COMM 222 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Personal Identity, Stereotype, Stereotype Threat

• School: Concordia University
• Department: Commerce
• Course: COMM 222
• Professor: Melanie Briand

Document Summary

Perception: the process of interpreting the messages of our senses to provide order and meaning to the environment. People base their actions on the interpretations of reality that their perceptual system provides, rather than on reality. Experience, needs and emotions affect perception of target. Past experiences -> develop expectations, which affect. Our unconscious needs influence our perception, making us perceive what we want to perceive. Perceptual defence: tendency for the perceptual system to defend the perceiver against unpleasant emotions. Ambiguous targets are especially susceptible to interpretation and addition of meaning. Perceiver cannot always use all the information provided by the target. Perceiver has a need to resolve ambiguity. Most important effect that the situation can have is add information. A theory that states that people form perceptions of themselves based on their personal characteristics and memberships in social categories. Personal identity is based on our unique personal characteristics (interests, abilities and traits)