BUS272 TB

Chapter 2 Perception, Personality, and Emotions 41
EXHIBIT 2-3 Percentage of Individuals Rating Themselves Above Average on Each Attribute
100%
96%
80%
78%
84%
60%
40%
20%
0%
Performance
Sense of humour
Ability to get
along with others
Source: Based on C. Merkle and M. Weber, True Overconfidence—The Inability of Rational Information Processing to Account for
Overconfidence (March 2009). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1373675 .
product line introduced by a competitor. A 2011 study suggests that this same error occurs
when we judge leaders as charismatic, based on limited information. 6 For instance, Steve
Jobs, Apple’s co-founder, gave spellbinding presentations that led him to be considered
a charismatic visionary. What the audience did not see were “the ten hours of practice
Jobs [committed] to every ten minute pitch,” without which he might have looked less
charismatic. 7
We use self-serving bias when we judge ourselves, however. This means that when
we are successful, we are more likely to believe it was because of internal factors, such
as ability or effort. When we fail, however, we blame external factors, such as luck.
In general, people tend to believe that their own behaviour is more positive than the
behaviour of those around them. Research suggests, however, that individuals tend
to overestimate their own good behaviour, and underestimate the good behaviour of
others. 8 Exhibit 2-3 illustrates this point.
Selective Perception
Because it’s impossible for us to see everything, any characteristic that makes a person,
object, or event stand out will increase the probability that it will be perceived. Thus
you are more likely to notice cars that look like your own. It also explains why some
people may be reprimanded by their manager for doing something that goes unnoticed
when other employees do it. Since we cannot observe everything going on about us, we
engage in selective perception .
How does selectivity work as a shortcut in judging other people? Since we cannot take
in all that we observe, we take in bits and pieces. But we do not choose randomly; rather,
we select according to our interests, background, experience, and attitudes. Selective
perception allows us to speed-read others, but not without the risk of coming to an
inaccurate conclusion. Because we see what we want to see, we can draw unwarranted
conclusions from an ambiguous situation. Selective perception led the Law Society of
BC to discriminate against lawyers who suffer from a mental illness, as Focus on Diversity
shows.
self-serving bias The tendency
for individuals to attribute their own
successes to internal factors while
putting the blame for failures on
external factors.
selective perception People’s
selective interpretation of what they
see based on their interests, background,
experience, and attitudes.