1 Perception Attention Introduction Perception is a process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their env. However, what one perceives can be substantially different from objective reality. People’s behavior is based on their perc eptions of what reality is, not on reality itself. Stimulus or Situation - refers to an individual’s confrontation with internal or external stimulus. Factors Influencing Perception A number of factors operate to shape and sometimes distort perception. These factors can reside in the perceiver, in the obje ct or targe t being pe rceived o r in the c ontext of th e situatio n in which the perce ption is made.Factors in the perceive r ➔ If you expect police officers to be authoritative or young people to be lazy, you may perceive them as such regardless of their actual traits. Factors in the target ➔ Loud people are more likely to be noticed in a group than quiet ones. Factors in the situation (contex t) ➔ At a nightclub, on a saturday night, you may not notice a 22 yea r old female “dressed to the nines”. Yet the same women so attired for your Monday morning management class would
