2- Intro to Social Cognition

Question 1

What is social cognition?

Answer 1

The way we interpret, analyse, remember and use information about the social world

Question 2

Concrete definition of social cognition

Answer 2

Cognitive processes and structures that influence and are influenced by the social context

Question 3

How do we interact with the social world?

Answer 3

Social world influences us as well as us influencing the social world

Question 4

What specifically is social cognition focused on?

Answer 4

Thoughts

Question 5

What are the three theories of processing information?

Answer 5

Naive scientist
Cognitive miser
Motivated tactician

Question 6

Who created the naive scientist theory?

Answer 6

Heider

Question 7

What are we according to the naive scientist theory?

Answer 7

Rational beings

Question 8

How do we look for information in the naive scientist theory?

Answer 8

In a systematic way

Question 9

Why do we look for information in the naive scientist explanation?

Answer 9

To make conclusions about the world

Question 10

What are the two primary needs of the naive scientist theory?

Answer 10

Predict and control

Question 11

What does the naive scientist theory say that we want to come up with?

Answer 11

Causal explanations

Question 12

Which explanation dominates a lot of social psychology?

Answer 12

Cognitive miser explanation

Question 13

How does the cognitive miser explanation differ from the naive scientist theory?

Answer 13

We’re not as scientific and don’t work as systematically

Question 14

How does the cognitive miser explanation suggest that we try to understand the social world?

Answer 14

We engage in time-saving mental shortcuts as processing resources are valuable

Question 15

Who proposed the cognitive miser explanation?

Answer 15

Fiske and Taylor

Question 16

What do we develop because we are “cognitive misers”?

Answer 16

Cognitive tools that help us free up limited cognitive resources

Question 17

Why do we tend to compromise a lot of our social thoughts and processes?

Answer 17

As we only have limited time and resources so we use tools to free up our limited resources

Question 18

What does the motivated tactician explanation suggest we do?

Answer 18

Choose from multiple cognitive strategies based on goals, motives and needs

Question 19

What may we be willing to do according to the motivated tactician explanations?

Answer 19

Sacrifice limited resources to process social information

Question 20

What are the reasons we choose cognitive strategies according to the motivated tactician explanation? (3 points)

Answer 20

• In the interests of adaptability and accuracy
• Sometimes defensively
• In the interest of speed or self-esteem

Question 21

How is social cognition different from cognitive psychology?

Answer 21

Social cognition focuses on cognitive processes as applied to social objects