Social perception

There is such concept as social perception that in translation from Latin (perceptio), means "perception". In relation to psychology of society how the person sees a situation what draws conclusions is considered. And the most important, psychologists what acts should be expected from this or that individual belonging to a certain group of supporters note.

The following functions are characteristic of social perception:

• Self-knowledge;
• Knowledge of the interlocutor, partner;
• Establishing contacts in collective in the course of joint activity;
• Establishment of a positive microclimate.

Social perception studies behavior manners between the persons with the different levels of development but belonging to one society, collective. Behavioural reactions form on the basis of social stereotypes which knowledge explains communication models.

There are two aspects of social perception in studying of processes of psychological compatibility. These are the following questions:

• Research of social and psychological features of the certain subject and object of perception;
• Analysis of the mechanism of interpersonal communication.

For the purpose of ensuring knowledge and understanding of other person, and also themselves in the course of communication, there are special mechanisms of social perception allowing to do forecasts concerning acts of partners in communication.

Mechanisms of social perception

Tools which social perception uses provide establishing communication between persons and consist in the following concepts:

• Identification;
• Empathy;
• Attraction;
• Reflection;
• Stereotypification;
• Causal attribution.

The method of identification is that the psychologist tries to put himself to the place of the interlocutor. To learn the person, it is necessary to acquire his scale of values, standards of behavior, habits and flavoring addictions. According to this method of social perception, people behaves thus what, in his opinion, the interlocutor could behave.

Empathy – empathy to other person. Copying of an emotional spirit of the interlocutor. Only having found an emotional response, it is possible to make the correct idea of what happens at heart at the interlocutor.

Attraction (attraction) in a concept of social perception is considered as a special form of knowledge of the partner at the created steady feeling to it. Such understanding can have the form of friendship or love.

Reflection – understanding of in the opinion of the interlocutor. At conversation of people as if sees himself from the partner. That other person and with what qualities allocates it thinks of it. Knowledge of of a concept of social perception is impossible without openness to other people.

Causal attribution from the words "causa" – the reason and "attribute" – a label. The person is allocated with qualities, in compliance with his acts. Social perception defines the following types of causal attribution:

• Personal – when the reason proceeds from the person who made this or that act;
• Object – if an object (subject) to whom this or that action was directed served as the reason of an act;
• Adverbial – conditions under which this or that act was made.

In the course of the researches, according to social perception, was patterns which influence formation of causal attribution are revealed. As a rule, the person attributes success only to himself, and failure – to people around, or circumstances which developed, alas, not in its advantage. When determining weight of the action directed against the person, the victim ignores object and detailed causal attribution, in view of only a personal component. An important role at perception is played by installation of the person, or the data, concerning the perceived subject. It was proved by an experiment of Bodalev which showed the photo of the same person to two different social groups. One told that before them the thorough criminal, others defined him as most great scientist.

The social stereotype is the perception of any interlocutor based on base of personal life experience. If the person belongs to any social group, he is perceived as a part of a certain community, with all its qualities. The clerk is perceived differently, than plumbing fixtures. Social perception divides the following types of stereotypes:

• Ethnic;
• Professional;
• Gender;
• Age.

At communication of people from different social groups there can be contradictions which smooth out at the solution of the general tasks.

Effects of social perception

On the basis of stereotypes interpersonal perception in which define the following effects forms:

• Primacy;
• Novelty;
• Aura.

The effect of primacy in social perception is shown at the first acquaintance. Assessment of the person is based on information obtained earlier.

The effect of novelty begins to work in that case when there is absolutely new information which is considered the most important.

The effect of an aura is shown in exaggeration positive or, on the contrary, negative qualities of the partner. At the same time no other arguments and abilities are considered. In a word, "the master, it in everything the master".

Pedagogical social perception

Perception of the teacher by pupils is defined by relationship within educational process. To each teacher that opinion which creates his personality in the opinion of pupils is important. So pedagogical social perception defines the status of the teacher, an image of his life. All this influences creation of the authority, or absence it that inevitably affects quality of education.

Ability to find a common language with initially socially unequal people, without losing at the same time feeling of a reasonable distance, confirms pedagogical talent of the teacher.