Perception vs. Reality
- 1. + Perception versus Reality Brianne McDonough Amanda Wood George Reagan
- 2. + But really, what is reality? Reality is the state of things as they actually exist, rather than as they may appear or may be thought to be
- 3. + Oh really then, what is perception? Perception is the process of attaining awareness or understanding of sensory information
- 4. + Why does this matter to us? People easily accept their perceptions as being truthful or real regardless of their accuracy It is easy to accept what you perceive as being true rather than seek another conclusion Factors that influence perception include: observations (sighted or hearing), experience, culture, society, personal bias
- 5. + What type of impact do perceptions have on a group? Perceptions can be both positive and negative We can all be excellent RAs but if the community perceives that we „don‟t care‟ about our jobs or don‟t do them well we will lose respect The loss of respect will conflict with the ability to do our jobs well
- 6. +What are some dilemmas that we face as RAs? Fishbowl Higher Standards “Always an RA” No distinction between personal and paraprofessional life Off-campus behavior
- 7. + Impact of negative perceptions… Loss of respect among peers, residents and community members Negative role-modeling Contradicts community expectations Compromise health and safety of others Creates a challenge for the department to operate fairly and effectively Compromises RAs effectiveness when confronting situations Compromises integrity of self, RA role, Department of Residential Life and Education and Saint Anselm College
- 8. + What types of conflicts arise? Behavior in the classroom Confronting peers and RAs about policy violations Maintaining leadership role and expectations Sharing frustrations surrounding the job Talking about other people, RAs etc. Failure to uphold policies Failure to maintain confidentiality
- 9. +How do you overcome & resolve false perceptions? What could have been done differently in the situation? Should a conversation have happened in private rather than in public?
- 10. + How to change negative perceptions? Private conversations Explain the reality of what took place and or take ownership of inappropriate actions Change your actions- don‟t make yourself vulnerable to negative perceptions