Perceptual Filtering

Perceptual filtering refers to the process of taking in new information and interpreting it according to prior experiences and cultural norms. People use these perceptual filters to help reduce uncertainty about new experiences. As the term suggests, perceptual filtering regards people's perceptions, the way people take in and make sense of information, about the social world. These perceptions are filtered through several components of social identity, such as age and gender, that help people decide what they decide to communicate about themselves to others and how they make sense of their everyday experiences. Although perceptual filters provide necessary and useful shortcuts for understanding the vast amounts of information that people expose themselves to everyday, they also form prejudices and biases that can impede the ability to perceive new information on its own merit.