favors that may have influenced their behavior. Culture – Learned behaviors that are communicated from one generation to another to promote individual and social survival. Ethnocentric – A person whose pride in his or her heritage or background leads to the conviction that he or she knows more and is better than those of other countries. Cultural myopia – Percieving one’s own culture as superior and having a very narrow view of cultures other than your own. Cultural relativism – Taking on a broader worldview and opening our minds to different cultures as merely being different and not judging them as inferoir because they are different. Gender – A social construct related to masculine and femenine behaviors that are learned.

The Perception Process MRSOI – Memory Recall: Stimuli, Organization, Interpretation Stimuli – We make delivery choices. Stimuli are developed on our needs, interests and expectations. Our reaction to stimuli is based on retention of past events. Organization – Sorting or categorizing all the experiences of your life. Linked directly to closure, proximity, and similarities. Interpretation – Percieving things inaccurately based on opinions of others. Accuracy vs. inaccuracy. Influenced by current and past experiences. Use your intellect over your emotion – do not react – act. Reverse the process and fix your interpretation of a situation.

Racism, ageism, sexism – replace with wisdom.