Perception

1.

Most human interactions involve exchanging ideas through verbal and non-verbal expressions related to body language, including facial expressions. However, the information received is subject to how we perceive the information being sent by the other individual. Perception is, therefore, the process of selecting and analyzing raw data through verbal and non-verbal cues to come up with sensible information. Since the way we interpret information is essentially dependant on our perception, it is common for misunderstandings to occur(Adler et al. 1986).  I once joined a new school in a new town. Being lonely and eager to make new friends, I went for a walk down a street filled with kids my age. It was then that I met this young boy who took notice of me immediately after I passed near him. The boy smiled and kicked the ball towards me, hitting me and sending me to the ground. I selected the action of the ball hitting me as a hostile approach and his smile as mere ridicule and mischief. This idea constructed a feeling of anger and rejection in me. It was not until later that I realized that the boy, who later became my friend, was smiling at me to welcome me into their game and the aspect of the ball hitting me was a mere accident. I recognized that my perception of the event was completely different from how my partner(the boy) perceived it.

2.

As discussed in chapter two, social, physiological and cultural factors may affect how we perceive different scenarios. Physiological changes such as periods of stress during my exams have influenced how I perceive different scenarios in that in such situations, I am mainly defensive and easily irritated due to the pressure inside; at times, this has affected intercommunication with other people in that the interaction becomes one filled with tension. Cultural norms may also affect how we perceive different situations and relationships since our culture forms the lens through which we see and feel what is around us(Adler et al. 1986). For example, I was once invited to a foreign restaurant to enjoy a meal. When the food was served, I was shocked to see everyone wash their hands to enjoy the meal together. I found it quite unusual since it is a cultural norm to use a spoon even after washing one’s hand; while my friend perceived this act of togetherness, I kept thinking of all the hands touching the food. The fact that we were from different cultures diversified our perception of the action. My friend realized this, and we ended up arguing over who was wrong and what was justified. I shared the meal in unison with the other people but still felt that it was very unusual.