The Subjectivity of Perception

Title Name of Lecturer Rev. Prof. Saviour Chircop Assignment Title Some contend that perception is purely subjective. Everyone is entitled to their own way of perceiving and describing the world. Do you agree? What role does perception play in the communication process? Number of Words - I confirm that all material presented in this assignment is original and has not been presented, in part or in whole, for any other course or study-unit. All material that is not my own has been appropriately acknowledged according to the conventions of the style sheet guidelines set by The APA Style Guide. I understand that accurate and effective use of English is an assessment criterion in the assignment, as is evidence of broader reading. The Subjectivity of perception is based on personal beliefs and past experiences an individual has been accustomed to. Everyones has a different vision on life when comparing themselves to those around them. Some beliefs are similar due to their personal upbringing while other opinions may completely differ. The concept of perception can only be expressed through communication between two or more people but there is no such conventional method where one can express their own perception to match that of another person i.e.

No one knows whether or not all humans view colours in the same way, everyone calls the colour green, green, but no one can really see if all human eyes and brain process colours in the same way. When people are brought together to discuss their perception of life, their explanations might be similar in points or very different from each other. Due to the subjectivity of humans, it is impossible to know exactly what everyones perception on is. Therefore how can any scientific study claim to present objective research when in actual fact these findings are based on the perception of subjectivity. For example, the concept of life, or potential life on Mars. How can one state that life on mars is somewhat possible without in fact ever being set foot on this planet. Every species on this planet perceives all that is around them in completely different ways. For example, an apple is an apple.

Regardless of whether I am perceiving the apple or a worm is, the apple is objectively the same thing. It has its own role in reality. However, the subjective qualities of the apple differ from all species. For instance, a worm has its own experience of the apple which is vastly different when compared to how we perceive the apple. For the worm the apple behaves as a form of womb where the Codling Moth lays its larvae. While for us humans, this edible substance is a fuel source for energy related activities. There is no possible way any species can truly understand what it is like to be another, because no individual can escape their personal lens. Therefore if the object, in this case, the apple, has no perceiver, the apple does not seem to exist i.e. If something has not been discovered yet, that something does not have a subjective role in our life. In my opinion there is no such thing as an objective reality.

Reality is totally subjective. This is due to the fact that the life is valued through the perceivers vision. Therefore since humans have similar features to each other, we can come to the conclusion that we perceive life in a very similar manner. French philosopher and mathematician, Rene Descartes, built his theories on the concept of radical doubt. He believed that not everything which is perceived is a necessarily part of our reality. The only thing that remains ethically real is the mind or consciousness which one uses to doubt and or believe perception, hence Rene’s famous latin formulation ‘Cogito ergo sum’, meaning ‘I think therefore I am’. The perception of religion is one of the subjective views which can never be proven. There has been no "proof" regarding the existence of God, just assumptions based on theories and models past through generations. The disagreement over whether or not the existence of God truly exists and what the nature of his existence is cannot be proven through any form of intellectual research. Therefore after considering all possibilities thoroughly, we come to the conclusion that the statements, I am, I exist, are subjectively true whenever mentioned prier to the asserted clause. This is only possible through the conceived mindset of the individual. Everything around i.e. the reality of the beholder, will always be perceived through a personal view. Thus everything written within this research paper is being perceived through the readers lens, which is similar to that of any other living human. Virtual reality (VR), is a computer generated and controlled environment which simulates the physical presence of the real world. Presence within this reality, is a form of art.

Some may ask the questions; What would happen if virtual reality instruments were used for longer than recommended, would that person start perceiving their virtual presence as their reality? Once VR alters a certain level of quality within the users mind, the perceivers lens will be slightly mislead. This happens at the lowest, most primal level of senses. Therefore the user is deceived into believing that what is being displayed is actually real. Studies have shown that if a user believes that he/she is standing at the edge of a cliff, even if he/she tries their utmost to “jump off”, their ‘low-level lizard brain’ wont allow it. With the aid of technological instruments, such as a headset, would manipulate the brain to feeling consumed within a different reality. Communication between people can be interpreted differently due to misinterpretations, such as stereotypes, which affect the relationship and productivity of people. Both ends of the conversation need to focus their attention towards each other to truly understand the sensory cues. Otherwise the perceiver will continue to visualise their own beliefs, which aren’t, in any way reliable.

The gap between what is actually said and what is being perceived is called a ‘Perception Gap’. This can be seen when communicating with any individual i.e a manager, customers, business partners, friends and even family members. e.g. Liam, a manager, calls a business meet up with one of the employees. The employee enters Liam office. Liam closes his office door, and gets straight to the point. “We are very behind on office works. I need you to complete everything buy the end of the month, no excuses.” Liam opens the door, and his employee leaves the room. Not understanding the situation, the employee starts to hate his boss.The Perception Gap is very evident: Liam, allocated an important task to his most valuable and reliable employee and he is the only member who will manage to get the job done in time. However, the employee interpreted the communication as a blame which decreased the amount of trust between the employee and his manager. Consequently, due to this perception gap, the completion of this task is close to none. Small misinterpretations end up turning into a negative impacts on performance. Therefore simple conversation, which haven't been explained well have negative effect on not only performance, but also on the relationship between both individuals.

It’s important for those who are socially higher up to be aware of how they are communicating to those below them, i.e a manager to his employee. Getting to know the style of how those around you communicate will aid in explaining in a more understandable manner. For instance, in 2017, Pepsi was one of the lowest rated marketing campaigns in the word. Although having a valued celebrity model, Kendall Jenner, this video campaign reached around 1.6 million views on YouTube, having five times as many dislikes as it had likes in the span of 48 hours. This all happened due to the misinterpretation of the video message. It was communicated as follows: All those time consuming women's rights, Black Lives Matter and all other protested demonstrations that have occurred throughout history, all would have been more effective if someone just gave the police force a can of Pepsi cola. This vague campaign went completely wrong due a perception gap between the company, ‘Pepsi’, and the their customers. Another instance would be when McDonald’s exploited childhood bereavement in one of their campaigns. This one and a half minute advert tries to portray a young boy questioning his mother with regards to his late father. This lead to the boy learning that the only thing they had in common is the love for the Filet-O-Fish. This advert received a negative notation on social media, with comments stating that McDonald’s was exploiting emotional trauma and grief in order to potentially increase sales. To Conclude, everyone has their own perception towards different people and objects. With the help of previously encountered experiences, we are able to process information which has been given to us through any source of communication.

Communication is based entirely off of perception. Their tone of voice, posture and use of emotions all factor within the communication barrier of perception. Even big companies such as mac Donalds and Pepsi need to communicate their message well with their customer base in order to keep their customer satisfaction at a high. Neglecting the importance of efficient communication will result in a loss of sales and customer trust.