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Perception and Decision Making

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Section Four Perception and Individual Decision Making

1. Perception

Perception
A process by which individuals selects, organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment

Person Perception (frequently used shortcuts in judging others)
Selective perception
People selectively interpret what they see based on their interests, background, experience, and attitudes (Ex.
Perceiving a problem from my specialty view)

Stereotyping
Judging someone on the basis of one's perception of the group to which that person belongs (ex. Athletics are

best to hire)

Projection
Attributing one's own characteristics to other people (ex. everyone is as ambitious

Contrast effect
A person's evaluation is affected by comparisons with other individuals recently encountered (ex. happens in interviews)

as I am)

Person Perception
Halo effect drawing a general impression about an individual based on a single characteristic

Higher effect when Perceiver has little

IBM : Virtual Reality

Applications Of Perception
Employment interview
(First impression counts…. Decision by absence of unfavorable charact)

Performance expectations
(self-fulfilling prophecy- Army exercise)

Performance evaluation
(Boss evaluating based on general impression)

ndividual Decision Making
Problem – exists whenever there is a difference between what is actually happening and what the individual or group wants to be happening Problem solving – the process of taking corrective action in order to meet objectives Decision making – the process of selecting an alternative course of action that will solve a problem

The Rational Model of Decision-Making
Define the problem

Select the best alternative

Identify the criteria

Interests, values, preferences

Making a Decision

Evaluate the alternatives

Allocate

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