Social Psychology - Social Cognition

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Questions and Answers

How do we form impressions of others and how do we process others' impressions of us?

By using perception, memory, and cognition to process information; impression formation is the mental process of forming judgments about other people.

What are the types of attribution mentioned in social psychology?

Fundamental Attribution error (correct)

Self-Serving Bias (correct)

Situational Attribution (External Attribution) (correct)

Disposition Attribution (Internal Attribution) (correct)

Social cognition involves the processes of remembering, interpreting, and processing information about ______ and others.

ourselves

The Primacy effect is a cognitive bias that occurs when someone recalls and emphasizes information presented later in a sequence more accurately than information presented earlier.

False Signup and view all the answers

Match the bias in attribution with its description:

Fundamental Attribution error = Overemphasizing internal characteristics to explain behavior Actor-Observer Bias = Attributing own actions to external factors and others' actions to internal factors Self-Serving Bias = Attributing successes to internal factors and failures to external factors Signup and view all the answers

How do groups influence individual decisions?

Group members sometimes take more extreme positions after participating in discussions with group members who strongly agree with their views. Signup and view all the answers

How do social roles influence an individual's behavior?

Social roles dictate how individuals are supposed to act and interact based on their status or position in relation to others. Signup and view all the answers

What are the three components of attitude?

Cognitive factor, emotional factor, behavioral factor Signup and view all the answers

What is cognitive dissonance?

Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort or tension that arises when a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time. Signup and view all the answers

What are the elements of persuasion?

The elements of persuasion include sources of communication, audience, message, and medium. Signup and view all the answers

What motivates others to help?

Empathy and commitment are motivations for altruism, leading individuals to engage in acts of helping others. Signup and view all the answers

What is the bystander effect?

The bystander effect is a social psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present, increasing with the number of bystanders. Signup and view all the answers

What biological factors influence aggression?

Genetics, high testosterone levels, neurological disorders, and alcohol abuse are biological factors that influence aggression. Signup and view all the answers

What other factors influence aggression?

Factors that influence aggression include the frustration aggression hypothesis, personal space, crowding, and social exclusion. Signup and view all the answers

How does social learning theory explain aggression?

The social learning theory of aggression explains that people learn to behave aggressively by observing aggressive models and having their aggressive responses reinforced. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Here are the study notes for the text:

Social cognition involves the processes of remembering, interpreting, and processing information about ourselves and others.
Impression formation refers to the mental process of forming judgments about other people.
The primacy effect is a cognitive bias where people recall and emphasize the information presented earlier in a sequence more accurately than information presented later.
Impression management refers to the process by which individuals attempt to control the perceptions others have of them.

Attribution

Attribution refers to the process by which individuals explain the causes of behavior and events.
Types of attribution:
- Situational attribution (external attribution): interpreting behavior as a response to a situation.
- Dispositional attribution (internal attribution): interpreting behavior as a reflection of personality or character.
Biases in attribution:
- Fundamental attribution error: overemphasizing internal characteristics to explain someone else's behavior.
- Actor-observer bias: attributing one's own actions to external factors, but attributing others' actions to internal factors.
- Self-serving bias: attributing successes to internal factors and failures to external factors.

Attraction

Attraction refers to the action or power of evoking interest, pleasure, or liking for someone or something.
Factors affecting attractiveness:
- Proximity: physical or frequent closeness increases familiarity and liking.
- Reciprocal liking: people tend to like others who show that they like them in return.
- Physical attractiveness: cultural standards of beauty influence physical attraction.
- Halo effect: assuming that someone is good in one aspect, they are also good in other aspects.

Intimate Relationships

Factors contributing to the formation and maintenance of intimate relationships:
- Romantic attraction
- Matching hypothesis
- Joyful temperament
- Emotional stability and maturity
Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love:
- Intimacy
- Passion
- Commitment

Conformity, Obedience, and Compliance

Conformity: changing or modifying behavior or attitudes to match the social norms of a group or the expectations of others.
Obedience: acting according to rules or orders from authority figures.
Compliance: changing one's behavior due to the request or direction of another person.
Techniques for getting compliance:
- Foot-in-the-door technique
- Door-in-the-face technique
- Low-balling strategy

Group Influence

Social facilitation: tendency for people to perform differently when in the presence of others compared to when alone.
Social loafing: phenomenon where individuals exert less effort when working in a group compared to when working alone.
Group decision making:
- Group polarization: taking more extreme positions after participating in discussions with group members who strongly agree with one's views.
- Groupthink: irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome due to the desire for harmony or conformity in the group.

Attitudes and Attitude Change

Attitude: relatively stable evaluation of a person, object, situation, or issue, ranging from positive to negative.
Components of attitude:
- Cognitive factor: thoughts or beliefs about an object
- Emotional factor: feelings about the object
- Behavioral factor: tendency to behave towards the object
Cognitive dissonance: mental discomfort or tension that arises when a person holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values at the same time.
Resolving dissonance:
- Changing beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors
- Adding new beliefs or thoughts
- Minimizing the importance of the conflict

Prosocial Behavior

Prosocial behavior: behavior that is beneficial to others, such as helping, cooperation, and compassion.
Reasons for helping:
- Altruism
- Empathy
- Commitment
Bystander effect: social psychological phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present.

Aggression

Aggression: intentional infliction of physical or psychological harm to another person.
Biological components of aggression:
- Genetics: aggressive tendencies are influenced by genetics.
- Low level of arousal of the autonomic nervous system: people with low arousal levels seek stimulation and excitement to increase arousal.### Biological Factors Influencing Aggression
High levels of testosterone have been linked to aggressive behavior, including intimate partner violence, in both men and women.
Brain tumors and other neurological disorders have been associated with aggressive behavior.

Other Factors Influencing Aggression

Frustration aggression hypothesis: aggression is the result of blocking or frustrating a person's efforts to achieve a goal, leading to frustration and aggressive behavior.
Personal space, crowding, and social exclusion can also influence aggression.

People learn to behave aggressively by observing aggressive models and having their aggressive responses reinforced (Bandura, 1973).
Aggressive behavior can be learned through observation and reinforcement.

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Description

Explore how social cognition plays a crucial role in forming judgments about others, involving perception, memory, and cognition to process information about the social environment.