Selective perception is a very common cognitive distortion, affects the perception process and makes us see, listen or focus our attention on a particular stimulus according to our expectations, regardless of the information remaining, an example of this is when we decide to buy a particular item, like a car, and start repairing more models. Another example is when we’re waiting for someone and we know where that person will come from.
It is linked to preconceived ideas, our interests and the desire or fear of something happening. It is a biased and partial interpretation of reality. The function of selective perception is to optimize the application of our cognitive resources, by bringing them closer, for example, where we expect something to happen.
- In addition.
- Our emotions are closely linked to this process.
- We have created a parallel scenario in which we are focusing.
- Which can be relatively similar to what is happening in reality.
- So selective perception plays an important role in the formation of this reality.
- Of ours.
“Perception is partially or totally determined by the routine in which stimuli with needs are established” – Joseph Thomas Klapper-
There are two models that try to explain this process
In both models, a process by which selective perception occurs is identified, not just an isolated action.
Mainly two types of phenomena: the nature of the stimulus and the internal aspects of each. The nature of stimuli refers to sensory aspects that make us perceive stimuli more intensely than others. They can be characteristics of the stimulus, such as size, color. , shape, movement, location or surprise effect.
Among the internal aspects of the individual, such as the most important, we have expectations and motivation, we tend to interpret more intensely what we hope to see or interest, this can activate involuntary attention, which attracts our attention instinctively, such as the crying of a baby It is well known to people who work in marketing because they use it to capture our attention to the most important characteristics of what they want to sell.
This causes perception distortions such as
Despite being a mechanism that allows the individual to filter relevant information and thus avoid an overload of stimuli, selective perception causes us to lose valuable information in various situations, the amount of stimuli we are able to perceive is enormous, and like commercial recipients, we are the target of hundreds of messages that will have a great influence on our behavior.
This also happens in romantic relationships, where we can ignore important information because we tend to perceive what is interesting or meet our expectations, this happens even when you create an image of yourself, because it makes objectivity difficult.
Dearborn and Simon studied the effect of selective perception on corporate executives and concluded that understanding complex stimuli is deeper when they are not innovative.
They also studied the relationship within companies between bosses and employees and found that the positive or negative image that bosses have of their employees affects how they assess workers’ incomes.
This is another example that we perceive what we are willing to perceive, in view of what is mentioned in this article, we can infer that our perception is related to the configuration of the world with which we work.