Social CognitionChapter 20Social Psychology

Social Cognition…

Refers to the way people think and act in social situations.

Concerned with:▪ Attitudes▪ Persuasion▪ Attraction▪ Love▪ First impressions

Attitudes

Beliefs and feelings about objects, people and events that lead people to behave in certain ways.

Attitudes develop in many ways: Conditioning Observational learning Cognitive evaluation- evidence and logic Cognitive anchors- early attitudes

Attitudes and Behaviors

Which came first? The chicken or the egg?

Cognitive dissonance Uncomfortable tension due to a contradiction

between our attitudes and behaviors

▪ Example: “I think bullying is really horrible”“ha ha- look at her ugly sweater”- Contradiction between attitude and behavior

Persuasion

Direct attempt to influence others’ attitudes Methods:

▪ Central route- direct; evidence and logic

▪ Peripheral route - indirect; associations

2 sided argument- both sides Emotional appeal-

Who do you listen to?? The messenger-

Experts Seem trustworthy Physically attractive Similar to you (age, ethnicity etc)

Sales Resistance Just say no! self esteem and social anxiety

Prejudice- attitude

Discrimination- behavior

Scapegoat- individual or group that is blamed for a complex problem

Attribution Theory

People tend to explain others’ behavior based on their personality or the situation Dispositional- personality Situational- external

FAE- overestimate the effect of dispositional factors

(Fundamental Attribution Error)Think of another driving cutting you off-what do you think about this person?

Attraction

Matching hypothesisReciprocity- equal exchangeTriangular model of love

Intimacy Passion commitment

Intimacy

Passion

Commitment

Serial Position Effect

Primacy Effect Remember firsts▪ On a list, events▪ First impressions are lasting

Recency Effect Remember last (most recent)▪ On lists, events▪ Things that just happened

Terms- review (look up)

Serial position effect (primacy & recency)

Triangular model of love

Matching hypothesis

Reciprocity F.A.E. Prejudice Discrimination

Scapegoating Cognitive

dissonance Emotional appeal Central route vs.

peripheral route Attitudes Sales resistance Cognitive anchors Cognitive

evaluation