Social perception and interpersonal behaviour

Question 1

Cognitive social psychology

Answer 1

• Concerned with how individuals gain knowledge about behavior and events in social interaction.
• People are seen as constructive thinkers.
• Research outcomes include understanding how individuals identify causes of behavior, make inferences about traits, and predict future behavior.
• Example: Attribution theory.

Question 2

Stereotypes

Answer 2

• Simple, overgeneralized, widely accepted, and often inaccurate beliefs.
• Concern traits like sex and race.
• Influence information processing and social interaction.
• Overestimation of confirming instances, filling gaps with consistent information, and interpreting various evidence to support stereotypes.
• Cognitive bolstering may lead to a constructed evidence base.

Question 3

Behavioural consequences of impressions

Answer 3

• Examines cognitive and behavioral consequences of impressions of other people.
• Investigates how social stereotypes influence information processing and behavior.
• Looks into overestimation, filling gaps with preconceived notions, and selective recall.
• Highlights the cognitive reality constructed by the perceiver.

Question 4

Stereotypes of physical attractiveness

Answer 4

• Attractive persons assumed to possess more socially desirable traits.
• Differential interaction limits learning about differences in traits.
• Different interaction styles for attractive and unattractive individuals.
• Interaction styles may elicit behaviors in line with stereotypes.

Question 5

Methods

Answer 5

• Pairs of unacquainted individuals interact in a controlled situation.
• Male perceivers received controlled information about female target’s physical attractiveness.
• Naïve observer judges evaluated tape recordings of interactions.

Question 6

Results

The perceivers’ stereotypes

Answer 6

• Male perceivers fashioned initial impressions based on stereotyped beliefs about physical attractiveness.
• Different expectations for sociable, poised, humorous women for attractive vs. unattractive partners.
• Perceivers’ stereotypes influenced initial impressions (p < 0.04).

Question 7

Results

Behavioural confirmation

Answer 7

• Behavioral confirmation observed only for traits defining perceivers’ stereotypes.
• Attractive targets rated differently by observer judges.
• Behavioral confirmation manifested for attributes linked to physical attractiveness.
• Ratings for favorable self-presentation higher for attractive targets.

Question 8

Results

Possible mediators of behavioural confirmation

Answer 8

• Male perceivers interacting with perceived attractive women appeared more sociable, sexually warm, etc.
• Differences in sociability may have led to reciprocating patterns in target women.
• Attractive targets reciprocated sociable overtures, possibly due to regarding partners’ images as accurate.

Question 9

Discussion

Answer 9

• Stereotypes channel dyadic interaction, creating their social reality.
• Perceivers fashion erroneous images of partners based on stereotypes.
• Different patterns of interaction for perceived attractive vs. unattractive individuals.
• Perceivers’ attributions initiate a process leading to behavioral confirmation.
• Importance of understanding how perceivers create and process information in the social world.