Social Perception

• Social perception simply means the perception of social processes.
• The objects of social perception are a person's relations with others, including the perception of groups and social institutions.​
• The study of social perception centres around the actual process of how people observe and interpret one another in social settings.​

• Occurs in a social situation — two or more people interacting.
• People perceive each other's behaviour, activities, and responses.​
• How they perceive the situation determines how they behave.​

A situation where two or more people interact with each other and perceive each other's behaviour, activities, and responses in relation to the situation.

The person who judges or perceives another in a perceptual situation.

The person whose state or behaviour is being judged by the perceiver.

Perceiver:

• The person who observes and judges.​
• Not passive — can alter how the other person acts by their own presence and behaviour.​
• Tagiuri & Petrullo (1958): the perceiver's presence and behaviour can change the perceived person's characteristics.

Perceived:

• The person being observed and judged.​
• Their actions and responses directly shape the perceiver's judgment.​
• Both perceiver and perceived change during interaction.

• Social perception is not rigid.
• Changes due to internal factors — mood, emotions, new information.​
• Changes due to external factors — new settings, new experiences, others' opinions.

• Accurate social perception is essential.​
• Inaccurate perception → misunderstandings and conflicts.​
• Working and living together becomes difficult without it.

• Social Perception: It means understanding social processes and a person's relations with others, groups, and institutions.
• Social Interaction: It occurs when two or more people interact and perceive each other's behaviour and responses.
• Perceiver & Perceived: The perceiver judges the other person, while the perceived is the person whose behaviour is judged.
• Dynamic Nature: Social perception is not fixed; it changes due to internal and external factors.
• Importance: Accurate social perception is necessary for smooth relationships and social interaction.