International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

Perception is an ambiguous term and is used in many different ways, at least in the field of communication. Perhaps this is understandable given that communication is a diverse field that draws on concepts from a number of disciplines. Thus, in reading communication literature, one might encounter terms such as precept, perceptual field, or perceptual fluency (terms basic to cognitive psychology), →  social perception and selective perception (terms basic to social psychology; →  Selective Perception and Selective Retention ), and perception of social reality (a term almost unique to communication; →  Media and Perceptions of Reality ). In fact, each set can be thought of as representing particular stages of information processing, and each is fundamentally important to communication processes ( Shrum 2006 ). Perception is essentially a process of categorization. In order to initially comprehend something, we take the surface features of the stimulus we encounter (e.g., color, shape, sound) and use them to place the stimulus into some semantic category. These categories can vary in their level of abstractness, from broader categories such as “plant” to more specific categories such as “fruit” or “apple.” How a stimulus gets categorized is a function of a variety of factors, and psychology's understanding of the factors that influence perception has changed dramatically over the ... log in or subscribe to read full text