Chapter 2

Perceiving the Self and Others

• Describe how our personal perspective on the world influences our communication

• Explain how we use and misuse schemas when communicating with others

• Define the attributions we use to explain behavior

Chapter Outcomes

• Describe cultural differences that influence perception

• Identify how our self-concept—who we think we are—influences communication

• Describe how our cognitions about ourselves and our behavior affect our communication with others

Chapter Outcomes (cont.)

A cognitive process through which we interpret our experiences and come to our own unique understandings

Perception

• Gathering, organizing, and evaluating the information we receive

• Also involves our basic senses, along with personal factors

Communication Processing

• Selecting information

• Organizing perceptions

• Interpreting perceptions

• Improving perceptions

The Perception Process

Schemas: Organizing Perceptions

• Schemas:– Mental structures that put together

related bits of information– Help us understand how things work

and how they should proceed– Evolve and change over time

Challenges with Schemasand Perception

• Mindlessness– Passive information

processing vs. mindfulness

• Selective perception– Receiving only the information we

want

• Undue influence– Giving another person power over our

perceptions

Attributions: Interpreting Your Perceptions

• Attributions: personal characteristics used to explain others’ behaviors

– Fundamental attribution error: overemphasizing internal, underestimating external causes of behaviors

Attributions: Interpreting Your Perceptions (cont.)

– Self-serving bias: attributing personal success to internal factors

– Interaction appearance theory: changing another’s attributions based on increased contact

•Verify your perceptions.

•Be thoughtful when seeking explanations.

•Look beyond first impressions.

Improving Your Perceptions

Culture affects how we perceive ourselves and others.

Perception in a Diverse World

• Narrow perspective– Cultural myopia: believing one’s own

culture is appropriate and relevant in all situations

• Stereotyping– Fitting others into an existing schema

without adjusting the schema appropriately

– May be positive, negative, or neutral

Perceptual Barriers

Perceptual Barriers (cont.)

•Prejudice– Deep-seated feelings of unkindness

and ill will toward particular groups– Usually based on negative

stereotypes and feelings of superiority over those groups

Cognition: Perceiving Ourselves

•Self-concept

•Self-esteem

•Self-efficacy

Self-Concept: Who You

Think You Are• Influenced by thoughts, actions, abilities, values, goals, and ideals

• Influences how you communicate with others

• Reinforced by how others communicate with you based on:

– Direct and indirect evidence

– Social comparison theory

Self-Esteem: How You FeelAbout Yourself

• A set of attitudes you hold about your own emotions, thoughts, abilities, skills, behavior, and beliefs

• Linked to self-concept: You must know yourself to have attitudes about your self.

Self-Efficacy: Assessing Your Own Abilities

• Ability to predict actual success based on your self-concept and self-esteem

• Affects your ability to interpret events and cope with failure and success

• Inaccurate self-efficacy can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies.

Assessing Our Perceptions of Self

•Self-Actualization

– Feelings and thoughts resulting from negotiating a communication situation as well as you possibly could

– Can lead to satisfaction

Assessing Our Perceptions of Self (cont.)

•Self-Adequacy

– Assessing your communication competence as sufficient or acceptable

– Can lead to contentment or self-improvement

Assessing Our Perceptions of Self (cont.)

•Self-Denigration

– A negative assessment (self-criticism) about a communication experience.

– Often unwarranted that occurs when communicators place undue importance on weaknesses

Behavior: Managing Our Identities

•Self-presentation

– Intentional communication designed to show elements of self for strategic purposes

– Occurs through various channels

– Requires self-monitoring

Behavior: Managing Our Identities (cont.)

•Self-disclosure– Revealing yourself to others by

sharing personal information

– Must not be information easily known to others

– Sharing must be voluntary

Behavior: Managing Our Identities (cont.)

Technology: Managing the Self and Perceptions

• Self-presentation can be more controlled online than in person.

• Make conscious choices about what to reveal to others.

• Others may create perceptions about you based upon what you reveal.

• Technology allows for experimentation with identity.