Interpersonal Communication Principles and Models Practice Exam

Perception in communication is driven by internal filters: our experiences form expectations about how things usually work, our preferences bias what we pay attention to and what conclusions we draw, and our assumptions fill in gaps with inferred meanings. Because interpretation happens through this personal lens, the same message can be understood in different ways by different people. That's why the factors shaping perception are our experiences, preferences, and assumptions. External details like a speaker's tone or unrelated elements like the weather or clothing color can influence mood or context, but they don't define the fundamental way perception is shaped.