Social Cognition and Schemas Quiz

The process of selecting, organizing, and interpreting sensory information to form a meaningful representation of the world.

Mental representations of objects, events, or concepts that guide our perception and understanding of the world.

A type of schema that represents a sequence of events or actions typically associated with a particular situation.

The process by which our expectations, knowledge, and goals influence what we perceive and how we interpret it.

The idea that stimuli are not inherently subjective but are filtered through our personal experiences, beliefs, and expectations.

The idea that perceptions are not purely objective but are influenced by cognitive processes, such as schemas and expectations.

The idea that our beliefs, attitudes, and expectations about the world influence our behavior.

The process of using existing schemas to interpret new information, potentially leading to adjustments or expansions of the schema.

The automatic and immediate interpretation of information based on pre-existing knowledge.

Elaboration refers to the process of actively thinking about, analyzing, and connecting new information with existing knowledge.

This occurs when we recall information that is consistent with a schema, even if it wasn't actually present.

Inconsistent information that deviates from our schemas requires more processing and attention, leading to better memory for that information.

The process of attributing a cause or reason for someone else's behavior, often based on our schemas.

The ability to process information in a thoughtful and deliberate way, considering multiple perspectives.

Positive moods lead to shallower information processing, potentially increasing biases. Negative moods encourage deeper processing, reducing biases.

This principle suggests that our mood influences our judgments. A positive mood makes us assume things are good, reducing information processing.

We may avoid deep thinking when in a positive mood to avoid the risk of losing that positivity.

Positive moods can limit cognitive resources due to the diverse and wide-ranging nature of positive memories and constructs.

The impact of positive mood on information processing depends on the enjoyment of the information itself. Pleasant tasks can still be processed deeply even with a positive mood.

A general state of feeling that influences our thoughts and actions.

A specific emotion tied to an object or event.

Anticipating regret can lead to choosing a different alternative, avoiding action or choosing the alternative that promises less uncertainty.

The feeling of discomfort or tension that arises when a person holds two or more conflicting cognitions (beliefs, attitudes, behaviors).

The process of reducing cognitive dissonance by changing one's attitudes or behaviors to make them consistent with each other.

When people engage in behaviors that contradict their values or beliefs, they often justify their behavior to reduce dissonance. This justification can involve rationalizing their behavior, minimizing the conflict, or changing their attitudes.

The amount of effort or reward associated with a behavior influences the degree of dissonance experienced. Greater effort or reward can lead to more justification and less dissonance.

The theory proposes that people are motivated to maintain consistency between their beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. When inconsistencies arise, they experience psychological discomfort and strive to reduce it.

The tendency for individuals to have varying degrees of strength in their attitudes, with some having strong attitudes on many topics while others are more neutral.

A model that explains attitudes as being made up of three components: cognitive, affective, and behavioral.

The component of attitude that reflects our beliefs and thoughts about an object, often based on weighing positive and negative attributes.

A theory that explains how we form attitudes based on the perceived value and likelihood of obtaining specific outcomes associated with an object.

The component of attitude that encompasses our emotional reactions to an object, often shaped by learning processes like classical and operant conditioning.

The component of attitude that reflects our actions and behaviors towards an object, often influenced by our self-perception of those behaviors.

A theory that suggests we infer our attitudes towards an object by observing our own behaviors towards it.

The relative importance of each component of attitude often varies depending on the specific situation or object. Some situations may emphasize one component more strongly than others.

The effectiveness of a source depends on its credibility, which includes competence (expertise) and trustworthiness (reliability).

A source is perceived as more trustworthy when they present unpopular viewpoints or act against their own self-interest.

A source is perceived as more trustworthy when they offer information casually rather than intentionally targeting someone.

Sympathetic sources (likable, similar, attractive) have greater influence, especially when their traits are relevant to the message.

The Sleeper Effect occurs when a source with a bad reputation has less immediate impact but gains influence over time as we forget the source's negativity.

The Central Route to Persuasion involves a deep, thoughtful, and thorough evaluation of the message, leading to strong, lasting attitudes.

The Peripheral Route to Persuasion relies on surface-level cues like source attractiveness or message length, leading to weaker, temporary attitudes.

A long message can be persuasive through the Central Route if it contains strong arguments and evidence.

A long message can be ineffective or counterproductive through the Central Route if it contains weak or irrelevant information.

Information presented first or last has the most impact. This is due to the primacy effect (first) or recency effect (last).