Be Careful of Perception Bias

Blog Article/Post Caveat (Read First Please: Click the Link)

Inspired by Rory Miller Post!

According to the Oxford Reference it is a generic term to describe a range of techniques that people use to make sense of the world. They use 'short cuts' that allow themselves to more quickly gain an understanding of a person, event, or situation. Because they are 'short cuts'  they also only provide 'partial and possibly inaccurate' impressions or perceptions, so consequently the perception one gains from these 'short cuts' is biased AND the nature of the bias 'DEPENDS'  on things like past experiences, education and influences of society to include family, friends and all those that make up one's tribe - if you will. The 'short cut' then has a particular effect on the persons perception and standing off to the side in a somewhat objective study will seem or actually be different from one person to another. 

Take a look at, "contrast effect; halo effect; primacy effect; projection; recency bias; selective perception; and stereotyping."

• Contrast Effect: People have a tendency to judge a person not in isolation but in comparison to others. In some instances, this highlights the contrast between people and our judgements are formed not by the qualities that each person possesses but by their differences from each other. 
• Halo Effect: This refers to a common bias, in the impression people form of others, by which attributes are often generalized. A powerful social phenomenon, that reputation or belief affects judgement. 
• Primacy Effect: This refers to the process by which early information colors our perception of subsequent information. The common sense notion that first impressions are the most compelling is not always correct. First impressions may count most because subsequent information is more difficult to absorb—although recent information may be remembered most clearly.
• Projection: A defense mechanism in which intolerable feelings, impulses, or thoughts are falsely attributed to other people.
• Recency Bias: A common distorting effect within systems of performance appraisal . It refers to the appraiser assessing performance, not on work undertaken across the full performance management cycle (experiences) , but only on recent events or activities that can be readily recalled.
• Selective Perception: The process of perceiving certain stimuli and ignoring or forgetting other stimuli on the basis of our disposition. This is a perceptual distortion that arises out of our preference to notice stimuli that confirm our beliefs and ignore stimuli that challenge it or cause us discomfort. It often occurs unconsciously and may be affected by sensory overload and the need to focus on stimuli that meet our needs.
• Stereotyping: A preconceived and oversimplified idea of the characteristics which typify a person, race, or community which may lead to treating them in a particular way.

For me, in this context of self-protection for self-defense all or a combination of any or all of the above contribute to how we may perceive something, especially as toward “Threats.” Take our deep interest in media such as “gaming and movies and television and fake news” that is created in ways that meet or exceed the above and the compliance/influence principles that trigger such unconscious monkey-mind oriented beliefs that we make our reality. 

The easiest way to example this is to use our ancient lizard-brain survival traits of, “freeze, flight, or fight” responses, i.e., walking in the woods, turning a corner and seeing what your mind tells you is a possible threat, a snake. Your eyes widen, your adrenaline pumps causing breathing changes and a higher heart rate, etc., and your sudden jumping back and away from perceived threat. Then your logical human mind  focuses on the object to find that it is only a strange shaped stick so you breathe a sigh of relief.

In our modern reality of life such threats still trigger that response system of the lizard brain but the above list of ‘short cuts’ under the heading of perception biases and the list provided tend to lead us to different and sometimes more dangerous reactions and responses in self-protection for self-defense. Say, for instance you drilled and trained and came to believe wholeheartedly that someone who acts in a certain manner triggers your reaction and response to ‘take them down now and worry about the repercussions later’ so you perform the set of techniques or methods that stops them and then teaches them a lesson to never, ever, every threaten to hurt you again when the first responders find that the actions of the person headed to the ER were innocent and now you are on your way to the jail and legal system. What of the above might have caused you to perceive that person as a threat instead of an innocent person simply looking to you for some information or help.

Note: this also speaks to how what we do and how we do it and when we stop things and how we understand danger, threats and criminal activities from those who would teach us toward appropriate, effective and efficient self-protection within the requirements for self-defense. This is also what makes things difficult and causes some professionals to answer questions regarding self-defense with, “It depends.” 

Now, review the first paragraph and then the list under the checks and consider how others, like the legal system, can use those same traits to prosecute us especially if you train for self-protection for self-defense using the modern “warrior mode” types of methods, techniques and attitudes; how you can find even those methods, techniques and attitudes of the competitive sport models of martial arts for your self-protection for self-defense without modification to fit the self-defense defense required if you use that skill-set to protect and defend yourself. Like the guy who teaches that once you have a person down and have a neck hold to break his neck because he attacked you drill???? Go to jail, do not pass GO and do not collect anything but bills and jail time, etc.

CAUTION: I may be making this comment under the influence of all the above so take it with a grain of salt and do what I try to do; study it, analyze it and prove that it is viable and doable especially under the self-defense defense laws and what ever you may or might encounter in the legal system - both institutional and especially social (social justice). 

For reference and sources and professionals go here: Bibliography (Click the link)