Social Perception

Social perception refers to a person’s ability to make judgments and form impressions of others and determine how others affect them and vice versa. One aspect of social perception involves theories of implicit personality, which assert that once a person distinguishes specific character traits in another individual, assumptions follow – with other character traits linked automatically to these assumptions – and so serve to categorise the person in particular ways. Social perception also refers to how one perceives their own social function and effects, for example, self-image, self-esteem and self-worth.