HCM 433 MANGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR.pdf

interpretation of the world around us. In many cases stimuli (situations) that succeed in capturing
our attention tend to be viewed as more important than ones that do not.
For example, people noticed most in a group tend to be viewed as being the most influential and
therefore, as the most capable of leadership various external and internal attention factors affect
perceptual selectivity. The external factors consist of outside environmental influences such as
intensity, size, contrast, repetition, motion, and novelty and familiarity.
1. Intensity: The intensity principle of attention state that the more intense the external
stimulus, the more likely it is to perceived a loud noise strong odour, or bright light will be
noticed more than a soft sound, weak odour, or dim light.
Advertisers use intensity to gain the consumer’s attention for example a bright packaging
and television commercials that are slightly louder than the regular programme. Similarly
supervisors may yell (shout) at their subordinates to gain attention.
2. Size: This principle says that the larger the objects, the more likely it will be perceived,.
For example, the maintenance engineering staff may pay more attention to a big machine
that to a smaller one even though the smaller one cost as much and is as important to the
operation. In advertising, a full-page spread (in a newspaper) is more attention getting than
a few lines in the classified section.
3. Contrast: The contrast principles states that external stimuli which stand out against the
background or against what people are expecting will receive signs which have block
lettering on a yellow background or white lettering on a red background are attention
getting similarly, a worker with many years of experience hardly notices the deafening
noise on the factory floor of a typical manufacturing operation. However, if one or more of
the machines should come suddenly to a halt, the person would immediately notice the
difference in noise level.
4. Repetition: The repetition principle states that a repeated external stimulus is more
attention setting than a single one. The explanation is that “a stimulus that is repeated has a
better change of catching us during one of the periods when our attention to a task is
waning. In addition, repetition increases our sensitivity or alertness to the stimulus”.
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