Perception Perspective is not a synonym word. It is important to understand perception vs perspective as they both affect our behavior besides influencing each other. Once we understand what they are and how they can be changed, we can influence the process of desirable changes.
Perception Perspective
What is Perception?
- The ability to see, hear or become aware of something through the senses
- The way in which something is regarded understood or interpreted
- Human Perception is the process by which sensory input is converted into a structured experience
- Perception is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information to represent and understand the environment
- It is automatic in nature and does not need a special effort
What is Perspective?
- A particular way of considering something
- Particular attitude towards or way of regarding something;
- A point of view, opinion, standpoint
- Affects the process of perception – a filter to perception
- Can be biased/unbiased
Artists use different perspectives in their drawings and illustration to create an illusion of 3-dimensional reality. Filmmakers may use forced perspective to create optical illusions of objects.
An event in history may be one, but the recorded history in different countries will be influenced by the perspective of those countries, their rulers, and the authors.
Writers use different perspectives to write. They may use the first-person perspective to engage the readers more in the experience they went through. Writers may use the second-person perspective to let the readers have a more personalized feeling. The third-person perspective in writing is used to express the perspective of multiple characters in the story.
Human behavior is complex and over the last few hundred years, different psychological approaches have been used to understand human behavior. Our behavior affects our satisfaction with the results obtained. Sometimes when material results may be as expected, but in the process of acquisition, our behavior may have impacted the emotional aspect of our personality. Human beings want holistic growth and therefore growth needs to take care of physical, mental, and intellectual well-being.
7 Major Psychological Perspectives
| Sr. No. | Perspective | Way of Looking |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Behavioral | Impact of Environment |
| 2 | Psychodynamic | Analysis of Subconscious mind and Childhood Experiences |
| 3 | Cognitive | Study of mental processes of memory, perception, attention |
| 4 | Cross-cultural | Influences of cultural factors |
| 5 | Biological | Genetics, Brain, Nervous System, Immune System, and Hormones |
| 6 | Humanistic | Whole Person /Holistic Approach |
| 7 | Evolutionary | Evolutionary Development from Hunting, Rearing, Agriculture, Manufacturing, and Services |
Perception vs Perspective
Common Factors of Perception Perspective
- Functions of the mind
- Affect Behavior
- Subject to Change
- Influence each other
Perception Vs Perspective DIfferences
| Perception | Perspective |
| Sensory Based Awareness | A Way to Look at Things, People, and Situations |
| Structured Experience | Attitude /Opinion |
| Based on Environment | Based on Conditioning |
| Limited by Physical Body | Limited by Mental Imagination |
| Automatic – No Special Effort Needed | Point of View |
| Can improve sensory acuity to a limited extent | Can change with effort |
| Influences Perspective | Influences Perception |
Change of Perception Perspective using NLP
In NLP we make changes we look at the world, thereby changing our perspective. Now that we have understood the difference between perception vs perspective. Let us look at how we can bring about a change in them using NLP.
Perspective is a way of looking at things.
NLP is a way of looking at the world.
Many successful therapists and coaches have used these psychological practices for personal development and individual excellence. You will notice some of these terms used in the practice of NLP as it is modeled on the best practices of successful role models.
In NLP workshops, we work with the participants to open the sensory channels of perception. This helps to improve sensory acuity. Improved sensory acuity helps us to more accurately understand the environment around us and improve our responses to situations.
Perceptual Position is one such specific technique used in NLP to understand people better. It helps to fine-tune our own perception thereby making it easier to deal with our own emotions and the emotions of other people. In NLP there are many other techniques that use perceptual strategize to reduce emotional charge and improve cognition of the situation.
Perspective or Opinion is not a fact, it is a personal way of looking at things. It can be biased intentionally or unintentionally and affects personal and professional life. You can review the list of cognitive biases to get an idea of the types of biases that may be affecting your perception.
Attitudinal shifts can help to improve productivity, teamwork, and other leadership skills. Understanding the filters of perception improves awareness of how our information-gathering process is affected which in turn affects our decision-making. The NLP communication model shows the various filters of perception which are influenced and tuned as part of the NLP exercises to get favorable outcomes.
Working on personal development with help from a certified NLP Coach/Trainer to facilitate change can help accelerate a person in his/her personal development journey.