The Perception of People: Integrating Cognition and Culture - Softcover

Hinton, Perry R.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0415084520 ISBN 13: 9780415084529

Publisher: Psychology Press, 1993

Synopsis

Interpersonal perception concerns the inferences we make about other people from the information we have about them. These inferences are often assessments of personality and can influence our judgments of others in a wide variety of practical situations - for example an employment interview. Perry Hinton Looks at both the inferences made from specific information about a person as well as the process of inference itself. The practical implications of the judgments we make are discussed.
The Psychology of Interpersonal Perception provides a comprehensive introduction to an important and fascinating subject.

About this title

Synopsis

Our knowledge of other people is not strictly limited by the information we have about them. We make inferences. Often these inferences concern their personality: for example, inferring that a person who helps an old lady is caring and that someone playing loud music on a public beach is selfish. This book is concerned with these inferences, investigating both the process of inference and the specific inferences that are made. Many of our social activities involve judging other people: who we like, who receives our vote, who gets a job. These social judgments often rely on the inferences we have made about these people. Thus, it is of practical importance to know how we make these judgments. A job interviewer wants to select the best candidate, an eyewitness is called upon to accurately report an event, a diplomat wants to understand a politician from another culture. But this does not always happen, misperceptions and misunderstandings can arise. In The Psychology of Interpersonal Perception , Hinton considers the range of influences upon interpersonal perception, from the types of information available to a perceiver right through to different processes of thought.

The question of what information leads to which inference as well as what being accurate means with respect to interpersonal perception are both considered in detail. Employing his experience of disseminating psychology to a wide range of students, Perry Hinton draws on current psychological research to answer these and other questions of interest to students and professionals seeking to understand the process of interpersonal perception.

About the Author

Perry R. Hinton is Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Coventry University.

Edition details

• Publisher: Psychology Press
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0415084520
• ISBN 13: 9780415084529
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 216