Perception means understanding or thinking about a particular thing with a particular point of view. For example, two labourers were breaking stones for the construction of a Satsang Bhawan. Somebody asked them – ‘What are you doing?’ One of the labourers replied, ‘I am proud that I am helping in the construction of a Satsang Bhawan’. The second labourer said ‘I am doing this to earn two hundred rupees’. In this way, we see that all the two are doing the same same job but their perception happens to be different.
Nature Of Perception
(1) Mental Process: Mental Process is the first Nature of Perception. Perception is a mental process. Under it an individual chooses, organises and interprets information available in the environment. No individual can get attracted towards all the stimuli available in the environment. He selects only those stimuli which are related to him. After selecting the stimuli they are organised so that they are interpreted. In the end they are explained. In this way, one needs brain or intelligence at every step in the process of perception. Therefore, it will be quite right to call it a mental process.
(2) Activation Process: Perception is a process of activating an individual. Prior to the process of perception there is some sensation. Under sensation an individual remains inactive. He simply feels and does not react in any way. On the contrary, an individual gets activated under perception. Signal received from physical sensory organs set him thinking and his mind gets activated. Hence, perception is a process of activation.
(3) Subjective Process: Subjectivity means interpreting some thing on the basis of individual interest and understanding and not on the basis of facts. In other words, subjective process means looking at an object by different individuals from different points of view. Perception has this inherent speciality. Under perception a single particular truth can be viewed differently by different people. The main cause of this happens to be the fact that each individual has a different way of collecting information from the environment, organising it and interpreting it differently.
(4) Unique Interpretation: Perception is a particular interpretation of a real situation and is not an actual representation of reality. In other words, it can be said that perception is not a photocopy presentation but is only a description of some object, event or individual according to an individual’s understanding. Every individual interprets the real world in a different manner. Two individuals can have difference of opinion on any single point. Out of these both the two or any one of them can be wrong.
(5) Wider than Sensation: There is a difference between perception and sensation. Every individual has five sensory organs. Sensation is a response of these organs. Perception is wider than sensation. It is a mixture of sensation and cognitive process. Sensation is regulated only by the sensory organs while in perception both the sensory organs and individual’s understanding are involved. Sensation is the starting point of perception. First of all sensation is born, then an individual’s brain gets activated and from here the process of perception starts. Therefore, perception is wider than sensation.
(6) Provides Meaning to Stimulus: An individual gets information about stimulus through sensation, e.g., first of all an individual feels the smell, taste, touch, etc. On the basis of this information the meaning is found out under perception.
(7) Affected by many Factors: The concept of perception is influenced by many factors factors which affect it are as follows. Major
- (i) Internal Factors: These factors are related to the perceiver. They mainly include needs, values, experiences, understanding, etc.
- (ii) External Factors: These factors are related to external environment which chiefly includes intensity, size, repetition, motion, etc.
(8) Provides check on Behaviour: Understanding of perception has an important contribution in the anticipation and control of the behaviour of the employees. People’s behaviour is according to their perception. If the manager can come to know how people perceive things, then he can anticipate organisational behaviour and can also control it.
- Must Read – Process Of Perception
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(9) Multiple Use: The knowledge of the concept of perception increases the understanding of organisational behaviour. Consequently, better results will be obtained in different areas of organisational behaviour, e.g., selection of employees, training, reward, labour-management neogations, etc.
Note – I reckon, this article will surely assist you to understand Nature of Perception.
