Perceptual selection

Process by which people attend to only a small portion of the stimuli to which they are exposed. In the context of consumer behaviour the consumers’ selection of stimuli from the environment is based on the interaction of expectations and motives with the stimulus itself. Each of these factors can serve to increase or decrease the probability that the stimulus will be perceived. The principles of selective perception include the following concepts: selective exposure, selective attention, perceptual defense, and perceptual blocking.