5.2.2 Judgmental behaviour and stereotyping
Faced with complex environments, limited information about others and the need for efficient decision-making in the workplace we often use strategies in the communication process that help us to make a quick judgment about another person. For example, is the person competent or incompetent, efficient or inefficient, confident or not confident? These judgments may be based on a single observation of a person's behaviour or are inferred from past experience or knowledge about the person.
Activity 5c
- What are some potential problems with judgmental behaviour?
- Define inference theory and the two stages associated with the theory. Provide an example of inference theory in action that you have observed.
The use (or inadvertent use) of inference theory can lead to stereotyping where individuals are categorised (for example, people who leave work late); a set of attributes is ascribed to the category (people who leave work late are workaholics who will burn out); and that set of attributes is ascribed to all members of category (all people who leave work late are workaholics who burn out). Stereotyping can, however, be dangerous as it assumes a set of attributes rather than analysing each situation separately. As well as judging people based on stereotyping we may also, of course, judge people based on our attraction towards them.
Activity 5d
- Which factors can determine interpersonal attraction?
- How can interpersonal attraction hinder communication in the workplace?
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