Section 4: Social Cognition

Question 1

Social cognition:

Answer 1

the process through which people think about and make sense of themselves and others
deals with the fact that the same subjective reality can be seen in different ways

Question 2

4 reasons why we see social reality in different ways?

Answer 2

1. Selective attention
2. Interpretation
3. Judgement
4. Memory

Question 3

-Cognitive misers:

Answer 3

stingy/ do not want to give more than have to (Scrooge)

Only use when absolutely necessary

Question 4

• Self-fulfilling prophecies

Answer 4

: when an initial inaccurate expectation leaves the perceiver to act in ways that cause the other person to react in ways that fulfill the stereotype
o 1. When people with inaccurate expectations are in control of situation
o 2. When the targets of that expectation give into control.

Question 5

dispositional inferences (internal), situational (external)

Answer 5

• judgement that their behavior is due to their personality
• Fundamental attribution error (FAE): more likely to dispositional attribution over situational attribution over judgement of behaviors
  o Also known as correspondence Bias

Question 6

Cognitive heuristics:

Answer 6

Representative heuristic
Availability heuristic
False consensus effect:
Anchoring and adjustment

Question 7

Representative heuristics:

Answer 7

mental shortcut classifying someone belonging to a certain category to the extent that it is similar to a typical case from that category

Question 8

Availability heuristics:

Answer 8

over estimate of the likelihood of events that come to mind more easily

Question 9

False Consensus effect:

Answer 9

assumptions is we tend to have others agree with us

Question 10

Anchoring and adjustment:

Answer 10

have new judgment, rough estimate as an anchor Ex. Millikin major less than 25 or more

Question 11

Actor-observer bias:

Answer 11

how we judge ourselves vs other people

Question 12

Illusion of control:

Answer 12

believing that we have control – enhance self-control and desired outcomes
Attribute others into cause, self-serving attributions

Question 13

Need for structure:

Answer 13

Extend to which people are motivated to organize their mental and physical worlds in simple ways
Engage in cognitive characters

Question 14

Need for cognition:

Answer 14

enjoy thinking, analyzing, examining

- Less likely to use cognitive characters

Question 15

Cultural differences:

Answer 15

Individualistic societies: are more likely to believe characters and personality are strong causes for behavior
Collective societies: strong appreciation for the situation can influence our behaviors

Question 16

Two conditions lead to wanting accuracy:

Answer 16

1. Special desire to have control over one’s life

2. Want to avoid making mistakes

Question 17

How to increase accuracy?

Answer 17

Listening, asking questions, paying attention to inconsistencies, working harder to increase the understanding/causes of other people’s behaviors

Question 18

Correspondence Theory:

Answer 18

4 questions: Yes = dispositional attributions
1. Was the behavior intentional?
2. Was behavior freely chosen?
3. Were the consequences for seeable?
4. Did the person act this way despite counter veiling forces?
Ex. Jack loves Jill, Jill gets knocked up, or Jack was forced into marrying Jill?

Question 19

Co-variation theory:

Answer 19

Sheila’s story: coworker calls into work on a snowy day, is she calling in because of weather or she just using an excuse? Usually on time, and everything else, and two others called in because of weather.
3 factors: 1. Is the person’s behavior consisting across time in this type of situation? (Consistent)
- Yes = dispositional
- 2. Is the person’s behavior unusual or distinctive across situation? (distinctiveness)
- No = depositional
- 3. Do other people behave in the same way? (Consensus)
- No = dispositional
- Situational attribution is concluded – behavior unknown across time, behavior unusual, other people act same way

Question 20

Other factors of covariation theory:

Answer 20

People make internal/Person attribution when consistency is high, and consensus and distinctiveness is low.
People make external/Situation attribution when consensus, distinctiveness, and consistency are all high.
Person x Situation attributions are made when consensus is low, distinctiveness and consistency is high.

Question 21

3 additional factors motivate us to be accurate:

Answer 21

mood
unexpected events
social independence