Chapter 3: Social Beliefs and Judgements

Question 1

What is “priming”?

Answer 1

Activating particular associations in memory

Priming is the awakening or activating of certain associations

Question 2

How do our assumptions and preconceptions affect our perceptions?

Answer 2

Our preconceptions guide how we perceive and interpret information. We construe the world through belief-tinted glasses.

Question 3

What is “belief perseverance”?

Answer 3

Persistence of one’s initial conceptions, such as when the basis for one’s belief is discredited, but an explanation of why the belief might be true continues.

Question 4

What is the “misinformation effect”?

Answer 4

Incorporating “misinformation” into one’s memory of the event after witnessing an event and receiving misleading information about it.

Question 5

What is meant by “reconstructing our past attitudes and behavior?”

Answer 5

When our attitudes change, we are inclined to forget out old attitudes or believe we always had our current ones.

Our memories also enable us to revise our own histories. We underreport bad behavior and overreport good behavior.

Question 6

What is “intuition,” and how does that relate to controlled processing and automatic processing?

Answer 6

Automatic processing corresponds with iIntuition since it is effortless and without awareness.

Controlled processing is more deliberate and does not tend to rely on intuition.

Question 7

What is the “overconfidence phenomenon?”

Answer 7

The tendency to be more confident than correct - to overestimate the accuracy of one’s beliefs.

Question 8

What is “confirmation bias?”

Answer 8

A tendency to search for information that confirm’s one’s preconceptions.

When we are eager to verify our beliefs, but less inclined to seek evidence that might disprove them.

Appears to be a System 1 snap judgement.

Question 9

What are “heuristics”?

Answer 9

Heuristics are simple, efficient thinking strategies.

A thinking strategy that enables quick, efficient judgements.

Question 10

What are the different types of heuristics?

Can you give examples of these types?

Answer 10

Availability heuristic - the more easily we recall something, the more likely it seems. (e.g., population of Iraq vs. Tanzania)

Representative heuristic - Making a decision based on what the data is most representative of in our minds (e.g., Linda the bank teller)

Question 11

What is Illusory correlation and control?

Answer 11

Illusory correlation is the perception of a relationship where non exists, or perception of a stronger relationship than actually exists.

Question 12

What is meant by “regression toward the average?”

Answer 12

The statistical tendency for extreme scores or extreme behavior to return toward their average

Question 13

How do moods affect judgement?

Answer 13

Good and bad moods trigger memories of experiences associated with those moods.

Moods color our interpretations of current experiences. And by distracting us, moods can also influence how deeply or superficially we think when making judgments.

Question 14

What is “attribution theory?”

Answer 14

The theory of how people explain others’ behavior - for example, by attributing it either to internal dispositions (enduring traits, motives or attitudes) or to external situations.

Question 15

What is “misattribution?”

Answer 15

Mistakenly attributing a behavior to the wrong source

Question 16

What is the difference between dispositional and situational attribution?

Answer 16

Dispositional attribution is attributing behavior to the person’s disposition and traits.

Situational attribution is attributing behavior to the environment.

Question 17

What is the “fundamental attribution error,” and what are some explanations of why we do this?

Answer 17

The tendency for observers to underestimate situational influences and overestimate dispositional influences upon others’ behavior.

We make this attribution error partly because when we watch someone act, that person is the focus of our attention and the situation is relatively invisible. When we act, our attention is usually on what we are reacting to (the situation is more visible).

Question 18

How do one’s expectations influence perceptions and judgements?

Answer 18

We find causes where we look for them. What we expect may guide our judgments and perceptions.

e.g., assuming a professor is outgoing, because we view them as a public speaker

Question 19

What is a “self-fulfilling prophecy?”

Answer 19

A belief that leads to it’s own fulfillment

Question 20

What is a “behavioral confirmation?”

Answer 20

A type of self-fulfilling prophecy whereby people’s social expectations lead them to behave in ways that cause others to confirm their expectations.

Question 21

System 1

Answer 21

The intuitive, automatic, unconscious, and fast way of thinking.

Also known as automatic processing.

Question 22

System 2

Answer 22

The deliberate, controlled, conscious, and slower way of thinking.

Also known as controlled processing.

Question 23

Automatic processing

Answer 23

“Implicit” thinking that is effortless, habitual, and without awareness; roughly corresponds to “intuition.”

Also known as System 1

Question 24

Controlled processing

Answer 24

“Explicit” thinking that is deliberate, reflective, and conscious.

Also known as System 2

Question 25

Representative heuristic

Answer 25

The tendency to presume, something despite contrary odds, that someone or something belongs to a particular group if resembling (representative) a typical member

Question 26

Availability heuristic

Answer 26

A cognitive rule that judges the likelihood of things in terms of their availability in memory. If instances of something come readily to mind, we presume it must be commonplace.