Social Cognition Concepts and Models

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Questions and Answers

What is the role of a Cognitive Miser in social cognition?

To avoid mental effort by using shortcuts. (correct)

To carefully analyze all information before responding.

To consistently seek out contradictions.

To switch strategies based on varying goals.

Which statement best describes Goal-Dependent Automaticity?

It occurs completely outside of awareness.

It never involves conscious awareness of stimuli.

It is influenced by individual goals and intentions. (correct)

It requires significant mental effort to activate.

Which characteristic distinguishes automatic processes from controlled processes?

Automatic processes are always intentional.

Controlled processes happen outside of awareness.

Automatic processes are uncontrollable. (correct)

Controlled processes require little to no effort.

What occurs during full automaticity in mental processes?

There is no conscious effort or control involved. Signup and view all the answers

What effect does priming have on behavior, as demonstrated in the studies?

Priming can influence behavior without awareness. Signup and view all the answers

How do motivated tacticians operate in social settings?

They employ strategies based on their current objectives. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key idea associated with social cognition?

It balances automatic and controlled processes. Signup and view all the answers

What defines automatic processes in social situations?

They are efficient and largely unintentional. Signup and view all the answers

What are heuristics primarily described as?

Mental shortcuts that simplify decisions. Signup and view all the answers

Which strategy can help in controlling biases?

Becoming aware of biases. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement reflects a key feature of controlled processes?

They operate with conscious awareness. Signup and view all the answers

What does goal-dependent automaticity refer to?

Automatic processes starting with a conscious goal. Signup and view all the answers

Which example illustrates the concept of the rebound effect?

Trying to forget a painful memory results in more thoughts about it. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best describes automaticity?

It allows for rapid responses but can lead to biases. Signup and view all the answers

Why does practice play a role in controlling automaticity?

It makes controlled responses more automatic. Signup and view all the answers

What can influence automatic responses according to context?

Cues from the environment. Signup and view all the answers

What effect can the suppression of cravings have in real life?

It may enhance the cravings over time. Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of the Controlled Operating Process?

It requires significant cognitive resources and motivation. Signup and view all the answers

In what scenario is the Automatic Monitoring Process likely to dominate?

When cognitive resources are low. Signup and view all the answers

Which strategy helps in managing thought suppression by gradually reducing its intrusive power?

Gradual exposure to the thought. Signup and view all the answers

What does the concept of Intent in control emphasize?

It involves making deliberate and often challenging choices. Signup and view all the answers

According to the key insight about control, what primarily underlies our sense of control?

Automatic behaviors and conditions at the moment. Signup and view all the answers

What is one expected outcome of scheduling time to address unwanted thoughts?

It reduces unwanted thoughts during other tasks. Signup and view all the answers

What common misconception is challenged by the idea of 'Stereotype Rebound'?

Avoidance of stereotypes leads to less usage. Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of social cognition?

How we think about ourselves and others in social contexts Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect of social cognition involves storing and recalling social events?

Memory Signup and view all the answers

In the configural model, how are traits processed?

As a unified psychological unit Signup and view all the answers

What does the algebraic model rely on for forming impressions?

Evaluating traits one at a time Signup and view all the answers

Which approach focuses on understanding someone’s personality as a dynamic whole?

Holistic Approach Signup and view all the answers

Kurt Lewin's Psychological Field Theory suggests that people's actions are influenced by:

How they perceive their environment Signup and view all the answers

What is one key idea of modern theories regarding social cognition?

They integrate both holistic and elemental views based on context Signup and view all the answers

What is a misconception regarding how impressions are formed according to the given models?

People judge traits in isolation in both models Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social cognition is how we think about ourselves and others in social contexts
Key questions include: how we perceive people, remember social information, and make judgments about people and situations.
Social cognition involves processes like perception (noticing others' actions/traits), memory (storing/recalling social events), and judgment (deciding if someone is kind, rude, etc.)

Two Models of Impression Formation

Configural Model: People process traits holistically (as a whole); for example, "warm" or "cold" changes the entire impression. This model views the person as a unified psychological unit.
Algebraic Model: People evaluate traits individually and combine them; for example, intelligence + kindness - rudeness = overall score.

Elemental Approach: Inspired by British philosophers (e.g., Hume); breaks thoughts into parts (like analyzing ingredients). Example: linking "sneeze" to "tissue" through repeated associations.
Holistic Approach: Inspired by German philosophers (e.g., Kant); focuses on the whole picture. Example: understanding someone's personality as a dynamic, interconnected whole.

Automaticity

Definition: Mental processes that happen automatically, without conscious effort.
Characteristics of Controlled Processes: Require awareness, intentionality, and controllability; are inefficient and require more effort
Characteristics of Automatic Processes: Occur outside awareness, are unintentional, and uncontrollable; are efficient.
Key Idea: Much of social interaction is automatic (e.g., forming impressions, recognizing emotions).
Examples of Automaticity: Subliminal priming, goal-dependent automaticity, and conscious priming.
Important of Automaticity: Cognitive miser; mental shortcuts.
Strategies for controlling automatic processes like controlling stereotypes.
Suppression of thoughts: suppression can backfire, leads to a rebound effect of making the thought more accessible later.

Controlled Processes

Definition: Controlled processes are deliberate and effortful.
Key features: awareness, intention, controllability, and inefficiency.
Examples include planning a detailed itinerary, or choosing to stop thinking negatively.
Goal Dependent Automaticity: A controlled process that starts with a conscious goal but proceeds automatically afterward; example: driving.
Two competing processes and why suppression fails.

Integration of Elemental and Holistic Views

Modern theories combine both elemental and holistic approaches, drawing on different approaches based on context.

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Description

Explore the fundamental concepts of social cognition, including how we think about ourselves and others in various social contexts. This quiz covers key topics such as impression formation models, processes of perception, memory, and judgment. Test your understanding of both the Configural and Algebraic models of impression formation.