PERCEPTION DEFINITION IN COMMUNICATION HOW TO

Inferences are assumptions that are made on facts but are not necessarily true.

Distinguish between facts and inferences – a fact is information that can be checked and verified.

The best way to find out someone else’s perception or point of view is to directly ask them.

The problem was all built up in the other partner’s mind. However, that same partner was never asked about the issue and had no idea why their partner is so upset. A classic example is when someone walks around with resentment building up inside of them for the perceived wrong their partner’s done to them. Avoid mind-reading – issues in relationships are often caused by mind-reading.Amplify the signal – we often communicate less information than we think we are, a syndrome psychologists call signal amplification bias (Ferrazzi, 2013). To avoid this, especially in a work situation, if you have a phone conversation about a delay in a project, follow up with an e-mail or text to drive home any important details and minimize misunderstandings.

Here are some guidelines for improving perception and communication with others: Easier said than done, right? However, with some practice, when people try these techniques, they can gain new insight into how others perceive and navigate their world.

PERCEPTION DEFINITION IN COMMUNICATION HOW TO

Understanding the different steps in the perception process will enable you to consider the potential misunderstandings that may occur and help you communicate more effectively ( Weintraub, 2016).” How to Change Your Perspective for Better CommunicationĮffective communication requires self-reflection, a better understanding of the perception process, and a commitment to change. Because of this, it has a significant impact on how we communicate and how we understand the communication of others. According to Sara Weintraub in her book Communication and Perception, “Perception is the key to how we assign meaning in our interactions with others. Since perception is a cognitive process that helps us to understand our world, how we receive, filter, and interpret behaviors and conversations may not be the same as how someone else does it. This is just one example of how differences in perception may cause misunderstandings or even major communication breakdowns, and ultimately these issues affect our behaviors. This miscommunication leads to an argument that eventually puts a strain on your friendship. Your perception of “cheap” was far different than his perception. Your friend texts you the ticket price the next day, and the amount he gives is way out of your price range. You quickly agree to go and offer to pay him later. Ultimately, this miscommunication affects our behavior.įor example, a friend invites you to a concert and states that the tickets are cheap, but he also needs to secure them on his credit card before they sell out. Additionally, there is a connection between perception, communication, and behavior. However, things get dicey when the same message is perceived and interpreted differently by different people. Conversely, communication also influences our perceptions of people and situations. Perception shapes how we understand how others communicate and how we communicate. How Does Perception Affect Communication With Others?įirst, it’s essential to understand that these two processes are highly intertwined. How we interpret what we perceive comes next, and because our perceptual filters continually shift meanings and interpretations (LaBracio, 2016), this is where breakdowns in communication tend to happen. As we age, our brain continues to file information and social interactions away to access it for another time. For example, children will group pictures for a project formulated on what “seems to go together” and what “does not belong” based on things like shapes, colors, and size.

Next, we organize what we allow in by sorting and categorizing information based on learned cognitive patterns. The selection process is the brain’s way of determining what stimuli we want to let into our perception field and what we want to leave out. The actual process of perception involves selecting, organizing, and interpreting the information we take in. Factors that influence perception often include our values, needs, social roles, and environment. In this article, we take a deep dive into how perception affects communication and list effective tips on how we can improve our perception for better communication in all areas of life.Īt it’s core, perception is how we make sense of the world and what happens in it. However, when it comes to communication breakdown in relationships, someone’s perception of a situation is usually not what is actually happening. We say things like this because we tend to wrap messages around our own perception or view of the world.

“Why don’t you see what I mean?” is a common phrase people use during an argument.

Perception definition in communication