Social Perception

SOCIAL
PERCEPTION
By Aditi Goyal
What is Social Perception?
Social perception refers to the ability to make accurate
interpretations and inferences about other people from their
general physical appearance, verbal, and nonverbal patterns
of communication. Things like facial expressions, tone of voice,
hand gestures, and body position or movement are all ques
people with higher levels of social perception pick up on to
work out what other people are thinking, feeling or are likely
to do next. (Aronson et al, 2010)
THEORIES OF SOCIAL PERCEPTION
Attribution Social Identity

Cognitive
Theory Theory
Dissonance
Theory
Social
Stereotype
Comparison
Content Model
Theory
1. Attribution theory
This theory focuses on how people explain the
behavior of others by attributing it to either
internal factors (such as personality traits or
abilities) or external factors (such as situational
factors or luck).
2. Social Identity Theory
This theory proposes that people categorize
themselves and others into social groups based on
shared characteristics such as race, gender,
religion, and nationality. These group identities
can influence how people perceive and interact
with others.
3. Cognitive dissonance Theory
This theory suggests that people experience
psychological discomfort when their beliefs,
attitudes, and behaviors are inconsistent with one
another. To reduce this discomfort, people may
adjust their perceptions or attitudes to align with
their behaviors.
4. Social comparison theory
This theory explains how people evaluate their
own abilities, opinions, and behaviors by
comparing themselves to others. People may use
social comparison to validate their own beliefs
and behaviors or to improve their self-esteem.
5. Stereotype content model
This theory proposes that people categorize others
into social groups based on two dimensions: warmth
(whether the group is friendly and trustworthy) and
competence (whether the group is skilled and
capable). These perceptions of warmth and
competence can influence how people perceive and
interact with members of different social groups.
Components of social perception
1. Observation 2. Attribution
3. Integration 4. Contribution
1. Observation
It is the basic component which is based on the
interaction of three variables – people, situations
and behavior. These variables furnish facts that
support up one’s perception, or conclusion about
others. We gather this information about others
through our senses.
What we observe?
People Behaviour Situations

Observing the physical Observing the nonverbal Observing based on past
characteristics cues experiences
Nonverbal communication is the transfer of information between people
without using spoken words. It's a crucial part of our everyday
interactions, often conveying as much, if not more, than the words we
say. To understand others’ emotional states, we often rely on nonverbal
communication.
BASIC CHANNELS OF NONVERBAL
COMMUNICATION
01 02
Facial
Gazes & Stares
Expressions
03 04 05
Body Language:
Gestures, Postures & Touch Scent
Movements
2. ATTRIBUTION
The process of applying data collected by
observation to help people perceive and justify
the reasons behind their own and other people’s
actions is known as attribution.
THEORIES OF ATTRIBUTION
Theory 1 Theory 2
According to Jones and Davis’s theory of According to Kelley’s theory of
correspondent inference, we attempt to causal attribution, we are
infer others’ traits from observing certain interested in the question of
aspects of their behaviour— especially whether others’ behaviour
behaviour that is freely chosen, produces stemmed from internal or external
noncommon effects, and is low in social causes.
desirability
3. INTEGRATION
While quick judgment is formed by seeing persons,
situations, or actions, one integrates these
tendencies to develop impressions.
4. CONFIRMATION
To finally verify these impressions, individuals
strive to fully understand, find, and produce
knowledge in the form of various biases.
FUNCTIONS OF SOCIAL PERCEPTION
1. Forming 5. Enhancing
Impressions Social Identity
3. Making
Judgements
2. Understanding 4. Facilitating
Social Situations social influence
CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, social perception plays a critical role in
how we interpret and navigate our social world. We
just went through the functions, components and
theories of social perception. By understanding how
we perceive others, and how others perceive us, we
can foster better communication, reduce conflicts,
and promote empathy within our communities. Let us
strive to be more mindful of our own perceptions and
the perceptions of those around us. Thank you for
your attention, and I look forward to any questions you
may have.
THANK YOU

Social Perception

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SOCIAL

Attribution Social Identity

People Behaviour Situations

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