Social cognition

Question 1

Person Perception

Answer 1

is the process of forming opinions about others, our perception is influenced by their physical appearance. For example, their clothing, their hair cut, their cleanliness and overall aesthetic.

Question 2

The Halo effect

Answer 2

The science of attraction, it is “the tendency for an impression created in one area to influence opinion in another area.” We are also influenced by body language, gender, age, ethnicity, dress, culture, how they move and speak, disability will also influence our personal perception of a person.

Question 3

Attributions

Answer 3

Inferences we make about the cause of events, the behaviour of others or our own behaviour. They can be internal or external.

Question 4

Stereotypes

Answer 4

The tendency for an impression created in one area to influence opinion in another area:
- Generalised and simplified belief about a group of people

• Most common are age, gender, ethnicity and occupational
• Includes; Categorising into groups based on appearance e.g. gender, assuming all groups are the same e.g. Aussies

Question 5

Attitudes

Answer 5

Attitudes are positive or negative evaluations of an attitude object (a person, object, event or idea). Gordon Allport (1935) provided a useful and enduring definition of attitude. “An attitude is a learned, stable and relatively enduring evaluation of a person, object or idea that can affect an individual’s behavior.”

Question 6

What are the two kinds of attitudes?

Answer 6

1. Explicit Attitudes

2. Implicit Attitudes

Question 7

Explicit Attitudes

Answer 7

Where people openly state their attitude and behave in a way that reflects their attitude. (exercise I good for health, attitude, visit the gym daily, action).

Question 8

Implicit Attitudes

Answer 8

Are involuntary, uncontrollable and sometimes unconscious, it is possible for an individual to be unaware that they hold a particular attitude until their actions real it for example, moths are harmless (attitude), scream when seeing a moth (action).

Question 9

The Tri-component theory of attitudes (also known as the ABC of attitudes) attitudes are made up of:

Answer 9

a. ) Thoughts and feelings / Affect – how we feel about the attitude or object.
b. ) Behaviours – how we act towards the object o attitude
c. ) Cognitive beliefs – what you know about the attitude; thoughts.

Question 10

Attitudes #2

Answer 10

An attitude is a positive or negative evaluation of an attitude object (person, object, event, idea). They can be learned and are fairly stable, meaning they don’t go away easily.

Question 11

Prejudice

Answer 11

An unfavorable or negative attitude towards a group of people, based on insufficient or incorrect information about the group to whom it is directed (it is not an attitude toward an individual).

Question 12

Discrimination

Answer 12

The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, it is the action that expresses the attitude of prejudice and is often directed at an individual.

Question 13

The effects of prejudice

Answer 13

• Low self-esteem
• Disadvantage / failure
• Self-fulfilling prophecies
• Violence and genocide

Question 14

Example of the tri-component theory

Answer 14

Affective: Feelings of hostility toward the group of people

Behaviour: The ‘Discrimination’ part the action

Cognitive: The belief that the group belongs in the same category

Question 15

Types of prejudice

Answer 15

• Sexism
• Racism
• Ageism
• Homophobia
• Disability

Question 16

Inter group contact

Answer 16

Direct contact between the two groups that have a prejudice toward each other (or one toward the other). Direct contact must include the following:

• Sustained contact over a period of time
• The groups must co-operate together (work for super-ordinate goals)
• Both groups must share equal status
• The reduction of prejudice must be regarded as a ‘social norm’ – an expectation by society

Question 17

LaPiere’s study

Answer 17

LaPiere’s study shows that people often express attitudes that contradict their behaviour.

LaPiere tested this by going to 184 restaurants with two Chinese friends, none of which refused service. Six months later LaPiere asked the same restaurants whether they would serve Chinese patrons (Approximately 50 per cent said they would not serve the patrons).