A perceptual set is an individual's predisposition to respond
to particular events in a particular manner. A perceptual set is also
known as a mental set. As we tend to perceive what we expect to
perceive, this can also be called our perceptual expectations.
Buchanan & Huczynski, Organizational Behaviour (1997)
People can perceive exactly the same thing in different ways.
The sum of a person's view of their social, physical and organizational
environment is their
perceptual world. This also affects the way
we see other people:
- The halo effect is how the first impression of a person affects
later dealings with that person. A positive halo makes the
person seem "better"; a negative halo does the opposite.
- A stereotype is a category to which we consign people based
on (presumed) membership in a group. Racism and sexism are
examples of stereotypes.
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References
Buchanan, David and Andrzej Huczynski. Organizational Behaviour,
pp. 55-65.