CHP.17: SOCIAL COGNITION: ATTITUDES & STEREOTYPES Flashcards
Define personal perception
When we socialize and communicate with other people we are continually engaged in the process of forming opinions and impressions of others
What are attributions?
Inferences we make about the causes of events, the behavior of others, or of our own behavior
Inferences can be internal (within the person) or external (outside the person)
What is a dispositional attribution?
Internal attributions: factors based on individuals and their characters
What is a situational attribution?
External attribution: factors based on the environment, situations or events
What is a stereotype?
The impression that certain groups have particular characteristics that are typical of them
Eg- all women are emotional
What is the purpose of stereotyping?
stereotyping is a normal human process that is usually automatic and efficient because it saves time and effort to form an independent opinion of someone
They help us organise our knowledge of people quickly
Define attitude specificity
Highly specific attitudes are characterised by particular behaviours. For example, if you specifically prefer one brand of shampoo, you will purchase only that brand, regardless of the price
What is the tri-component model?
According to the tri-component model, an attitude is made up of a cluster of beliefs (thoughts and ideas), feelings (likes and dislikes) and behaviours (actions and intentions). These elements fit within three components of an attitude: affect, behaviour and cognition (the ABC of attitudes)
What are the three components of the tri-component model?
Cognitive, Affective and Behavorial
Define the cognitive component of the tri-component model
A person’s thoughts, ideas and understanding about an attitude object. It is what we know, or think we know, about an attitude
object. For example, dogs can be good guard dogs and good companions.
Define the Affective component of the tri-component model
This is a person’s feelings and emotional response to an attitude object. This component is mostly learnt during the course of our daily lives. It is the emotional reaction we have, or the way we feel about the attitude object. This involves a physiological response to the attitude object. For example, you may love dogs
Define the behavioral component of the tri-component model
This is a person’s behaviour towards an attitude object. This is what we say and how we act towards the object. For example, you get a dog as a pet and spend time with it.
What is prejudice?
Prejudice (literally pre-judgement) is an unfavourable or negative attitude towards a group of people, based on insufficient or incorrect information about the group to whom it is directed – it often arises from stereotyping. Note that prejudice is towards an identi able group or an identi able member of a group, not towards an isolated individual.
What is discrimination?
Discrimination is the action that expresses the attitude of prejudice and it is often an individual who is the victim.
