Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology exam > Social Cognition > Flashcards

Social Cognition Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards AP® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

Definition of social cognition

A

Social cognition refers to the processes involved in interpreting, analysing, remembering and using information about the social world. We, as humans, seek to predict how others will behave, explain our own successes and failures and make positive and negative impressions on others.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is an attitude

A

An attitude is an evaluation a person makes about an object, person, group, idea, event or issue

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Attitudes can be…

A
  • Postitive
  • Negative
  • Neutral (no real opinion)
  • Ambivalent (partly positive, partly negative)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Tri-component model

A
  • The tri-component model of the structure of attitudes is well known and is also called the ABC model.
  • The ABC model suggests that attitude consists of 3 related parts, all of which must be present for an attitude to form.

A – Affective (feeling)
B – Behaviour (actions)
C – Cognitive (beliefs/thoughts)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

ABC Model example

A

atherine does not like spiders
Katherine avoids spiders
Katherine thinks spiders are dangerous

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are the four functions of attitude

A

Adaptive, Self-expressive, Ego-defensive, knowledge.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Adaptive function

A

helps maximise rewards or advantages or minimise punishments or disadvantages.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Self-expressive function

A

attitude helps us to express information about ourselves to other people, it helps to establish our identity.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Ego-defensive function

A

allows us to protect our self-image by avoiding admitting negative things about ourselves

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Knowledge function

A

the attitude helps us to know how to act in various situations, giving structure and order to our world.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Attitude affects behaviour

A
  • If we have a positive attitude towards something our behaviour will reflect thing.
  • However, how much our attitude affects behaviour depends on how strong the attitude is, how specific the attitude is and the social situation surrounding it.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Factors effecting how much attitude effects behaviour

A
  • How strong the attitude is will spend on how it was formed. Direct experience being the strongest, indirect being weaker as it doesn’t invoke an emotional response.
  • How specific it is: if it is about a general concept it will be weaker, if it is more specific it is stronger. Specificity refers to knowledge.
  • The social situation; are there social influences acting in favour of a certain attitude?
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Behaviour affecting attitude

A

If we behave in a certain way this may affect our attitude. There are two theories as to how this can be.

  • Self perception theory
  • Cognitive dissonance theory.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Self Perception theory

A

This theory suggests that we observe our own behaviour and conclude our attitude from this.
I play netball therefore I must like netball.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Cognitive dissonance theory

A

Suggests that when our attitude and behaviour are inconsistent it makes us feel uncomfortable so we change one.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Central route of persuasion

A
  • Involves giving the audience information about the topic and trying to get them to think critically about the message (high elaboration).
  • It works best for an audience that is willing to and capable of paying attention and evaluating arguments
  • Facts, statistics, intellectual. Based on logic and content of message
  • Creates a more permanent change in attitude.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Peripheral route of persuasion

A
  • Uses peripheral cues not requiring the audience to think carefully (Low elaboration)
  • It uses imagery that is attractive or pleasurable.
  • Based on emotion and attractiveness.
  • It is best for audiences that are not likely to think deeply about the message.
  • The attitude change is less permeant.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What does SAM stand for

A

Source, audience, message.

19
Q

Source

A
  • The person giving the message (the more we favour the source the more we favour the message)

Effectiveness depends on credibility, trustworthiness, likeability and attractiveness

20
Q

Audience

A
  • The way the audience perceives the source is important
  • Older people are conservative
  • Younger people tend to form attitudes through indirect experiences and are easier to persuade
  • People with low self-esteem are easier to persuade
  • Intelligent people are better swayed by central and vice versa.
21
Q

Message

A
  • The message refers to the type of information.
  • Emotions aroused by the message are effective.
  • The message is more effective if the audience thinks it is honest rather than deceptive
  • Repetition of message can get people to remember it but can often lead to overexposure.
22
Q

What is prejudice

A

Prejudice is a negative attitude towards people in a distinguishable group, based solely on their membership of that group. Reducing prejudice involves changing an attitude.

23
Q

Structure of prejudice

A

A – Feelings of hatred
B – discrimination against group
C – thoughts and beliefs based on stereotypes

24
Q

Functions of racist attitudes

A
  • Helps us feel better about ourselves to see others as lesser (Ego-defensive)
  • Learned through observation and learned through rewards.
25
Q

Suggestions to reduce prejudice

A
  • Equal legal and economic status
  • Normal for groups to have equality
  • Increased contact with group
  • Cooperation
  • Creating cognitive dissonance
  • Cognitive intervention
26
Q

Impression formation

A

Factors influencing impression formation can be broken down into 2 categories

  • Verbal communication
  • Non-verbal communication
27
Q

Verbal communication

A

What we say

28
Q

Non-verbal communication

A
  • What we do and look like
  • Visual cues such as physical appearance, facial expressions, eye contact, posture.
  • How we say it
  • Variations in speech, rhythm, pitch, inflection, loudness, hesitations, emotion.
29
Q

Principles of impression formation

A
  • Impressions are formed on limited, external information.
  • First impressions are formed within seconds and affect how we see e person from that point forth, these impressions are not easily changed.
  • We tend to form more positive impressions of attractive people
30
Q

Impression Management

A

Impression management is the attempt we make to influence the impression we make on others.

  • Verbal and non-verbal factors are involved.
  • There are two methods for managing impressions of you; those that increase our appeal and make us seem like better people and those that use flattery, do favours for other in order to be viewed in a more postitive light.
31
Q

Social Comparison

A
  • Social comparison means gaining self-knowledge by comparing ourselves to others.
  • Social comparison can be downwards, upwards or similar.
32
Q

Downwards social comparison

A
  • Comparing ourselves to someone who is worse off in some way.
  • Its benefit is that it makes us feel good and boosts self-esteem
  • Its disadvantage is that it can result in accepting lower standards for ourselves.
33
Q

Upwards social comparison

A
  • Comparing ourselves to someone who is better off in some way
  • Its benefit is that it can give us a goal to aim for a motivate us
  • Its disadvantage is that it can result in discouragement if the goal is unrealistic for us.
34
Q

Similar social comparison

A
  • Comparing ourselves to someone who is similar
  • It enables us to check if we fit in with social norms, it advantage being that it confirms that our behaviour is acceptable and in form with others.
  • There is no real disadvantage.
35
Q

Self-handicapping

A
  • Self-handicappingis a cognitive strategy by which people make excuses for a potential failure of anticipated poor performance. The excuse can be real or fake, but it only works if you provide the excuse before receiving results or preforming the task.
  • It helps us avoid low self-esteem, its ego defensive.
  • The danger is that it lowers performance, decreases motivation.
36
Q

What do we use to measure attitudes

A
  • Behavioural observation

- Self reports

37
Q

Behaviour observations

A
  • Watching and recording behaviour and then inferring what the attitude must be.
  • Recording can use written descriptions, producing qualitative data, or behavioural counts (Observing how many times a person smiles) can be used to produce quantitative data.
38
Q

Self-reports

A

Questionnaires, surveys, interviews, rating scales.

39
Q

Experimental design for social cog

A

-Dividing participants into two groups to observe cartoon vs graphic images for an anti-smoking campaign. Experimental because of random allocation to experimental and control groups

40
Q

Quantitative observational for social cog

A
  • Observing people’s attitudes to smoking based on their own or friends smoking habits. Observational quantitative because the smoking habits of self or friends is a pre-existing variable.
41
Q

Qualitative for social cog

A
  • Focus groups or Delphi technique questionnaires regarding attitudes to smoking.
42
Q

Ethics for social cog

A
  • Ethical issues in advertising to young children
  • Debriefing when trying to persuade people or change attitudes
  • Protection of vulnerable groups regarding prejudice.
  • Informed consent, right to withdraw, confidentiality, etc.
43
Q

Public safety and fear (Psychological interventions)

A
  • Fear is an excellent way to change attitudes, it appeals to our self-interest.
  • However, it is only effective if you provide a way to avoid the scary thing.

Psychology exam (6 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions