LECTURE 2 SOCIAL COGNITION Chapter 3
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Transcript of LECTURE 2 SOCIAL COGNITION Chapter 3
LECTURE 2SOCIAL COGNITION
Chapter 3
1) Administration2) Social Cognition
- Schemas
3) Break4) Dual Processes
1) Automatic Processes2) Controlled Processes 3) Gut Feelings versus Analyses
5) Next Class
Questions?
Memory Test
Memory Test
ADVENTUROUS
SELF-CONFIDENT
INDEPENDENT
PERSISTENT
Memory Test
Memory Test
RECKLESS
CONCEITED
ALOOF
STUBBORN
What is Social Cognition?
SOCIAL COGNITION: Social cognition studies how people think about themselves and the social world – how they select, interpret, remember and use social information to make judgments and decisions
Social Psychology: The scientific study of how people think and feel about, influence,
and relate to one another
Cognitive Psychology: The scientific study of basic mental abilities such as perception, learning, and memory
Social Cognition is
Related to process Related to what is in our head
Our cognitive representations or schemas About people (it is social)
Social Cognition strives to examine
how we take information from the outside world and encode it (select)
how this interpretation of the information is stored in memory (interpret)
how this information is retrieved from memory and used (remember and use)
In general, social cognition is the use of cognitive methodologies (and theories) to understand people and social situations.
Memory Test
Donald – the story
Memory Test
ADVENTUROUS RECKLESS
SELF-CONFIDENT CONCEITED
INDEPENDENT ALOOF
PERSISTENT STUBBORN
Schemas
Schemas are mental structures that represent knowledge about a concept or type of stimuli, they often include attributes and the relationship among those attributes
Types of Schemas
Role Schemas: expectations about people in particular roles and social categories (e.g., the role of a social psychologist, student, doctor, Blacks)
Self-Schemas: expectations about the self that organize and guide the processing of self-relevant information
Person Schemas: expectations based on personality traits. What we associate with a certain type of person (e.g., introvert, warm person)
Event Schemas: expectations about sequences of events in social situations. What we associate with certain situations (e.g., restaurant schemas)
Why are schemas important?
They reduce the amount of information to process They reduce ambiguity They guide our:
Attention and encoding How quick we notice What we notice How we interpret what we notice
Schemas Influence Attention and Encoding/Categorization
• http://boingboing.net/2009/12/14/change-blindness-exp.html
• http://viscog.beckman.uiuc.edu/grafs/demos/15.html
Why are schemas important?
They reduce the amount of information to process They reduce ambiguity They guide our:
Attention and encoding How quick we notice What we notice How we interpret what we notice
Our memory Our judgments
When do we use schemas?
Accessibility X Fit (Higgins, Rholes, & Jones, 1977)
Accessibility– the extent to which schemas and concepts are at the forefront
of people’s minds (and therefore are likely to be used when making judgments about the social world) So how available the schema is in our head.
Fit (applicable, representative, similar)– the degree to which the accessible construct fits the
object/person under judgment.
When do we use schemas?
Applicable NonapplicableADVENTUROUS OBEDIENT
SELF-CONFIDENT NEAT
INDEPENDENT SATIRICAL
PERSISTENT GRATEFUL
RECKLESS DISRESPECTFUL
CONCEITED LISTLESS
ALOOF CLUMSY
STUBBORN SHY
The problem with schemas…
1. Schemas can distort reality and memories2. Schemas can persist, even when discredited
- Belief perseverance
3. Schemas can be self-fulfilling- People often live up to our expectations because we treat
them in ways that make them act in accordance with these expectations
Self-fulfilling Prophecies
1. We have expectations (schemas) about other people.
2. These expectations can influence how we act toward these people.
3. These actions can cause these people to act in ways that are consistent with our expectations.
Self-fulfilling Prophecies
Academic Success: Rosenthal and Jacobson (1968) - Pygmalion effect
Teenage Drinking Behavior:Madon, Willard, Guyl, Trudeau, and Spoth (2006)
Teenage Drinking Behavior:
Asked mothers to rate the likelihood that their child would drink at 4 different times - when the same child was in grade 6, grade 7, grade 8, grade 10, and grade 12.
How likely do you think that your child will drink alcohol regularly as a teenager?
Certain this will Certain this will
not happen happen 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
If your child was at a party and one of his or her friends offered him/her an alcoholic beverage, how likely would your child be to drink? Certain this will Certain this will not happen happen
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Teenage Drinking Behavior:
They also measured the child’s alcohol use in grade 7, grade 8, grade 10 and grade 12 with open-ended questions.
During the past month, how many times have you had beer, wine, wine coolers, or other liquor?
During the past month, how many times have you had three or more drinks?
They also controlled for important predictors such as: • Parents drinking • Accessibility to alcohol• Perceived norms about teenage drinking• Attitudes toward alcohol use
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11.5
22.5
33.5
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Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 10 Grade 12
Chi
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The process of accumulation of expectations over time for mothers who consistently overestimated their child’s alcohol use.
00.5
11.5
22.5
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Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 10 Grade 12
OverestimatingMothersUnderestimatingMothers
Chi
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The additive effects of expectations over time worsen an initial difference in alcohol use between mothers who overestimate and underestimate their child’s alcohol use.
Schemas influence
Our attention and encoding Our memory Our judgments Our behaviour
which can in turn influence our social environment
Questions?
Dual Processes – Automatic vs. Controlled Processing
An Automatic Process is: unintentional/spontaneous efficient fast implicit/nonconscious uncontrollable
2. How do we measure this type of process?
Automatic/Implicit Measures
Reaction Time Tasks Lexical Decision Task/Sequential Priming Task Stroop Task Implicit Association Test - IAT
Physiological/Social Cognitive Neuroscience Measures ECG (heart rate) Cortisol Levels FMRI, EEG (brain activity)
Subtle and Nonverbal Behaviours
Name Letter Task
How much do you like this letter?
___ really dislike really like
1 2 3 4 5 6 7___ really dislike really like
1 2 3 4 5 6 7___ really dislike really like
1 2 3 4 5 6 7___ really dislike really like
1 2 3 4 5 6 7___ really dislike really like
1 2 3 4 5 6 7___ really dislike really like
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
How much they like each letter of the alphabet
F really dislike really like
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
C really dislike really like
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Compare mean ratings of own first and last initials to overall liking across all subjects of those first and last initials
Name Letter Task
Self-Esteem
A person’s overall self-evaluation or sense of self-worth.
How is the Name Letter Task Automatic?
An Automatic Process is: unintentional/spontaneous efficient fast implicit/nonconscious uncontrollable
pleasantor
SELFunpleasa
ntor
OTHER
THEM
SELF-ESTEEM IAT
pleasantor
SELFunpleasa
ntor
OTHER
love
SELF-ESTEEM IAT
unpleasantor
SELFpleasant
orOTHER
ME
SELF-ESTEEM IAT
unpleasantor
SELFpleasant
orOTHER
war
SELF-ESTEEM IAT
How is the IAT Automatic?
An Automatic Process is: unintentional/spontaneous efficient fast implicit/nonconscious uncontrollable
Subtle and Nonverbal Behaviours
What are subtle and nonverbal behaviors? What is an example of this type of behaviour related to self-
esteem? How are these effects automatic?Are they intentional?
Controlled? Are participants aware that they are making these types of responses?
Nonverbal “leakage” Definition: the unintentional transmission of information through
nonverbal channels of communication. Might occur because
(a) don’t think to control nonverbals(b) aren’t able to control nonverbals
Dual Processes – Automatic vs Controlled Processing
A Controlled Process is intentional/deliberative capacity consuming/inefficient generally slower explicit/conscious controllable
2. How do I measure this type of process?
Controlled/Explicit Measures
Self-Report Measures Standard Personality Measures/Attitude Measures
(e.g., surveys, questionnaires, interviews)
Explicit Behaviours What say, how act, who choose, etc. when able to
deliberate and control responses
Self-Esteem
A person’s overall self-evaluation or sense of self-worth.
Examples of Explicit Measures of Self-Esteem
Self-Esteem overall self-evaluation or sense of self-worth
Rosenberg (1965) Trait Self-Esteem Scale
Pennebaker (1997) Writing Task
Rosenberg (1965) Trait Self-Esteem Scale
10 items
I feel that I am a person of worth, at least on an equal plane with others.
Strongly disagree Strongly agree1 2 3 4
Pennebaker (1997) Writing Task
Instruct participants to write about their deepest thoughts and feelings about themselves.
Explicit and Deliberative Behaviours
What are explicit, controlled, deliberative behaviors? What is an example of this type of behaviour related
to self-esteem? How are these effects controlled/explicit?Are they
intentional? Are participants aware that they are making these types of responses? Are they controlled?
Self-Esteem
A person’s overall self-evaluation or sense of self-worth.
Is high self-esteem good or bad?
good – it protects us from depression, drug abuse, some types of delinquency
bad – terrorists and gang leaders have high self-esteem,if we reject people with high self-esteem they can
become ugly and abusive
The answer may be related to dual processing theories.
Jordan, Spencer, Zanna, Hoshino-Browne, & Correll (2003)
Measured Explicit Self-Esteem (Rosenberg scale) conscious and deliberately reasoned evaluations of self
Measured Implicit Self-Esteem (IAT) automatic evaluations of self that occur unintentionally and outside of awareness
Jordan, Spencer, Zanna, Hoshino-Browne, & Correll (2003)
Examined relationship of Implicit and Explicit Self-Esteem with Narcissism
Narcissists have grandiose self-views (potentially concealing unacknowledged self-doubt) “I really like to be the center of attention.” “I like to look at myself in the mirror.” “I am more capable than other people.”
Jordan, Spencer, Zanna, Hoshino-Browne, & Correll (2003)
Real low Self-esteem
Defensive Self-Esteem
? Real high (secure)
Self-esteem
Explicit Self-Esteem Low High
ImplicitSelf-Esteem
Low
High
So which group would be high in narcissism (i.e., Who would have a grandiose self-view (potentially concealing unacknowledged self-doubt)?
Jordan, Spencer, Zanna, Hoshino-Browne, & Correll (2003)
These findings suggest that we may need to re-conceptualize the way we think about and measure self-esteem and the importance of taking these dual processes into account.
High levels of Narcissism -
Low levels of Narcissism
Explicit Self-Esteem Low High
ImplicitSelf-Esteem
Low
High
Gut Feelings vs. Analysis:Dual Attitudes
Wilson (1989) - dating
Attitudes Behaviors?
How happy are you in your relationship?
This predicts (in general)
whether a couple will be dating a few months later.
Gut Feelings vs. Analysis:Dual Attitudes
Dijksterhuis (2004) – Apartment Study Information about 4 apartments in Amsterdam
Described each with 12 different attributes Apt. A: sizeable, bad neighbourhood, cheap, bay window, etc **** Apt. B: nice area, far from stores, expensive, subway, etc Apt. C: cheap, nice neighbours, ugly, small bedrooms, etc Apt D: unfriendly landlord, no fireplace, small kitchen, poor condition, etc *
One apartment was more desirable and one less desirable than others.
Gut Feelings vs. Analysis:Dual Attitudes
Dijksterhuis (2004) All subjects asked to evaluate each apartment
1/3 did so immediately 1/3 given 3 minutes to think about it consciously 1/3 told that they would have to choose later but they were
distracted for 3 minutes to prevent them from conscious thought (2-back task)
Gut Feelings vs. Analysis:Dual Attitudes
Dijksterhuis & van Olden (2006) - Poster Study Subjects were allowed to choose 1 of 5 poster to take
home 1/3 look briefly at poster and choose 1/3 look at poster briefly and allowed to think about choice for
9 minutes 1/3 look briefly at poster and then distracted for 9 minutes
Gut Feelings vs. Analysis:Dual Attitudes
Dijksterhuis & van Olden (2006) - Poster Study Experimenter called them a few weeks later
Guess who was happiest with their poster? Also asked how much money they needed to sell the poster
back
Questions?
Next Class
Class 3: Social Perception and Self-Perceptions
Reading material:Chapter 4: Social Perception: How We Come to Understand Other People, pp. 88-123.
Chapter 5: Self-Knowledge and the Need to Maintain Self-Esteem,
pp. 124-151.