Social Cognition & Automaticity PDF

**Lesson 2: Social Cognition** **Step 1: What is Social Cognition?** - **Definition**: Social cognition is about how we think about ourselves and others in social contexts. - **Key Questions**: - How do we perceive and interpret people? - How do we remember social informatio...

**Lesson 2: Social Cognition** **Step 1: What is Social Cognition?** - **Definition**: Social cognition is about how we think about ourselves and others in social contexts. - **Key Questions**: - How do we perceive and interpret people? - How do we remember social information? - How do we make judgments about people and situations? **Step 2: How Social Cognition Works** - It includes processes like: 1. **Perception**: How we notice and focus on others\' actions or traits. 2. **Memory**: How we store and recall social events or characteristics. 3. **Judgment**: How we decide if someone is kind, rude, etc. - **Example**: Imagine someone described as \"intelligent but cold\" versus \"intelligent but warm.\" Just switching "cold" and "warm" leads to very different impressions of the person. **Step 3: Two Models of How We Form Impressions** 1. **Configural Model**: - People process traits holistically (as a whole). - Example: \"Warm\" or \"cold\" changes the entire impression. - This model views the person as a unified psychological unit. 2. **Algebraic Model**: - People evaluate traits one at a time and combine them (like adding up pros and cons). - Example: Intelligence = +5, Kindness = +3, Rudeness = -2 → Overall score = +6. **Step 4: Historical Approaches to Social Cognition** 1. **Elemental Approach**: - Inspired by British philosophers like Hume. - Breaks thoughts into parts (like analyzing ingredients in a recipe). - Example: Linking \"sneeze\" to \"tissue\" through repeated associations. 2. **Holistic Approach**: - Inspired by German philosophers like Kant. - Focuses on the whole picture. - Example: Understanding someone\'s personality as a dynamic, interconnected whole. **Step 5: Integration of Elemental and Holistic Views** - Modern theories combine both approaches: - Holistic for overall impressions. - Elemental for analyzing details. - **Key Idea**: We use different approaches based on context. **Step 6: Kurt Lewin's Psychological Field Theory** - **Key Concept**: People act based on how they perceive their environment, **not** on the environment itself. - **Example**: If a student *feels* unsupported in a classroom, they might disengage, even if the teacher is objectively supportive. **Step 7: The Evolution of Social Thinker Models** 1. **Consistency-Seeker**: People try to avoid internal contradictions (e.g., cognitive dissonance). 2. **Naïve Scientist**: People act like rational analysts when judging causes (e.g., why someone was late). 3. **Cognitive Miser**: People take shortcuts to save mental effort (e.g., using stereotypes). 4. **Motivated Tactician**: People switch strategies based on their goals. 5. **Activated Actor**: Our responses are fast, automatic, and shaped by unconscious cues. **Step 8: Summary of Lesson 2** - Social cognition is about thinking in a social context. - It balances automatic and controlled processes. - Both holistic and elemental approaches contribute to understanding people. **Lesson 3: Automaticity and Control** **Step 1: What is Automaticity?** - **Definition**: Mental processes that happen automatically, without conscious effort. - **Key Idea**: Much of what we do in social situations is automatic, like forming impressions or recognizing emotions. **Step 2: Characteristics of Automatic vs. Controlled Processes** **Automatic Processes** **Controlled Processes** ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- Outside awareness Within awareness Unintentional Intentional Uncontrollable Controllable Efficient (require little effort) Inefficient (require more effort) **Step 3: Levels of Automaticity** 1. **Full Automaticity**: Happens without awareness or control (e.g., subliminal priming). 2. **Goal-Dependent Automaticity**: Semi-automatic but influenced by our goals (e.g., smiling at a customer because of work goals). 3. **Conscious Priming**: You're aware of the stimulus but not its effects (e.g., seeing "polite" words and then behaving politely). **Step 4: Key Studies** 1. **Bargh et al. (1996)**: - Experiment: Participants subliminally exposed to "polite" or "rude" words acted accordingly. - Result: Priming can influence behavior without awareness. 2. **Bargh and Thein (1985)**: - Experiment: Participants with a chronic focus on honesty could form impressions under high mental load. - Result: Habitual concepts (like honesty) help process information more efficiently. **Step 5: Why Automaticity is Important** - **Cognitive Miser**: Since our mental capacity is limited, automatic processes save energy. - **Heuristics**: These are mental shortcuts that simplify decisions (e.g., assuming someone is trustworthy because they smile). **Step 6: Can We Control Automaticity?** - Sometimes, but not always: - **Awareness**: If we're aware of biases, we can attempt to control them (e.g., avoiding stereotypes). - **Practice**: Repeatedly counteracting biases can make controlled responses more automatic. **Step 7: Lessons from Automaticity** 1. Automatic responses can change with context and practice. 2. Both automatic and controlled responses reflect genuine aspects of the mind. 3. Automaticity isn't all-or-nothing; it exists on a continuum. **Step 8: Summary of Lesson 3** - Automaticity helps us respond quickly but can also lead to biases. - It is shaped by unconscious cues, habits, and context. - Understanding automatic processes can help us make better decisions and reduce unwanted biases. **Lesson 6: Control and Automaticity** **Step 1: Controlled Processes** - Controlled processes are deliberate and effortful. - **Key Features**: - **Conscious**: Operate with awareness. - **Intentional**: Require deliberate initiation. - **Controllable**: Can be stopped or redirected. - **Inefficient**: Use significant mental resources. - **Examples**: - Planning a detailed vacation itinerary. - Choosing to stop thinking negatively about someone. **Step 2: Goal-Dependent Automaticity** - **Definition**: These processes start with a conscious goal but proceed automatically afterward. - **Example**: - Driving a car: You consciously decide to drive, but actions like steering or braking can become automatic with practice. - **How It Works**: - Conscious goal → Activates an automatic process. - **Example**: At a party, your goal to meet interesting people might trigger automatic inferences (e.g., \"that person looks fun\"). **Step 3: When Control Fails** 1. **Goal-Inconsistent Automaticity**: - **Definition**: When automatic processes conflict with your conscious intentions. - **Study Example**: Wegner et al. (1987) asked participants to suppress the thought of a \"white bear.\" They not only struggled to do so but also experienced a \"rebound effect\" (thinking about it even more afterward). 2. **The Rebound Effect**: - **Key Idea**: Suppressing thoughts makes them hyper-accessible later. - **Real-Life Examples**: - Smoking or dieting: Suppression of cravings can backfire. - Anxiety: Suppressing fears can intensify them. 3. **Stereotype Rebound**: - **Study Example**: Macrae et al. (1994) asked participants to avoid using stereotypes when describing a \"skinhead.\" Later, when the suppression instructions were lifted, participants used stereotypes more heavily. **Step 4: Why Does Suppression Fail?** - **Two Competing Processes**: 1. **Controlled Operating Process**: Tries to replace unwanted thoughts with distractions (requires effort and motivation). 2. **Automatic Monitoring Process**: Continuously scans for unwanted thoughts, which ironically keeps them active. - **Result**: When cognitive resources are low (e.g., stress, fatigue), the automatic process dominates, leading to the rebound effect. **Step 5: Strategies to Manage Thought Suppression** 1. **Distract Yourself**: - Focus on something engaging (e.g., think of a red car instead of a white bear). 2. **Postpone Worry**: - Schedule time to address unwanted thoughts, reducing their intrusion during other tasks. 3. **Limit Multitasking**: - High cognitive loads make suppression harder. 4. **Exposure**: - Gradual exposure to the thought reduces its intrusive power. 5. **Mindfulness**: - Practice observing thoughts without judgment to reduce their impact. **Step 6: The Role of Intent in Control** - **Definition**: Intent requires making deliberate choices, often opting for harder paths. - **Example**: Refusing to rely on stereotypes when judging someone shows intentionality. - **Free Will Debate**: - Some researchers (e.g., Bargh, 1999) argue that behavior is mostly automatic, driven by environmental triggers. - Others (e.g., Wegner, 2003) suggest that \"free will\" is often an illusion. **Step 7: Conscious Will and Control** - **What Creates the Sense of Control?** 1. **Priority**: The thought precedes the action. 2. **Consistency**: The thought aligns with the action. 3. **Exclusivity**: There's no other clear cause for the action. - **Key Insight**: While we believe we control our actions, much of it may be automatic or situationally driven. **Step 8: Summary** - Controlled processes require awareness, effort, and intent, but they can fail when: - Cognitive resources are low. - Suppression strategies backfire. - Strategies like mindfulness, distraction, and exposure can help manage unwanted thoughts. - The line between automatic and controlled processes is not clear-cut and often depends on context and goals.