Question

1. The psychological process that filters, organizes, and attributes meaning to external stimuli is:

   	a.	Jedi Mind Tricks
   	b.	Perception
   	c.	Attitudes
   	d.	Motivation
   	e.	Feelings

Answer 1

Ans. b. Perception

The psychological process called as perception involves the filtering, organization, and the attribution of meanings to an external stimuli. It is different for different people and individuals.

Breaking down the process of perception may help us know more about its characteristics. The first stage of the process is filtration, which enables an individual or person to select and deal with only those inputs that may be relevant at the present time and may provide for need fulfillment. Filtering may take different forms viz.:

Selective Attention- here the individual will only choose to acquire or take in those inputs or messages that are relevant to his/her needs. Hence the marketers can work on the messages and tune them in a way that they appear to solve the need of the customer. These messages will have a greater probability to pass through the filtration stage and be retained in the memory of the consumer.

Selective Distortion- individuals and people may also interpret the information and communication they receive in ways that can readily fit to their preconceptions. This is evident when a consumer distorts the marketing or advertising information he or she receives in a way that it appears more consistent with his her existing product/brand belief. Belief can be termed as the evaluative or descriptive thoughts held by an individual regarding the knowledge and information relating to an idea, product, or person and may often be based on faith, opinions, or objective knowledge.

Selective Retention- People receive quite a lot of information every day, but often only retain that information which follows their beliefs and attitudes. The retained information may also include information that is relevant to the needs of the individual.

In the second stage of the perception process the newly gained information is organized and integrated with the existing knowledge. The perception or perceptual process will assign meaning in the end of it, and an individual is more likely to interpret a new information in ways that will be consistent with his/her existing expectations and beliefs. An individual or consumer will rely on these expectations and beliefs (that make a part of his/her mental map) when he/she is required to make certain judgments regarding finding solutions to problems. Hence any external stimuli (in the for of data, information and message delivered through the different communication channels) will be filtered, organized, and will be attributed meaning through the psychological process of filtration.