Keywords for EXAM TWO Perception The process of assigning meaning to sensory information and experiences Factors that might affect a person s perception Physical Characteristics Influences perceptions are easy to recognize Age height and ability influence out attitudes and behaviors and they play a role in how we perceive others and communicate with them Personality Just as self concept identity and physical factors act as filters on our perceptions our personality also affects how we perceive others Cultural Characteristics We process perceptions through the filters of the cultures to which we belong Basic Steps in the Process of Perception the basic steps in the process of the perception are selection organization and interpretation Selection Selective Perception Occurs when we focus on some sensory stimuli rather than others Salience Refers to personal relevance or interests Novelty One of the criteria we use in selecting stimuli that we perceive Signs on a vehicle to advertise a company Familiarity We like things that are recognizable to use Talking to people we know at a party or taking classes together we tend to sit by friends Repetition The first time you might hear a song you may not know it But after the third or fourth time you know the song Vividness Includes all of those sensations that seem to stand out from their surroundings Intensity Bright colors disturbing images sounds of joyous laughter or deep distress all attract our attention because they are intense Size Although bigger isn t always better we do notice things that are very large Figure and Ground We see different things when we choose to focus on a single feature in a painting print or message rather than the image or meaning as a whole Motion Movement catches the human eye making it an agent of vividness Social Learning Theory Is the general theory that we learn new behaviors customs and routines by watching others Past Experience Perceptual Constancy The tendency to maintain the same perception of people and events over time Organization Occurs when we place stimuli in a category or mental box to give them meaning and air our retention Constructivism The relationship between the organization or perceptions and communication is addressed Personal Constructs Are categories by which people and events can be differentiated Priming An audience use of conceptual categories that have been emphasized in the media Prototypes A specific person personality or phenomenon that exemplifies a set of characteristics Stereotypes when our personal constructs are simplistic we have difficulty recognizing and appreciating people s individual qualities Scripts Are guides to actions and expectations based on the way we have categorized our perceptions Perception Shifts Are strategies for thinking creatively and managing different perspectives Interpretation Stage of perception in which we determine the meaning of an event or interaction Context Can often help us to interpret the meaning of someone s statements or actions Closure Filling in the gap between stimuli Helps us read the words at the edge of margins when we receive a document with the final letters missing at the end of each line Attribution The assignment of meaning to the actions of others and ourselves External Attributions Actions of others caused by external forces such as the social situation or physical environment or internal causes such as personality characteristics and individual beliefs Internal Attributions When we perceive people to be acting consistently we attribute their behavior to internal causes A specific situation seems to be causing their behavior Attribution Biases Our attributions are vulnerable They lock us into narrow ways of understanding and responding to others Fundamental Attribution Error The overestimation of the degree to which other peoples behaviors are due to internal factors and underestimation of the significance of external forces Self Serving Bias the tendency to attribute external causes to our own misfortunes but not to those of others Attractiveness Bias The tendency to think better of attractive people than unattractive people and to make positive attributions about their behavior Similarity Bias The attribution of our own motivations to someone else s behavior Avoiding Attribution Bias Perception Check Tool that gauges the accuracy of your perceptions by engaging in conversations with others Empathy The ability to accurately perceive the experience and behavior of another person Interpersonal Communication Is interaction among a small number of people and is characterized by more personal and individualized communication than that which takes place in larger groups Personalized nature Reflects the responsiveness of the communicators to each other Dyadic Communication When two people engage in conversation that is face to face and they are the sender and receiver Relational nature People in close relationships often develop specialized meanings for words and phrases that take the form of verbal shortcuts Content Dimension Is the substance of the communication or the overt purpose for the interaction Relationship Dimension Establishes the nature of the connection between the sender and receiver The Influence of Culture on Interpersonal Communication Patterns of communication are influences by culture and can be difficult to recognize because we do not notice them until they cause friction different languages and words Co cultures also influence patterns of communication in relationships The Influence of Gender on Interpersonal Communication Most people expect men to interact in ways that are stereotypically masculine aggressive competitive and women to use communication is ways that are stereotypically feminine indirect emotional The Influence of Intimacy on Interpersonal Communication Communication can vary in mood formality and purpose depending on the closeness of level of intimacy Intimate Personal Relationships Are characterized by high levels of trust warmth and affection while non intimate relationships are more impersonal distant and formal Breadth Refers to the width of the relationship or how many different contexts communicators experience with each other Depth Refers to the amount and type of interaction you have with another person Social Penetration Theory The depth of the relationship is based on the type of topics discussed We disclose and discuss more personal information as our relationship becomes