I don't think it is possible to perceive someone without judging or categorizing them. I think to perceive something is to judge it. I think they are one in the same. The issue is whether we make positive or negative judgments of other people and why we choose the judgments we make. Our text says that we use personal constructs to make sense of what we notice in others. "Like other schemata, they can make perception easier and more efficient, but they can also be inaccurate and unfair" (Trenholm p.51).
These constructs all depend on how the person has been "primed" to think. If a person is having a good day and has experienced a positive event, they are more likely to think of others in a positive light. If they are having a bad day or have suffered some kind of trauma then they are more likely to perceive people in a negative light. It's in our power to decide how we make judgments and how we perceive people.
To be fair about our judgments it's important for us to make sure we understand our cognitive schema. I've always believed that negative people will judge others in a negative way, and this whole section of chapter three proves that to be fairly accurate. If we can maintain a positive attitude, we can maintain positive judgments of others.
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Hi cgh!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post this week. Although I might not completely agree, I do agree that the real issue is how we make positive and negative judgments about others. I liked the way you incorporated the specific term in the book. Personal contructs and schemata were all important and interesting topic to read from the book. I also enjoyed reading about your example of what happens when a particular person is "primed" to think. If a person is having a good day or a bad one, positive and negative judgments will arise. Do you think it's possible for a positive judgment to really be a negative judgment? Something to think about. I enjoyed your post!