Why do perceptions vary

When you meet with a new co-worker, you immediately begin to develop an initial impression of this person. When you visit the grocery store after work, you might draw conclusions about the cashier who checks you out, even though you know very little about them. This allows us to make snap judgments and decisions , but it can also lead to biased or stereotyped perceptions of other people. Let's take a closer look at how person perception works and the impact it has on our day-to-day interactions with other people.

Obviously, person perception is a very subjective process that can be affected by a number of variables.

Factors that can influence the impressions you form of other people include the characteristics of the person you are observing, the context of the situation, your own personal traits, and your past experiences. People often form impressions of others very quickly, with only minimal information. We frequently base our impressions on the roles and social norms we expect from people.

For example, you might form an impression of a city bus driver based on how you would anticipate a person in that role to behave, considering individual personality characteristics only after you have formed this initial impression.

Physical cues can also play an important role. If you see a woman dressed in a professional-looking suit, you might immediately assume that she works in a formal setting, perhaps at a law firm or bank. The salience of the information we perceive is also important. Generally, we tend to focus on the most obvious points rather than noting background information. The more novel or obvious a factor is, the more likely we are to focus on it.

If you see a woman dressed in a tailored suit with her hair styled in a bright pink mohawk, you are likely to pay more attention to her unusual hairstyle than her sensible business attire. One of the mental shortcuts we use in person perception is social categorization. In this process, we mentally categorize people into different groups based on common characteristics. Sometimes this process occurs consciously, but for the most part, social categorizations happen automatically and unconsciously.

Some of the most common social categories are age, gender, occupation, and race. As with many mental shortcuts, social categorization has both positive and negative aspects.

Realistically, you simply do not have time to get to know every person you come into contact with. For example, people listening to melancholic music tend to think a hill looks steeper than people listening to happy music. That means that nurturing our positive emotions may help us to approach difficult tasks more easily—an idea that at least some research bears out.

The presence of other people affects our perception in difficult situations, too. Holding hands with someone while experiencing a painful event can lessen the pain. Anticipating having to carry a heavy load with someone else as opposed to alone makes it appear lighter, and just thinking about a friend can make hills seem less steep.

Our social connections seem to play a role in reducing stress , which might be why being with others changes our perception of pain or difficulty, making them both easier to bear. These studies and more point to the centrality of our social relationships for resilience when things are hard. Another fascinating finding is how our group affiliations, like the political party we belong to, affect our perceptions. For example, in one study , people were asked to solve math equations to verify the truth of a research finding—like whether a vaccine is effective or whether banning guns saves lives.

This flies in the face of the idea that people just need more information to figure out the truth of a situation. Clearly, many forces below our conscious awareness affect our perceptions, thoughts, and decisions, and errors abound.

Becoming cognizant of those influences could keep us from making costly misjudgments or creating unnecessary conflicts with others who see things differently. The ultimate benefit of that? Hopefully, having a little humility might help all of us to act with less hubris and be more open to other points of view. These factors along with others conspire to form the perceptual filters through which we experience conflict. As a result, our reactions to the threat and dilemma posed by conflict should be anticipated to include varying understandings of the situation.

This also means that we can anticipate that in many conflicts there will be significant misunderstanding of each other's perceptions , needs and feelings. These challenges contribute to our emerging sense, during conflict, that the situation is overwhelming and unsolvable. As such, they become critical sources of potential understanding, insight and possibility. Seema Kapani explores these concepts in great depth, including an extensive set of readings and video materials.

Back to About Conflict Index. Conflict Resolution Menu. Office of Human Resource Development. Volunteer Tutors Needed Cultural Linguistic Services, within the Office of Human Resources, is in need of tutors to help UW-Madison employees develop their learning in areas such as: English language, literacy English and Spanish , writing, math, and other subjects.

I just prefer to listen and reflect before offering an opinion. Resistance to constructive feedback is natural. But regardless of your intent, the impact of your actions on others is real, meaningful, and should be taken seriously.

Psychological research into perceptions and behaviors suggests others will treat you and respond to you in a manner consistent with their perceptions of you. For example, if you are perceived as a bully, like in the above example, others may decide not to include you in teamwork opportunities.

If you are deemed untrustworthy, you will likely not be confided in and may struggle to build relationships. Regardless of who you know you are, who others think you are matters. Below are three practical tips for bridging the divide. Avoid the temptation to dismiss what the person is saying, even if it does not align with your perspective.