When I first heard Barack Obama deliver a speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, I found him likable, and even adorable. He looked smart and well groomed. Of particular interest to me was his tall and slim frame. Although I had ever heard of him because he represented the State of Illinois in the Senate, I had not seen him so up-close or heard him articulate important issues. Perhaps other politicians had overshadowed him. When Obama spoke at the convention, with his shirt sleeves rolled up, I was convinced he had the vigor and power and serve in a higher capacity. On the contrary, when Donald Trump was nominated to run for the United States presidency on the Republican ticket, I did not find him as appealing as Obama. He was stocky, and his facial expression seemed to portray aggressiveness and even forcefulness. However, I now realize that I must have constructed stereotypes on the two prominent persons because of my perception of them.
I found Floyd’s book quite enlightening on how perceptions are formed. He states that the mind always selects, organizes, and interprets information so fast and also subconsciously that people think their perceptions are true and objective reflections of the world. In regard to selection, the process arises when the senses are stimulated. Despite our environment having so many things happening simultaneously, the mind only picks those which stand out. That implies that there are characteristics which make a particular stimulus to be selected over thus. Firstly, when something seems unusual, it is likely to be selected for attention. An example is when I walk along a road, and among the vehicles, I spot a convoy of army trucks moving at high speed. In the first instance, I may not pay a lot of attention to the other vehicles because I am used to them. However, convoys of army trucks are not so common on roads, unless there is an emergency. Secondly, Floyd mentions that repetition or the frequency with which an individual is exposed to a stimulus influences their selection. For example, I am more likely to spot my friends or classmates on campus than other students. Lastly, the intensity of a stimulus also affects its selection. An example is when I experience the appetizing smell of roast beef. I am more likely to select it more than the smoke released by a truck on the roadside.
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It is also interesting how the mind organizes information in regard to a stimulus to help make sense of it. In a quick span, the mind creates categories in which it tries to construct various attributes of the stimulus. Floyd describes them as physical, role, interaction, and psychological constructs. Physical constructs describe people’s appearance and defines the age, height, ethnicity, and body shape. Role constructs attempt to identify a person’s professional or social position. Thirdly, interaction constructs define a person’s behavior. Some of the attributes the mind can construct include: aggressive, outgoing, sarcastic, shy, or considerate. Lastly, psychological constructs attempt to define people’s thoughts and feelings such as: envious, angry, worried, insecure, and self-assured. This stage succinctly describes my perception of Obama and Donald Trump. My mind defined the physical and psychological constructs of the two leaders and influenced how I perceived them.
After selecting and classifying a stimulus, the last process is interpretation, where individuals try to give meaning to their stimulus. It is a process that is akin to summation of the attributes. For instance, individuals will find something likable or unlikable depending on their constructs. My perception of Obama was that he was likable, and even an honest person because of how I interpreted the various constructs. When he delivered the speech, he looked straight into the camera, hence allowing eye contact. The eye contact and the confidence with which he delivered the speech made me conclude he was honest. Besides, Obama looked Caucasian and had a slim frame, which made him look harmless. On the contrary, Trump’s stocky figure to me, made him look too commanding and powerful. For example, when he engaged in the presidential debate with his opponent, Hillary Clinton, he incessantly moved or kept on fidgeting on the stage. He gave the impression of being impatient and intolerant. While Obama had a knack for fitting slim suits, Trump liked loose suits or even casual wear. Professionally, I thought Obama was too official and professional while Trump was the contrary; preferring to be casual and unpredictable.
In conclusion, our perceptions to a large extent influence us to form stereotypes against other people. Stereotypes refer to beliefs that we may hold against a group of people, which may not be true. For example, the media usually reports cases of African Americans or Hispanics engaging in violent crimes. Whenever some white Americans come across a black teenage boy loitering around their homes, they become suspicious. The suspicion is as a result of the repeatedly painting of African American males as people who are more likely to engage in crime than other races. Secondly, Africa is usually commonly painted by the Western media as a continent that is marred with ethnic violence, poverty, and hunger. Consequently, most people in developed countries believe it is true. However, some African countries could be very developed than most westerners think, while others could be still poor. Therefore, stereotyping is harmful because it generalizes phenomena that are related, but which may have very different attributes in reality.
Reference
Floyd, K. (2017). Interpersonal communication . New York: McGraw-Hill.
