Social Cognition and Brain Wiring
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Questions and Answers

What was the focus of the information presented to the subjects regarding candidates?

  • Information that emphasized party affiliation
  • Information that could portray candidates as hypocritical (correct)
  • Information that highlighted their achievements
  • Information that encouraged voter turnout

Which brain areas are activated when individuals encounter information contradicting their beliefs?

  • Occipital lobe and amygdala
  • Areas associated with punishment, pain, and negative affect (correct)
  • Temporal lobe and parietal lobe
  • Hippocampus and basal ganglia

What distinguishes the activation of 'cold' reasoning areas from areas related to emotional investment?

  • Cold reasoning areas are not activated by neutral information (correct)
  • Cold reasoning areas are responsible for making decisions
  • Cold reasoning areas are activated by emotional content
  • Cold reasoning areas respond to contradictory beliefs

What was the outcome regarding the rating of candidates and their parties?

<p>Parties showed mirror patterns in ratings (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What methodology was employed to study the effects of motivated reasoning?

<p>fMRI scanning to measure brain activity (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the first stage of the Dual-Process Theory of Stereotyping?

<p>Stereotype Activation (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What psychological aspect motivates individuals scoring low on prejudice regarding stereotypes?

<p>To protect their identity (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does cognitive load impact stereotype activation according to Gilbert & Hixon's study?

<p>It interferes with the ability to inhibit stereotypes. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In Gilbert & Hixon's study, what task was used to test stereotype activation?

<p>Word fragment completion task based on word associations (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is required for individuals to replace negative stereotypes when they are activated?

<p>Awareness of stereotype activation (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary characteristic of System 1 decision-making?

<p>Fast and automatic (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In court cases, defendants with baby faces are more likely to win when the case involves which type of deceit?

<p>Intentional deceit (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What should voters rely on when making decisions about candidates?

<p>Cognitive processes from System 2 (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of physical appearance can influence first impressions according to Baby Face Bias?

<p>Perceived honesty and competence (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the focus of the research conducted by Todorov et al. in relation to U.S. Senate races?

<p>Voter preferences based on candidates' physical appearance (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the main finding of Heider and Simmel's classic study?

<p>Subjects described social motives and relationships. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the third visual processing pathway proposed by Pitcher and Ungerleider?

<p>To understand and interpret actions of others. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which area of the brain is primarily involved in attributing mental states to others?

<p>Temporal Parietal Junction. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which task exemplifies the concept of Theory of Mind?

<p>Understanding the intentions of actors in verbal stories. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

According to Contreras et al. (2012), what type of questions were used to assess brain activity with fMRI scans?

<p>Questions regarding objects and their physical properties. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which brain area is associated with monitoring one's own mental state?

<p>Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of social cognition is primarily studied using fMRI scans?

<p>Differences in understanding between objects and people. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the main features of the specialized pathway proposed by Pitcher and Ungerleider?

<p>It integrates audiovisual information, such as speech. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What does the Stereotype Content Model primarily assess?

<p>The perceived competence and warmth of groups (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What emotion is typically evoked by high warmth and low competence groups?

<p>Pity (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which stereotype is associated with high competence and low warmth?

<p>Rich business professionals (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is schadenfreude?

<p>Pleasure derived from an out-group member's suffering (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What effect does the Other Race Effect (ORE) describe?

<p>Increased difficulty recognizing faces from other races (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a mechanism that may explain the Other Race Effect?

<p>Perceptual Expertise (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the emotional response associated with low warmth and low competence groups?

<p>Disgust (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which muscle was activated in the study by Cikara & Fiske when subjects experienced schadenfreude?

<p>Zygomaticus major (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What factors influence how we categorize individuals as in-group or out-group members?

<p>Motivational-attentional factors (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In which area of the brain is more activation found when identifying faces of one's own race?

<p>Fusiform Face Area (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the finding of doctors with higher Implicit Association Test (IAT) scores regarding Black patients?

<p>They rated Black patients as less cooperative. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In Amodio et al. (2004), what were subjects quicker to categorize when primed with a Black face?

<p>Gun (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the main change in the task during Amodio & Swencionis' (2018) study that allowed subjects to inhibit implicit associations?

<p>Black primes were made to predict tools. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What cognitive effect was observed in the suppress group after watching an emotional documentary, according to Inzlicht & Gutsell (2007)?

<p>Diminished cognitive control mechanisms. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which emotional regulation strategy involves reinterpreting a situation to be more positive?

<p>Cognitive reappraisal (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What psychological phenomenon describes the tendency to seek information that supports preexisting beliefs?

<p>Confirmation bias (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What cognitive conflict was observed in individuals confronted with information that contradicted their beliefs?

<p>Heightened activity in brain regions linked to emotion. (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What outcome did cognitive reappraisal have compared to expressive suppression?

<p>It may be less ego depleting. (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

How does group polarization generally affect individuals’ views?

<p>It makes beliefs more entrenched. (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary focus of Westen et al. (2006) during the study related to the presidential election?

<p>Interpretation of contradictory information. (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

In the study by Amodio & Swencionis, what percentage of trials did Black primes predict tools?

<p>80% (D)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What was measured during the Stroop task in Inzlicht & Gutsell's (2007) study?

<p>Error Related Negativities (ERN). (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following strategies was NOT mentioned in relation to emotion regulation?

<p>Cognitive reframing (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Baby Face Bias

The tendency to perceive people with baby-like features as more honest and less competent.

System 1 Thinking

Fast and automatic decision-making, relies on heuristics (mental shortcuts).

System 2 Thinking

Slow and deliberate decision-making, requires conscious effort and cognitive resources.

First Impressions and Physical Appearance

Physical features can significantly influence our initial perceptions of a person's character and competence.

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Choosing a Candidate

It's important to use System 2 thinking when evaluating political candidates, considering their policies and qualifications beyond superficial impressions.

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Motivated Reasoning

The tendency to process information in a way that supports our existing beliefs, even if the information is contradictory.

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Hypocrisy

Behaving in a way that contradicts one's own stated beliefs or principles.

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Brain Areas Activated by Contradictory Information

When presented with information that contradicts our beliefs, areas associated with punishment, pain, and negative affect are activated in the brain. These areas include the orbital prefrontal cortex, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and ventral anterior cingulate cortex.

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Cold Reasoning

A type of reasoning that is objective, neutral, and not influenced by personal beliefs or emotions.

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Reasoning Processes for Biased Information

We use different reasoning processes when we are emotionally invested in the outcome of information compared to when we are neutral.

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Dual-Process Theory of Stereotyping

This theory suggests that stereotyping involves two stages: automatic activation of stereotypes and then a controlled application of those stereotypes, which can be consciously overridden.

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Stereotype Activation

This is the automatic and unconscious association of a stereotype with a group or individual, triggered by environmental cues.

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Stereotype Application

This is the conscious and controlled decision to use a stereotype to form judgments or make predictions about a person or group. This stage allows for conscious bias reduction.

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Cognitive Resources

These are the mental energy and attention needed to process information and complete tasks. When our cognitive resources are limited, we are more likely to rely on automatic processes like stereotype activation.

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Inhibiting Stereotypes

When people actively suppress or override negative stereotypes, consciously choosing not to apply them. This requires motivation and available mental resources.

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Heider & Simmel (1944) Study

A classic experiment where people were shown a video of simple geometric shapes moving and were asked to describe what they saw. The majority of participants readily attributed social motives and relationships to the shapes, demonstrating our innate tendency to interpret social interactions.

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Third Visual Processing Pathway

This is a proposed pathway in the brain specifically designed for processing social information. It focuses on understanding and interpreting the actions of others.

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Social Cognition Areas

Specific regions in the brain that are actively engaged when we think about the social world. These areas are crucial for understanding social interactions.

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Theory of Mind

The ability to recognize and understand that others have their own thoughts, feelings, and intentions, even if those are different from our own.

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Temporal Parietal Junction (TPJ)

A brain area involved in attributing mental states to others. It helps us understand what others are thinking and feeling.

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Posterior Superior Temporal Sulcus (pSTS)

A brain area involved in processing biological motion, which is the movement of living beings. It helps us recognize and interpret the actions of other people.

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Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex (dmPFC)

A brain area involved in monitoring our own mental states and attributing mental states to others. It helps us understand our own thoughts and feelings, as well as those of others.

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fMRI Scans

A neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood flow. This helps us understand which parts of the brain are active during various mental tasks.

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Stereotype Content Model

A model that explains how we perceive the competence and warmth of different groups, influencing our social interactions and judgments.

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Schadenfreude

The feeling of pleasure derived from witnessing the misfortune or failures of others, especially those we consider ‘out-group’ members.

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Envy-Based Schadenfreude

The specific type of schadenfreude experienced when an out-group member's misfortune is due to their perceived high competence and low warmth (e.g., rich, business professionals).

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Humanization

The process of attributing human qualities, thoughts, feelings, and experiences to others, especially those from different groups.

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Mentalization

The ability to understand another person's mental states and emotions, including their thoughts, beliefs, and intentions.

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Other Race Effect (ORE)

The tendency to be better at recognizing faces of people from one's own racial group compared to those from other racial groups.

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Perceptual Expertise

The idea that experience and exposure to faces of a particular race lead to improved recognition abilities for that race.

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Motivational-Attentional Factors

The theory that we pay more attention to and categorize faces based on in-group/out-group membership, improving recognition for our own group.

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Fusiform Face Area (FFA)

A brain region involved in facial recognition that shows increased activity when processing familiar faces, possibly contributing to the Other Race Effect.

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How does competence and warmth impact our view of out-groups?

The Stereotype Content Model suggests that our judgments about out-groups are influenced by how we perceive their competence and warmth. Groups perceived as competent but cold may evoke envy, while those seen as incompetent and warm might elicit pity. Conversely, low competence/low warmth groups may evoke disgust, while high competence/high warmth groups may spark pride.

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Implicit Association Test (IAT)

A test that measures unconscious associations between concepts, often used to study prejudice and stereotypes.

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IAT and Discrimination

Studies have shown that people with higher IAT scores indicating negative associations towards a group may exhibit discriminatory behavior.

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Predictive Power of IAT

While IAT is a useful tool, research suggests it's not always a reliable indicator of discriminatory behavior, particularly when considering multiple studies.

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Implicit Association Between Black People and Violence

A study by Amodio et al. (2004) showed participants were faster to associate Black faces with guns than white faces.

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Overriding Implicit Associations

Amodio & Swencionis (2018) showed participants could overcome implicit biases by changing the task and introducing incentives to inhibit them.

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Emotion Regulation

The ability to control emotional responses to situations or people.

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Emotion Suppression

A strategy for emotional regulation that involves actively trying to conceal feelings.

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Cognitive Reappraisal

A strategy for emotion regulation that involves reinterpreting a situation to change your emotional response.

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Ego Depletion

The tendency for cognitive control resources to become depleted after effortful tasks, leading to reduced self-control.

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Error Related Negativity (ERN)

A brainwave signal that occurs when a person makes an error, reflecting monitoring and correction processes.

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Confirmation Bias

The tendency to seek out and favor information that confirms pre-existing beliefs.

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Group Polarization

The tendency for groups to become more extreme in their beliefs over time.

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Motivated Reasoning and Brain Activity

Research shows that when people encounter information that contradicts their strong beliefs, brain regions associated with emotion and pain become more active.

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Study Notes

Social Cognition

  • Heider & Simmel (1944) study: Subjects watched shapes moving and described social motives and relationships.
  • Pitcher & Ungerleider (2021) proposed a third visual processing pathway specialized for processing social information.
  • Areas involved in social information processing include biological motion, facial movement, and integration of audiovisual information.

Social Wiring of the Brain

  • Theory of Mind, or mentalizing, is the concept that others have mental experiences.
  • Examples of Theory of Mind tasks include understanding intentions in verbal stories, visual cartoons, or picture sequences.
  • These tasks activate specific Social Cognition Areas like the Temporal Parietal Junction, Posterior Superior Temporal Sulcus, and Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex.

Social Wiring of the Brain

  • Research (Contreras et al., 2012) using fMRI scans showed brain areas more active during social knowledge tasks (e.g., Guitars and Violins; Men and Women).
  • These areas more activated during social knowledge tasks included the Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and Temporal parietal junction.

Humanization

  • Epley and colleagues (2008) examined the anthropomorphism of objects and pets. This study correlated assigning human traits to positive measures of loneliness and social disconnection.
  • Waytz & Epley (2012) manipulated feelings of social connection by having some subjects bring a friend and others arrive alone, concluding that humanization is an effortful process.

Social Reasoning

  • Wason Card Selection Task is an example of reasoning that can be different when placed in a social context.
  • Cosmides & Tooby (1992) proposed that we have evolved systems to monitor social exchanges and detect those who are not contributing to mutual benefits.

First Impressions and Physical Appearance

  • Baby Face Bias: Individuals perceived as having baby faces are seen as more honest but less competent.
  • Berry & Zebrowitz-McArthur (1988) simulated court cases, showing defendants with baby faces were more likely to lose in negligence cases but more likely to win in intentional deceit cases.

First Impressions

  • System 1 (fast, automatic) and System 2 (slow, deliberate) described in Chapter 10 are used for decision-making.

First Impressions

  • Todorov et al. (2005) research suggests that first impressions, especially of competence, were predictive of election outcomes.
  • Studies indicate that nonverbal behavior, including biological motion (as seen in Point Light Walkers), is part of social processing stream, and can provide information about a person.

In-Groups and Out-Groups

  • In-groups and out-groups include people similar or dissimilar to you.
  • In-group identification involves feelings of solidarity.
  • Self-categorization theory discusses the hierarchical system of categories people belong to.
  • Different aspects of identity can be primed in different situations.
  • Studies (e.g., Cuddy et al., 2007) show greater difficulty empathizing with out-group members.
  • Out-groups are often perceived as more uniform than in-groups.
  • Difficulty empathizing with out-groups is related to cognitive effort in simulating others' feelings; this empathy can be effortful, as shown in Cameron et al (2019.)

In-Groups and Out-Groups

  • Other race effect (ORE): The ability to identify faces from your own ethnic group is often better than faces of other races.
  • This is a bidirectional relationship-Northern Europeans recognize Northern Europeans better than different races, and vice-versa.
  • Possible mechanisms for ORE include perceptual expertise (greater exposure to faces of people from one's own race) and motivational-attentional factors such as categorizing people as in-group/out-group and focusing attention on in-group members.

In-Group and Out-Group continued

  • Perceptual expertise, greater activation in the Fusiform Face Area (FFA) for faces of one's own race.
  • McKone (2019): research on childhood exposure periods for development of recognition of in-group faces.
  • Attention and motivation are factors in how individuals perceive faces of in-groups and out-groups, as evidenced in Van Bavel et al.'s (2011) study using categorization tasks and assigned “teams.”

Bias Blind Spot

  • Pronin et al. (2002) research shows that individuals tend to perceive their judgments as being objective, while attributing bias to others' judgments.

Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Behavior

  • Stereotyping, the process of making assumptions about others.
  • Implicit biases are unconscious biases often measured using the Implicit Association Test(IAT).
  • Studies indicate that IAT and Implicit biases are poor predictors of discrimination.

Dual-Process Theory of Stereotyping

  • Devine (1989) proposed a two-stage model: Stereotype activation (automatic) and Stereotype application (controlled).
  • Gilbert & Hixon (1991) examined the effects of cognitive resources on stereotype activation.

Implicit Attitudes

  • Implicit attitudes are often unconsciously held.
  • Implicit Association Test (IAT) are used to measure these attitudes.
  • The IAT measures the ease in mapping two concepts to the same response.
  • Some research (Oswald et al., 2013) indicates that the IAT is a poor predictor of discriminatory behavior.

Emotion Regulation

  • Different strategies for emotion regulation exist, including expressive suppression (which has negative cognitive effects), and cognitive reappraisal.
  • Emotional regulation can be cognitively demanding, and studies investigate how cognitive load associated with specific approaches affects performance.

Motivated Reasoning and Civil Discourse

  • Recent trends involve higher demonization of people with differing viewpoints.
  • This has links to increased confirmation bias: seeking out information supporting pre-held beliefs.
  • This can result in decreased ability to engage in civil or productive discourse.
  • Studies, such as Westen et al (2006), show heightened activity in brain regions associated with emotion/pain when encountering contradictory information.

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Description

This quiz explores the concepts of social cognition and the neural mechanisms involved in understanding social information. It covers key studies from Heider & Simmel to Pitcher & Ungerleider, as well as the Theory of Mind and fMRI research findings on social knowledge tasks. Test your understanding of how the brain processes social interactions and relationships.

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