Psychology 2070A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 3: Social Cognition, Ingroups And Outgroups, Counterfactual Thinking

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2070A/B
• Professor: Graeme Haynes

Document Summary

Social cognition: study of how info about ppl is processed/stored. Schemas: mental rep of objects/categories: contains central features of the subject, assumptions about how the subject works, specific interpersonal interactions schemas relational schemas, concepts. Basic function of schema categorize objects in ways that impose meaning/predictability. Identify object before we behave effectively towards it. When we catego(cid:396)ize so(cid:373)ethi(cid:374)g assu(cid:373)e that it possesses (cid:272)ha(cid:396)a(cid:272)te(cid:396)isti(cid:272)s of the s(cid:272)he(cid:373)a, e(cid:448)e(cid:374) if unable to perceive characteristics directly: we infer characteristics on basis of our categorization. Allow us to form impressions/make decisions quickly & efficiently. Schemas influence the interpretation of information: ambiguous info interpreted consistently w/ schema, schemas can change how we interpret ambiguous behaviour, ex. 2 ppl (cid:272)atego(cid:396)ize sa(cid:373)e o(cid:271)je(cid:272)t diffe(cid:396)e(cid:374)tl(cid:455) (cid:449)ill e(cid:454)pe(cid:272)t diffe(cid:396)e(cid:374)t (cid:272)ha(cid:396)a(cid:272)te(cid:396)isti(cid:272)s f(cid:396)o(cid:373) o(cid:271)je(cid:272)t. To know factors that influence which particular schema will be used: directly activated by info, s(cid:272)he(cid:373)a a(cid:272)ti(cid:448)ated (cid:449)he(cid:374) o(cid:271)je(cid:272)t(cid:859)s featu(cid:396)es (cid:373)at(cid:272)h featu(cid:396)es of s(cid:272)he(cid:373)a. Accessibility: ease w/ which schema comes to awareness.