1. Social Cognition

2. Social cognition Four core processes Select (social information)
“Attention” is limited, and different people may focus on different features of the same situation.
Interpret (social information)
“Interpretation” is the process through which we give meaning to the events we experience
Remember (social information)
“Memory” is the process by which we store and retrieve information for future use
Use (social information)
“Judgments” are the process of using information to form impressions and make decisions.

3. Two types of social cognition
Automatic thinking
Controlled thinking
The goals of social cognition
Conserving Mental Effort
Managing Self-Image
Seeking an Accurate Understanding

4. GOAL: Conserving Mental Effort
The world is complex and information-rich
Humans have limited cognitive capacity
GOAL: Conserving Mental Effort
Simplification Strategies:
Schemas
Cognitive Shortcuts

5. Simplification strategies
Schemas
(scripts of how we act in the situation)
Self-fulfilling prophecies
(changing the situation based upon your expectations)
Availability heuristic
(ease with which something is brought to mind)
Representativeness heuristic
(how similar is a typical case)
False-consensus
(other people think like me)
Anchoring and adjustment heuristic
(start at one point and adjust from there)

6. What factors influence the use of cognitive shortcuts?
Increased use of cognitive shortcuts…
when we are Physiologically Aroused (e.g., horror movie)
during Phases of our Daily Cycle called circadian rhythms (e.g., “morning people” use cognitive short-cuts later in the day; “evening people” use short-cuts in the morning).
for people High in the Need for Structure, who agree with items like: “I don’t like situations that are uncertain.”
in Complex Situations that use up more attention
when there are Time Pressures because it takes time to fully interpret a social situation

7. GOAL: Managing self-image
Basic desire to avoid mistakes
Want to control outcomes in life
GOAL: Managing self-image
Self-image Strategies:
Self-enhancement
Protection of self-image

8. Goal: Managing self-image
Four core processes
Schemas
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Availability heuristic
Representativeness heuristic
False-consensus
Anchoring and adjustment

9. GOAL: Seeking accuracy
Basic desire to avoid mistakes
Want to control outcomes in life
GOAL: Seeking accuracy
Accuracy Strategies:
Unbiased Information Gathering
Considering Alternatives

10. Unbiased Information Gathering
Desire for accuracy leads people to pay special attention to new information (that may go against what they previously suspected).
With difficult decisions, it is often helpful to play the Devil’s Advocate – i.e., to consider the opposite side of the argument.

11. What factors influence goal of seeking accuracy?
Mood - People who are mildly depressed are more thorough when thinking about social events.
Need For Cognition - People high in the need for cognition view thinking as fun, enjoy solving puzzles, and enjoy analyzing arguments.
Unexpected Events - Unexpected outcomes led participants to consider many more explanations.
Social Interdependence - We think carefully about other people when their actions have important implications for us & when we are accountable to others.