👷 🕜 🏌️ Perception errors: definition, types, features 🔍 🗞️ 🌷

In the process of data processing, decision making, interpersonal communications, and so on, the phenomenon of perception (or perception) plays a significant role. Errors lead to data distortion, which has a negative impact on ongoing processes.

Bit of theory

Before studying the question of errors of interpersonal perception, it is worth studying the theoretical foundations of this category. Perception is the sensory knowledge of objects and environmental phenomena. Perception is believed to be the basis of cognition. Perception occurs at the following levels:

Detection is the initial phase in the development of perception.
Distinction is the process of forming a reference image of a situation.
Identification is the identification of the received image with those that are stored in the mind.
Identification - the definition of an object to a specific class or category.

Perception has these specific properties:

Subjectivity - objects of perception are not a chaotic set of sensations, but add up to specific images according to certain principles.
Structurality - an object or image is perceived as a structural model that is abstracted from sensory sensations and has an objective nature.
Upperceptivity - the general state of the human psyche affects the content of information obtained through perception. That is, it can be interpreted in favor of the interests of the subject.
Constancy - one and the same object or situation is perceived the same, even with changing conditions.
Selectivity is the predominant perception of one object in comparison with others, less significant.
Meaningfulness - the perceived object subconsciously belongs to a category or class.

Three rules of perception

Features of human perception obey three basic rules. Namely:

Perception has a personality basis. Different people can perceive the same objects and events in different ways. Moreover, they consider their view to be as close to reality as possible.
When a person believes that it is his perception that is closest to reality, difficulties arise in interpersonal communications related to the conflict of interests.
If emotions are allowed to control perceptions, important information can be skipped for an objective assessment of reality. Thus, the problem of false perception arises.

Forms of organization of perception

There are such basic forms of organization of perception:

The background figure is a fundamental form that determines the possibility of highlighting the dominant traits (figures) and stimuli (background). In this case, the figure reacts only to those stimuli that are really close to it.
Constancy - lies in the fact that for a long period of time a person uses the same patterns and models to form perceptions.
Grouping - a number of signs and incentives are grouped into a recognizable structure, which is characterized by internal monotony. Grouping occurs on the principles of proximity, similarity, isolation, integrity.

The result of the perception process is the formation of a certain holistic image of the interlocutor or the situation.

Perception problems

The occurrence of disturbances and perceptual errors is largely caused by some key problems of perception. Namely:

The ability of a person to process information is not infinite. When forming an impression of a person or a situation, a huge amount of data enters the brain. Being unable to process the entire stream, we sift them, perceiving only those that are in the sphere of our interests and contribute to the speedy achievement of goals.
The risk of false conclusions. When information is received in insufficient quantities, we draw conclusions about a person or a situation based on limited data, specifying non-existent parameters. And when an opinion has already been formed, we do not want to take into account additional information.
Perception is a feedback system. Not only do we make an impression about people, but they are about us. Making guesses on this issue, we can draw wrong conclusions, which leads to misunderstanding and conflict situations.
Intentional misrepresentation. Trying to make the best impression on others, a person gives about himself deliberately false information.

Typical Mistakes of Understanding Personality

Some typical perception errors make it difficult to correctly understand and evaluate people. Here are the main ones:

The effect of preliminary acquaintance. It means that you, long before direct communication, have the impression of the interlocutor on the basis of previously obtained information and your own prejudices.
The effect of the stereotype. The presence of certain stereotypes about the person himself or about the social group to which he belongs. In the process of communication, you aim to confirm the correctness of your beliefs.
The effect of haste. A human perception error related to the desire to draw a conclusion about the interlocutor’s identity before receiving complete information about him.
The effect of structuring. The conclusion about a man according to some of his most striking features without taking into account other characteristics.
Halo effect. Transferring the first prevailing impression to an assessment of the qualities and all subsequent actions of a person.
Projection Effect. A perception error in which a person ascribes to his interlocutor his own traits, feelings and qualities.
Primary effect. The first information received about a person in person or from third-party sources covers all objective facts and affects the attitude to this person.
Mood effect. A mistake in a person’s perception is associated with the fact that emotional upsurge or despondency can underlie the impression of the person you are talking to. However, its objective characteristics are not taken into account.
The effect of deafness. Due to the lack of desire to listen to someone else's opinion, the habit of relying only on one’s own feelings.
The effect of conservatism. This refers to the refusal to reconsider the opinion of a person, even if he has changed significantly over time.
The effect of the latest information. Getting positive or negative information about a person can fundamentally change the long-established impression of him.

Understanding problems

Not only on people's perception of each other, but also on understanding in the process of communication can be affected by perception errors. Effects that affect these processes:

The effect of accompanying events. If certain phenomena often accompany communication or precede it, they can be associated with a certain person, linked with his person.
The effect of unusualness. If the act does not fit into the generally accepted framework, but it was preceded by some event, then they are trying to expose it as a reason explaining the behavior.
The effect of equiprobable opportunities. A perception error may be due to the fact that the same line of behavior may have several explanations that equally have the right to life.
The effect of underestimating the situation. A person’s act is interpreted from the point of view of his personal qualities, but external circumstances that could affect the chosen line of behavior are not taken into account at all.
The effect of the influence of culture. Behavior is interpreted based on the philosophy that society adheres to. For example, in Western culture, special attention is paid to the influence of external circumstances, and in the East they believe in the influence of higher forces.

The most common perception errors in psychology

From psychological practice, one can distinguish several common situations that cause perception difficulties. Here are the most common perception errors:

The illusion of control. If a person is interested in the outcome of a given situation, he is inclined to overestimate his influence on it. This phenomenon was discovered by the American psychologist Langer, who studied the behavior of people playing the lottery. One group bought tickets themselves, and the second - received them as a gift. The first categorically refused to offer tickets, as they considered that their personal choice affects the probability of winning.
Preference for zero risk. If a person is offered to reduce the insignificant risk to zero or significantly reduce the substantial one, he is most likely to choose the first option. Although, it is much wiser to give preference to the second.
Selective perception. For example, you have developed an opinion on a specific issue. You are looking for information and more and more are convinced that you are right. But the catch is that you pay attention only to the information that confirms your innocence, and leave the rest unattended.
The illusion of transparency. This error of social perception arises when a person is in a situation in which it is necessary to lie. At the moment, it seems to him that everyone sees him through, that everyone sees his insincerity.
Attribution Error. It consists in the fact that a person explains his own mistakes by objective circumstances, and other people’s mistakes by their personal qualities. This approach hinders the individual’s ability to take responsibility for their actions.
The effect of moral trust. If a person has a strong positive reputation in society, people around him begin to think that he has no vices or bad intentions, which is often not true.
Cascade of available information. If some information often appears in sources reaching a large audience, it is considered to be true. The older generation is influenced by television and the press, and the youth are affected by social networks.
Stockholm Buyer Syndrome. This is the name of a perception error when a person justifies an expensive purchase, attributing all sorts of advantages to it and turning a blind eye to shortcomings. Similarly, purchases made without special need are justified.
Belief in a just world. Since people are scared to realize the injustice and chaos of the world around them, they tend to find logic even in the most terrible and absurd situations.
Distorted perception of distortion. If you do not find any vices or shortcomings in yourself, then you definitely have them. But you perceive them in a positive way, that is, distorted.

Decision Mistakes

Special attention should be paid to the errors of perception of the situation when making decisions. Namely:

Pendulum solutions. This is a phenomenon in which, realizing the fallacy of his decision, a person tries to return to his original state, believing that from the initial position it is possible to influence the situation and correct it.
Duplicate solutions. Finding himself in new conditions, a person tries to adapt the decisions made to the established situation.
Contradictory decisions. Unlike the previous situation, a person in the new conditions is trying to make decisions that completely contradict the previously established and established way of life.
Adventurous decisions. Due to an incomplete perception of reality or an overestimation of one’s own capabilities, a person makes a decision that, most likely, will not be realized or will fail.
Belated decisions. Fearing to make a mistake, a person thinks for a long time, missing the right time for action. As a result, when the decision is finally made, it can no longer influence anything and has no significant significance.
Demoting decisions. Instead of raising the spirit of others and one’s own mood, a person takes a position that leads everyone to gloom.
Template solutions. A person constantly acts according to a time-worked scheme, without analyzing its effectiveness.
Underestimation of risk. A person is aware of the threats and risks, but prefers to think that this will not happen to him.

Phonemic Perception Problems

It is also worth paying attention to the errors of phonemic perception. They are associated with difficulties in the perception and interpretation of phonemes, which have articulatory and acoustic similarities. In oral speech, this is expressed in the substitution or mixing of sounds. Thus, two main problems arise:

misunderstanding of what was said;
incorrect interpretation of the information received, related to the similar sound of words.

Visual problems

The interpretation of information is also affected by errors in visual perception. The reasons for such errors can lie in the physiology of the visual apparatus, as well as in psychological problems that lead to an incorrect interpretation of shapes and sizes. Here are the main types of errors:

The illusion of perception of size - segments of the same length in the presence of additional elements or in different positions may seem different.
Distortion of geometric shapes - due to the fact that parallel lines may not appear as such, and the correct shapes may look distorted.
The illusion of color and contrast - on a different background, the same color can be perceived differently.
The illusion of movement - with a certain arrangement of static objects, they can seem dynamic.
Double images - different images can be seen in one image.
Illusions of depth perception - when focusing the gaze, the surface may look either concave or convex.
The effect of perceptual readiness - in accordance with it, a person sees what he expects. In this regard, he may not notice any defects or details of the image.
A para-idol illusion is the mental transformation of a real object into something else. An example is the situation when people see animals in the clouds and so on.
The effect of aftereffect - due to the fact that an image can be stored on the retina for a short time, which is transferred to another object, changing its perception.

Perceptual Error Factors

There are several factors that can affect the quality of perception. Perceptual error factors are as follows:

Excellence factor. In most cases, the assumption is fair that people entering into communication have unequal positions. They may differ in social status, financial status, level of intelligence, age and so on. Thus, there is a reappraisal or underestimation of the personality associated with indirect parameters. This factor acts only with a significant difference for a person. The evaluation parameters for each are different - clothing, behavior, environment, and so on.
The attractiveness factor. Based on personal preferences, it is human nature to overestimate or underestimate the interlocutor. Thus, we attribute to the person who we like better, positive qualities that, perhaps, are not inherent in him. At the same time, antipathy makes us turn a blind eye to other people's virtues.
Relationship factor. People who treat us well look better in our eyes than they really are. But those who do not like us or are indifferent, we tend to underestimate.
Opinion Factor. The closer a person’s opinion is to our own position, the more attractive he seems to us. If someone else's point of view is significantly different from ours, this person will seem extremely unpleasant to us, despite all his virtues.

Barriers

Errors in the perception of a situation or person are associated with the existence of some barriers. Here are the key ones:

Aesthetic barrier. As a rule, he is associated with the appearance of the interlocutor. If a person is messy, untidy or his image does not correspond to your ideas about aesthetics, you will negatively relate to him on a subconscious level.
Barrier of negative emotions. It occurs if you are communicating with a person who is upset or does not feel well. This can cause unfriendliness and even rudeness. You can be perceived as rudeness and ignorance. If you have any important meeting ahead, be sure to first take an interest in the situation and mood of the potential interlocutor in order to avoid mistakes in perceiving the situation.
Barrier of psychological defense. Perhaps you are behaving too rudely or standing one step above your interlocutor. This can cause the aggression of the opponent, as a protective mechanism.
Installation barrier. Perhaps the interlocutor has a negative attitude towards a specific topic or situation in which your communication takes place.
Double barrier. It consists in the fact that you expect from the interlocutor the same behavior and the same decisions as from yourself. If this does not happen, you change the attitude about the opponent in a negative direction.

Fighting Perceptual Mistakes

To prevent errors in the perception of information, follow these guidelines:

Pay attention not only to textual information, but also to attendant circumstances. In particular, speaking about the interlocutor, it is worth paying special attention to non-verbal signals (gestures, posture, facial expressions, intonation, and so on).
Do not pretend to be listening. If you are out of focus, try to get together or postpone the conversation. First of all, you yourself will suffer from the lack of information.
Do not be too sensitive. Focus on the informational rather than the sensory component.
Do not rush to conclusions. Without a thorough analysis of the information received, do not make inferences or make any decisions.
Resist the hasty protest rush. Before objecting to your interlocutor, listen to his arguments to the end and analyze them.

Consider questions in sequence. The rapid flow of questions unsettles the interlocutors, forcing them to take a defensive position. In addition, no problem will be fully addressed.

Perception errors: definition, types, features