ON THE ISSUE OF THE PERCEPTION OF THE OTHER

Abstract

Perceptions of the other have been known since ancient times. References to these perceptions can be found in mythological tales of different peoples, historical sources, and anthropological studies. In the psychological discipline, the perception of the other is also in the spotlight, both among social and clinical psychologists. Of particular importance are the processes of interaction, communication, and socialization of individuals in society between different cultural and social groups, during which perceptions of the other become relevant. Perceptions of the other are characteristic of all societies. However, in different historical periods, perceptions and attitudes towards both one's own, native environment, and foreign, alien societies have undergone certain changes. Perceptions of the other have undergone certain transformations. The other was perceived as a non-local person, standing outside the native social and cultural environment; the other was accepted as a person who opposed the native environment and did not follow social norms; he could also be perceived as unfamiliar and inaccessible to cognition; in some cases also as someone with incomprehensible and inexplicable power. However, negative assessments prevail in the perceptions of the other: the other is mainly perceived as a person who poses a threat to the self environment and is hostile. Such perceptions of the other are often explained by the activation of the person’s defense mechanisms against any unknown and unfamiliar phenomenon. However, from the standpoint of social psychology, the discovery and analysis of modern perceptions of the other, the identification of psychological tools and mechanisms for distinguishing one’s environment from others, will make it possible to study the current manifestations and tendencies of the formation of a person’s socio-psychological identity. This article discusses theoretical approaches to the issue of the perception of the other, as well as presents a new author’s method: "The Other’s Value Assessment Scale", which aims to identify the specifics of the other’s situational and descriptive perceptions.