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Chapter 2Chapter 2

Perception, Personality, and Perception, Personality, and EmotionEmotion

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LearningLearning OutcomesOutcomes

After reading the material in this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Define perception and describe the four-stage model of social perception.

2. Explain how external and internal causal attributions are formulated.

3. Identify and describe the Big Five personality dimensions, and specify which one is correlated most strongly with job performance.

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LearningLearning OutcomesOutcomes

4. Describe the attitude called “job satisfaction” and explain its relationship to work motivation, organizational commitment, and job performance.

5. Distinguish between positive and negative emotions, and describe a person with high emotional intelligence.

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SOCIAL PERCEPTIONSOCIAL PERCEPTION

What is Perception?What is Perception?

Perception is a cognitive process that

enables us to interpret & understand

our surroundings, including people,

events and objects.

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Attention Attention

• Attention is the process of becoming consciously aware of something or someone.

• Can be focussed on information either from the environment or from memory.

• People pay attention to salient stimuli. – Salient is when it stands out from context.

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ExamplesExamples

• A 110 kg man would certainly be salient in a women’s aerobics class, but not a CFL meeting.

• A driver whose gas gauge is on empty, a Shell sign is more salient than a McDonald’s.

• People have a tendency to pay more attention to negative than positive information (car accident).

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Social Perception ModelSocial Perception Model

Four-Stage Sequence:Four-Stage Sequence:

1. Selective Attention/Comprehension

2. Encoding & Simplification

3. Storage & Retention

4. Retrieval & Response

2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. 9Source: Adapted in part from B J Pannett and S Withane, “Hofstede’s Value Survey Module: To Embrace or Abandon?,” Advances in International Comparative Management, vol 5, ed S B Prasad (Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1990), pp 69-89.

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StereotypesStereotypes

What are stereotypes & why do we use them? What are stereotypes & why do we use them? A stereotype is an individual’s set of beliefs

about the characteristics or attributes of a group People use stereotypes during encoding to

organize & simplify social information

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Every individual has a perception about the self.

Person’s perception of him- or herself as a physical, social, spiritual being.

SELF - PERCEPTIONSELF - PERCEPTION

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Self-EsteemSelf-Esteem

Self Esteem

• Belief about one’s own self-worth based on an overall self-evaluation.

• People with high self esteem see themselves worthwhile, capable, and acceptable.

• People with low self-esteem view themselves in negative terms.

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Managers Can Build Self-EsteemManagers Can Build Self-Esteem

• Be supportive by showing concern for personal problems, interest, status and contributions

• Offer work involving variety,autonomy and challenges

• Employee cohesiveness and build trust

• Reward successes.

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Self-efficacySelf-efficacy

Self-Efficacy (“I can do that.”)

• Belief about one’s chances of accomplishing a specific task

• Efficacy and performance are linked.

• Those with low self-efficacy expectations tend to have low success rates. Chronically low self-efficacy is called learned helplessness.– Debilitating lack of faith in one’s ability to control the

situation.

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Self-MonitoringSelf-Monitoring

• Self-monitoring is the extent to which a person observes their own self-expressive behaviour and adapts it to the demands of the situation. – High SM often called chameleons– Low SM – criticized for being on their own

planet and insensitive to others.

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Self-Monitoring ScenariosSelf-Monitoring Scenarios

1.You are rushing to an important meeting when a co-worker pulls you aside and starts to discuss a personal problem. You want to break off the conversation, so you glace at your watch. He keeps talking. You say, “I’m late for a big meeting.” He continues. You turn and start to walk away. The person keeps talking as if they never received any of your verbal and nonverbal signals that the conversation was over.

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Self-Monitoring ScenariosSelf-Monitoring Scenarios

2. Same situation. Only this time, when you glace at your watch, the person immediately says, “I know, you’ve got to go. Sorry. We’ll talk later.”

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What are What are Causal AttributionsCausal Attributions??

Causal attributions are the perceived

causes of behaviour. Generally, we make

internalinternal or externalexternal attributions for

behaviour.

CAUSAL ATTRIBUTIONSCAUSAL ATTRIBUTIONS

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ConsensusConsensus• Comparing a person’s behaviour with that of his

or her peers

DistinctivenessDistinctiveness• Comparing a person’s behaviour on one task

with their behaviour on other tasks

ConsistencyConsistency• Judging if a person’s performance on

a given task is consistent over time

Dimensions of Behaviour Considered Dimensions of Behaviour Considered when Making Causal Attributionswhen Making Causal Attributions

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External attributions are made when:External attributions are made when:

• Consensus is high

• Distinctiveness is high

• Consistency is low

Internal attributions are made when:Internal attributions are made when:

• Consensus is low

• Distinctiveness is low

• Consistency is high

External vs. Internal AttributionsExternal vs. Internal Attributions

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Fundamental Attribution Bias:Fundamental Attribution Bias:

• One’s tendency to attribute another person’s behaviour to his or her personal characteristics, as opposed to situational factors

Self-Serving Bias:Self-Serving Bias:

• One’s tendency to take more personal responsibility for one’s success than for one’s failure

Attributional TendenciesAttributional Tendencies

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PERSONALITY DYNAMICSPERSONALITY DYNAMICS

What is personality?What is personality?

Personality is defined as the combination of stable physical & mental characteristics that give the individual his or her identity.

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The Big Five Personality DimensionsThe Big Five Personality Dimensions

1.1. Extraversion Extraversion – outgoing, talkative, sociable, assertive

2.2. AgreeablenessAgreeableness – trusting, good-natured, cooperative, softhearted

3.3. ConscientiousnessConscientiousness – dependable, responsible, achievement-oriented, persistent

4.4. Emotional stabilityEmotional stability – relaxed, secure, unworried

5.5. Openness to ExperienceOpenness to Experience – intellectual, imaginative, curious, broadminded

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Locus of ControlLocus of Control

InternalInternal Locus of ControlLocus of Control• People who believe they control

the events & consequences that affect their lives

• Display greater work motivation• Have stronger expectations that

effort leads to performance

External Locus of ControlExternal Locus of Control• People who believe their

performance is a product of circumstances beyond their immediate control

• Tend to become more anxious• Believe that luck or fate is the

cause of outcomes

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AttitudesAttitudes

An attitudeattitude is “a learned predisposition

to respond in a consistently favourable

or unfavourable manner with respect to

a given object.”

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Job SatisfactionJob Satisfaction

Job satisfactionJob satisfaction is an attitude concerning

various facets of one’s job. A person can be

relatively satisfied with one aspect of his or

her job & dissatisfied with one or more other

aspects.

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Strong positiveStrong positive correlation between job satisfaction & organizational commitment

Moderate positiveModerate positive correlation between job satisfaction & motivation, job involvement, & organizational citizenship behaviour

Weak positiveWeak positive correlation between job satisfaction & job performance

Consequences of Job SatisfactionConsequences of Job Satisfaction

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Strong negativeStrong negative correlation between job satisfaction & perceived stress

Weak negativeWeak negative correlation between job satisfaction & absenteeism & turnover

Consequences of Job Satisfaction Consequences of Job Satisfaction (cont’d)(cont’d)

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EMOTIONS IN THE WORKPLACEEMOTIONS IN THE WORKPLACE

EmotionsEmotions are intense feelings in

reaction to personal achievements

and setbacks that may be felt and

displayed.

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Positive & Negative EmotionsPositive & Negative Emotions

Negative emotions Negative emotions (Goal incongruent):- Anger - Fright/anxiety- Guilt/shame - Sadness- Envy/jealousy - Disgust

Positive emotions Positive emotions (Goal congruent):- Happiness/joy - Pride- Love/affection - Relief

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Emotional LabourEmotional Labour

Emotional LabourEmotional Labour is a job requirement that

employees must suppress felt emotions and

display organizationally desired emotions

during interpersonal transactions.

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Emotional DissonanceEmotional Dissonance

Emotional dissonanceEmotional dissonance occurs when there is a conflict between required and true emotions. This dissonance contributes to stress and job burnout.

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Emotional Intelligence (EI)Emotional Intelligence (EI)

Emotional intelligence (EI) Emotional intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize emotions in one’s self and others, taking advantage of helpful ones & keeping control over destructive ones.

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Goleman’s 5 Dimensions of EIGoleman’s 5 Dimensions of EI

1.1. Self-awarenessSelf-awareness – recognizing own emotions

2.2. Self-regulation Self-regulation – controlling own emotions

3.3. Self-motivationSelf-motivation – directing own emotions

towards personal goals

4.4. EmpathyEmpathy – being sensitive to others’ feelings

5.5. Social SkillSocial Skill – managing others’ emotions

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Mayer & Salovey’s Ability Model of EIMayer & Salovey’s Ability Model of EI

1.1. Perceiving emotionsPerceiving emotions – ability to perceive emotions in oneself, others, and other stimuli such as music

2.2. Facilitating thoughtFacilitating thought – ability to generate, use, & feel emotion to communicate feelings or employ them in other cognitive processes

3.3. Understanding emotionsUnderstanding emotions – ability to understand emotional information and to appreciate appropriate emotional meanings

4.4. Managing emotionsManaging emotions – ability to be open to feelings & to modulate them in oneself & others to promote personal understanding & growth

2007 McGraw-Hill Ryerson Ltd. 37Source: Reprinted with permission from D Tjosvold, Learning to Manage Conflict: Getting People to Work together Productively, pp 127-29. © 1993 Dean Tjosvold. First published by Lexington Books. All rights reserved.