Social Cognition

Question 1

What are the three components of attitudes, summarized as ABC?

Answer 1

The three components are:

1. Affective: Refers to feelings or emotions toward a person, object, or issue.
2. Behavioral: Refers to a predisposition to act in a certain way.
3. Cognitive: Refers to beliefs or knowledge about a person, object, or issue.

Question 2

What is cognitive dissonance?

Answer 2

Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort experienced when a person holds conflicting attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors, prompting the need to reduce this inconsistency.

Question 3

What is the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) of persuasion?

Answer 3

It suggests two routes to persuasion:

Central route: Focuses on the content and logic of the argument.
Peripheral route: Relies on superficial cues, such as attractiveness or status of the communicator.

Question 3

How can cognitive dissonance be reduced?

Answer 3

It can be reduced through three strategies:

1. Indirect strategies: Boost self-esteem in other areas.
2. Direct strategies: Change attitude or behavior.
3. Trivializing inconsistency: Downplay the significance of the conflict.

Question 4

What is the realistic conflict theory of prejudice?

Answer 4

This theory suggests that prejudice arises from competition for scarce resources, such as jobs or housing, leading to negative views of competing groups.

Question 4

What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination?

Answer 4

Prejudice: A negative attitude toward a group, involving cognitive and emotional components.
Discrimination: Negative behavior toward individuals based on group membership, stemming from prejudice.

Question 4

What are stereotypes?

Answer 4

Stereotypes are beliefs about people based on their membership in a particular category (e.g., race, gender), often serving as cognitive shortcuts but potentially leading to incorrect judgments.

Question 5

How do attitudes influence behavior?

Answer 5

Attitudes are more likely to influence behavior when they are strong, stable, relevant to the behavior, consistent with social norms, and easily accessed from memory.

Question 6

What characteristics make a persuader more effective?

Answer 6

A persuader is more effective when they:

Are seen as attractive or expert (peripheral route).

Speak quickly.

Are perceived as honest.