Lecture 2. Social Cognition. September 16th, 2009 : Lecture 2. Social Cognition : Overview (Social) Cognition Basics

Transcription

1 Lecture 2 Social Cognition September 16th, 2009 : Lecture 2 Social Cognition : Overview Lecture 2 Social Cognition Social Cognition : Overview! Thinking about social objects

2 Social Cognition Social Object! Thinking about social objects! A physical object that has the ability to engage in social cognition Social Object Social Cognition! A physical object that has the ability to engage in social cognition! Thinking about social objects

3 Lecture 2 Social Cognition : Overview Thinking Automatic cognition Controlled cognition Cognition: Perception Processing / Encoding Storage / Knowledge Representation Retrieval / Application Cognition: Perception Processing / Encoding Storage / Knowledge Representation Retrieval / Application

4 Perception Pre-attentive Processes! Rapid processing of complex scene! Becoming aware of something through the senses Rapid = less than 250 ms Complex = large, multi-element display of information Gaze Detection Cognition: Perception Processing / Encoding Storage / Knowledge Representation Retrieval / Application Doi & Ueda (2007); von Grünau & Anston (1995)

5 Processing Information Attention Encoding! Selecting information from the environment and storing it in memory! Selective perception Schemas Mental structures used to organize knowledge about the social world around themes or subjects Efficient processing Guide attention and memory Bias against schema incongruent information Simons & Chabris (1999)

6 Self-fulfilling Prophecy Self-fulfilling Prophecy Snyder, Tanke, & Berscheid (1977) Method: How does attractiveness shape our interactions? Snyder, Tanke, & Berscheid (1977) 1.Develop Stimuli: 1.20 females pose for pictures 2.20 males rate pictures on attractiveness 3.4 attractive & 4 unattractive pictures kept Self-fulfilling Prophecy Self-fulfilling Prophecy Snyder, Tanke, & Berscheid (1977) Method: 2. Schedule male and female participants in pairs 1.Males given either attractive picture or unattractive picture 2.They talk for 10 minutes over the phone 3.Conversations are recorded Snyder, Tanke, & Berscheid (1977) Method: 3. Participants rate each other and the conversation 4. Female judges later listened to the conversations and rated the women 1. Judges never met or saw the women 2. Judges were unaware of picture exchange

7 Self-fulfilling Prophecy Snyder, Tanke, & Berscheid (1977) Results: Both men and female judges thought: Unsociable, awkward, Sociable, Poised, Serious Humorous Cognition: Perception Processing / Encoding Storage / Knowledge Representation Retrieval / Application Semantic Network Prototype Theory of Categorization Objects are classified based on similarity to a prototype Semantic Network! Related concepts are stored closely together in memory Canary Animals Horse Feathers Bird Wings Flying Robin Dog Furry Rosch (1973) Ostrich Cute

8 Semantic Network! Related concepts are stored closely together in memory Spreading Activation Thinking about one concept will activate, prime, or make accessible a related concept Canary Feathers Bird Wings Flying Robin Animals Dog Furry Hors Cognition: Perception Processing / Encoding Storage / Knowledge Representation Retrieval / Application Ostrich Cute Retrieval Accessibility Accessibility and Priming Judgemental Heuristics The extent to which concepts are at the forefront of your mind Accessible concepts shape social cognition

9 Ironic Effects of Thought Suppression Ironic Effects of Thought Suppression Wegner, Schneider, Carter III, & White (1987) Wegner, Schneider, Carter III, & White (1987) Ironic Effects of Thought Suppression Priming Suppressed thought becomes hyperaccessible The process by which recent experiences increase the accessibility of another concept Wegner, Schneider, Carter III, & White (1987)

10 Heuristics Algorithms Mental shortcuts Fast and efficient Parallel processing Error prone Mechanical, step-by-step process for arriving at an answer Slow and deliberate Serial processing Effortful Highly successful Kahneman & Tversky (1979) Key Heuristics Availability Heuristic Availability Heuristic Representativeness Heuristic Anchoring & Adjustment Heuristic Simulation Heuristic A mental shortcut whereby people base a judgement on the ease with which they can bring something to mind Kahneman & Tversky (1979) Kahneman & Tversky (1979)

11 Representativeness Heuristic Anchoring & Adjustment Heuristic Anchoring: A mental shortcut whereby people classify something according to how similar it is to a typical case Base rate bias: The tendency to underestimate the impact of base rates on accurate prediction Kahneman & Tversky (1979) The mental shortcut whereby people make judgements using the first answer that came to them as an anchor Adjustment: The bias whereby even when people learn their anchor is untrustworthy, they do not adjust sufficiently away from it Simulation Heuristic Lecture 2 A mental shortcut whereby people substitute normal outcomes for exceptional ones in undoing a situation Special case of Availability Heuristic AKA Counterfactual Thinking Social Cognition : Overview Kahneman & Tversky (1979)

12 I remember things the way they should have been. - Truman Capote Next lecture (9/18): The Self Relevant Websites: