Essay On Social Perception

2382 Words5 Pages

Introduction:
Social perception is 1.“the cognitive process that helps us form impressions of those around us and subconscious attitudes towards other people based their defining characteristics which help to comprehend a situation and gauge our behaviour accordingly. Social perception can be the mental progression of picking up clues and signals from others that help us form an early stage of what they may be like. Our brains may rely on stereotypes or previous similar experiences to build a picture of what to expect from any given social encounter”
Social perception is seen when individuals meet for the first time (first impression), attribution and through non-verbal communication. Social perception illustrates how people form impressions and make insinuations about other people.
The aim of this assignment is to enlighten one on different aspects that can influence a person’s perception and the effects it comes with in the working environment. We live in a world where stereotyping and being prejudice reigns supreme, where individuals conclude their own perceptions of another the very first time they meet each other. I was taught a saying throughout high school that has stayed with me till today, the saying “first impressions last forever”. Throughout this assignment one should not only learn about the aspects of social perception but also gain a life lesson that we live in a very judgemental society, therefore don’t change for someone else’s acceptance. Always stay true to yourself and remember who you are.
The concept of social perception will be addressed by discussing the following aspects:
• How impressions are formed
• How the Attribution Theory in an attempt to assign meaning/understanding to events on the basis of eith...

... middle of paper ...

... role in perception.
With regards to human behavior, studies show that social perceptions are formed as a mixture of experience and expectations of how a individuals defining physical or overriding characteristics will impact how we imagine that person to be for instance through their ethnicity, nationality, religion, class or if they are living with a disability. These assumptions are often deep-rooted and formed in childhood.
There are various factors that play a role in social perception. Social perception is not only a negative tendency society has lived by, but there are also positive aspects of social perception.
Social perception does not define an individual therefore it can be acknowledged or disregarded by the individual. One must also understand that a social perception is not based on facts, its merely various opinions of different aspects put together.

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