Similarity is described as the tendency to group similar items. Similarity is much like stereotyping. Stereotyping is when someone judges another person on the perception of the group to which that person belongs. Proximity is described as the tendency to group elements that are close together. Implicit theories allow the presence of one characteristic to bring up a list of other characteristics that one would “think” goes with it. Implicit theories group elements that close together. Closure is the tendency to fill in the gaps in incomplete stimuli. A perception of people that apply to closure would be the Halo Effect. The halo effect allows one salient characteristic to overshadow ones evaluation of another in multiple arenas. In other words a person will “fill in the gaps” of another person. Continuation is the tendency to organize stimuli into continuous lines or patterns. Selective Perception is much like continuation. Selective perception is the continuing to justify ones own values, beliefs, etc. Simplicity is the tendency to reduce stimuli to their simplest shapes or patterns. The Actor-Observer Bias is a good example of simplicity. The observer in the actor-observer bias only sees the actual behavior of the actor. The observer only can assume things from the behavior and not the internal factors contributing to the actor’s behavior.Perceptual Errors(2)During the exam the proctor used contrast, selective perception and stereotyping to form a conclusion about a certain student. When the proctor noticed the student looking around the room during the exam he was evaluating that students behavior with the behavior of the other students who were all looking down at their desks taking their exams. (CONTRAST) Later, when the proctor saw the student and his classmate talking to one another he assumed the two students were cheating. The proctor ...
