Social Cognition and Social Influence Flashcards
Social psychology is social because it
deals with how people are affected by other people
Cognitive psychology’s influence on social psychology is evident in the area of
social cognition
One problem with defining social psychology solely in terms of the topics it studies is that
this does not properly differentiate it from other disciplines
At a broad level, research in social psychology can be said to use two types of methods
experimental and non-experimental
One way to avoid confounding results in an experiment is to
ensure all conditions are identical except for the independent variable of interest
Social cognition is a field of social psychology dealing with how
thought processes are linked to social contexts and social behaviour
Which concept has NOT played a role in the development of modern social cognition?
Group mind
Following Asch (1946), which model do people use to form first impressions of others?
A configural model
Asch (1946) found that some traits (central traits) perceived in others strongly affect how we
decide if other traits also apply. For example, we are more likely to judge Mary as ‘generous’ if
we also believe that she is
‘warm’
Stephanie is a firm believer in ‘not judging a book by its cover’. In her Introduction to Psychology
class, Stephanie has been partnered up with Chris for a group assignment. When she looks
across the room to see her new partner, Stephanie finds Chris very physically attractive. Based
intelligent, interesting, capable and a good worker
The best definition of a schema is that it is
a cognitive structure that represents knowledge about a concept or type of stimulus
Your friend claims that guys in rock bands ‘snort drugs, stub out cigarettes on the carpet and
steal people’s knickers’. Your studies suggest that these descriptions are
stereotypes
When you started your degree perhaps you were confident of graduating because you are
hardworking, at least as intelligent as the average student and otherwise a determined person.
Such traits are aspects of your
self-schema
Alyson, Cara and Hilda agree that Prince Harry is the perfect male. They
are using a prototype
People use schemas to process information. Schemas function to
interpret new information; encode old information; fill in gaps in what we know
Who was the most influential person of the 20th century? Europeans may refer to Hitler, Indians
to Gandhi and Americans to Kennedy. These are different responses, so that the category
‘influential person’ is a(n)
fuzzy set
When categorising stimuli, the accentuation effect is enhanced when
the categorisation has
importance, relevance or value to the person
Schemas become more complex as
more instances are encountered
The property of a stimulus to make it stand out relative to other stimuli is called
salience
You are having Sunday brunch with your friend at a quiet, family-friendly cafe when suddenly
three cross-dressers enter and perform an aria usually sung by three famous tenors. Excited, you
and your friend continue to discuss this event after the three artists have left because you
have just perceived stimuli that are vivid
Categories of stimuli that are accessible are those that are
recently learned; used in everyday life; in line with what we want or need
In terms of our general impression of someone, we are more likely to recall information that is
inconsistent, rather than consistent, with our impression. Why is this?
Because inconsistent information attracts attention and generates more cognition and
thought, strengthening memory retrieval routes
Softly-spoken Dorothy is doing something very uncharacteristic in a public car park—assertively
she tells someone who has just unpacked a shopping trolley to return it to ‘its proper place’. You,
as a close friend, are likely to
pay close attention to what is going on
According to Tracey, the living standard in Europe has improved since the establishment of the
EU. She says she knows this because she has been reading about the EU in the local paper.
Which heuristic bias is she likely to be using?
Availability
Lauren does not consider herself to be very artistic or creative. When she meets Ben in her
Introduction to Psychology class, and finds out he plays guitar, she may infer that he is extremely
artistic. What cognitive heuristic is Lauren most likely to be using?
Anchoring
‘Compliance’ refers to
an external change in behaviour and in expressed attitudes
A collection of individuals who are significant for a person’s attitude and behaviour both in a
positive as well as a negative sense is termed
a reference group
Mr Swine is the owner of a new shoe factory. He can threaten, or even punish, his
predominantly immigrant and female factory workers if they make mistakes. Mr Swine’s power is
coercive
While the process of controlling others through domination is referred to as power, the process
of mobilising others to attain a common goal is referred to as
leadership
One reason that people continued to administer electric shocks in Milgram’s study may be that
the experiment starts with quite trivial shocks and, once the participant has committed
themselves to giving shocks, it can be difficult for them to change their mind and not continue
their commitment. This process
reflects the psychology of ‘sunk costs’; is similar to the foot-in-the-door technique of persuasion
When can obedience be beneficial?
In an emergency situation
A context that is relevant for making social comparisons is called a(n)
frame of reference
When it comes to matters of taste, and when you are concerned about ‘fitting in’ with the
group, group size will have a
non-linear effect on conformity
The dual-process dependency model of social influence refers to both informational and
normative influence. However, it has been challenged because
it disregards the role of group belongingness
Wayne has taken up surfing. Now he spends every free minute at the beach. He wears long
baggy shorts, wrap-around sunglasses and has dyed blonde curls. In joining a ‘world of surfies’ he
referent informational influence
) The majority share the attitude that chocolate is the best flavour for ice-cream. However, I think
vanilla ice-cream is the best. According to Nemeth’s ‘convergent-divergent’ theory, upon
discovering that my attitude towards ice-cream flavours is in disagreement with that of the
majority
I should feel surprise and stress. This will then lead to convergent thinking.
