ABSTRACT
Perception is an elusive concept. In my readings and conversations in preparation of this chapter, I’ve seldom heard a consistent definition. Perhaps that is understandable, given that the usage of the term and its cognates differs across fields. Precept, perceptual field, and perceptual fluency (cognitive psychology), person perception, social perception, and selective perception (social psychology), perceived reality and perceptions of social reality (communications), are just a few examples of different usages. The progression of terms, from precept through perceptions of social reality, actually suggests a progression through stages of information processing, from the categorization and encoding of basic stimuli to the formation of trait (person) inferences to the construction of more elaborate inferences and judgments about complex social stimuli such as groups, society, and events.
