2. Social Cognition Processes and Bias Flashcards
Knowledge activation
Retrieving an element of social knowledge from long-term memory
Bottom-up
Data driven
Top-down
Knowledge driven
What can knowledge shape when activated?
Attention, construal, memory, behaviour
What are the determinants of activation?
- Schema (framing)
- Applicability (given stimulus, can I apply a concept)
- Accessibility
Applicability
Overlap or fit between the features of a stimulus and the features of some stored knowledge (stimulus is strong and makes you think of a certain thing. ex. seeing a lab coat makes you think of a doctor)
Accessibility
Activation readiness of stored knowledge; how ready is the schema to come to mind and have a top-down influence on your stimulus; prepared to thing something and then analyze
Priming
To activate some social knowledge, to make it accessible for later info processing
Spreading activation
Activation spreads from one concept to other related concepts in the associative network; source of chronic/temporary accessibility (ex. Likelihood of Sexually Harass Scale, perceiving something in terms of a specific concept)
“Sub-liminal”
Below the subjective threshold of conscious awareness
What are the characteristics of automatic processing?
It is: efficient(judgments while distracted), unintended (snap judgments of personality), difficult to control (prejudice), outside of awareness – ANY OF THE ABOVE
Subjective threshold
Duration necessary for the subject to be aware of seeing stimulus
Objective threshold
Duration necessary for stimulus to have an effect
Controlled processing
It is: effortful, intentional, controllable, aware
What is the Theory of “Lay Epistemics”?
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Theory of “Lay (regular people) Epistemics (coming to believe something)”
What are the three parts of the theory of “Lay Epistemics”
- Need for closure (wanna make a judgment)
- Desire for validity (I need more info)
- Motive for specific conclusions (wanting to feel good about the decision)
What is need for closure in Lay Epistemics?
Motive to have some answer on a topic (rather than confusion)
What does need for closure lead to?
“seizing and freezing”
When does need for closure happen?
Need time and attention, need to act now
What is desire for validity in Lay Epistemics?
Motivation to be accurate
What does desire for validity do?
Makes your examination more careful
What is the motive for specific conclusions in Lay Epistemics?
Get to enough evidence for a decision you like and stop thinking about it
Disposition
Internal factor, such as belief, value, personality trait and ability that guide a person’s behavior
Fundamental attribution error
The failure to recognize the situational influence on behavior along with overemphasizing the importance of dispositions on behaviour; Lee Ross 1977