Social Cognition September 16th, 2009 : Lecture 2.

Social CognitionSocial CognitionSocial CognitionSocial CognitionSeptember 16th, 2009 : Lecture 2September 16th, 2009 : Lecture 2

Social Cognition : OverviewSocial Cognition : Overview

(Social) Cognition Basics(Social) Cognition Basics

Lecture 2Lecture 2Lecture 2Lecture 2




Social CognitionSocial CognitionSocial CognitionSocial Cognition

➡ Thinking about social objectsThinking about social objects


➡ Thinking about Thinking about social objectssocial objects

Social ObjectSocial ObjectSocial ObjectSocial Object

➡ A physical object A physical object that has the ability that has the ability to engage in social to engage in social cognitioncognition

Social ObjectSocial ObjectSocial ObjectSocial Object

➡ A physical object A physical object that has the ability that has the ability to engage in social to engage in social cognitioncognition


➡ ThinkingThinking about social objects about social objects




(Social) Cognition Basics(Social) Cognition Basics(Social) Cognition Basics(Social) Cognition Basics

ThinkingThinking

Automatic cognitionAutomatic cognition

Controlled cognitionControlled cognition


Cognition:Cognition:

PerceptionPerception

Processing / EncodingProcessing / Encoding

Storage / Knowledge RepresentationStorage / Knowledge Representation

Retrieval / ApplicationRetrieval / Application







PerceptionPerceptionPerceptionPerception

➡ Becoming aware of something through the Becoming aware of something through the sensessenses

Pre-attentive ProcessesPre-attentive ProcessesPre-attentive ProcessesPre-attentive Processes

➡ Rapid processing of complex sceneRapid processing of complex scene

Rapid =Rapid = less than 250 ms less than 250 ms

ComplexComplex = large, multi-element display of = large, multi-element display of informationinformation

Gaze DetectionGaze DetectionGaze DetectionGaze Detection

Doi & Ueda (2007); von Grünau & Anston (1995)Doi & Ueda (2007); von Grünau & Anston (1995)







Processing InformationProcessing InformationProcessing InformationProcessing Information

EncodingEncoding

➡ Selecting information from the environment Selecting information from the environment and storing it in memoryand storing it in memory

AttentionAttentionAttentionAttention

➡ Selective perceptionSelective perception

Simons & Chabris (1999)Simons & Chabris (1999)

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

SchemasSchemasSchemasSchemas

Mental structures used to organize knowledge Mental structures used to organize knowledge about the social world around themes or about the social world around themes or subjectssubjects

Efficient processingEfficient processing

Guide attention and memoryGuide attention and memory

Bias against schema incongruent informationBias against schema incongruent information

Self-fulfilling ProphecySelf-fulfilling ProphecySelf-fulfilling ProphecySelf-fulfilling Prophecy

How does attractiveness shape our How does attractiveness shape our interactions?interactions?

Snyder, Tanke, & Berscheid (1977)Snyder, Tanke, & Berscheid (1977)



Method:Method:

1.1. Develop Stimuli:Develop Stimuli:

1.1. 20 females pose for pictures20 females pose for pictures

2.2. 20 males rate pictures on attractiveness20 males rate pictures on attractiveness

3.3. 4 attractive & 4 unattractive pictures kept4 attractive & 4 unattractive pictures kept



Method:Method:

2. Schedule male and female participants in pairs2. Schedule male and female participants in pairs

1.1. Males given either attractive picture or Males given either attractive picture or unattractive pictureunattractive picture

2.2. They talk for 10 minutes over the phoneThey talk for 10 minutes over the phone

3.3. Conversations are recordedConversations are recorded



Method:Method:

3. Participants rate each other and the 3. Participants rate each other and the conversationconversation

4. Female judges later listened to the 4. Female judges later listened to the conversations and rated the womenconversations and rated the women

1. Judges never met or saw the women1. Judges never met or saw the women

2. Judges were unaware of picture exchange2. Judges were unaware of picture exchange



Results: Both men and female judges thought:Results: Both men and female judges thought:

Unsociable, awkward, Sociable, Poised, Unsociable, awkward, Sociable, Poised,

Serious HumorousSerious Humorous







Semantic NetworkSemantic NetworkSemantic NetworkSemantic Network

Prototype Theory of CategorizationPrototype Theory of Categorization

Objects are classified based on similarity to Objects are classified based on similarity to a prototypea prototype

Rosch (1973) Rosch (1973)

Semantic NetworkSemantic NetworkSemantic NetworkSemantic Network➡ Related concepts are stored closely together Related concepts are stored closely together

in memoryin memory

Bird

Canary

Robin

Ostrich

FeathersFeathers

FlyingFlying

WingsWings

Animals

DogDog

HorseHorse

FurryFurry

CuteCute

Semantic NetworkSemantic NetworkSemantic NetworkSemantic Network

Bird

Canary

Robin

Ostrich

FeathersFeathers

FlyingFlying

WingsWings

Animals

DogDog

HorseHorse

FurryFurry

CuteCute

Spreading ActivationSpreading Activation

Thinking about one Thinking about one concept will concept will “activate,” “prime,” or “activate,” “prime,” or make “accessible” a make “accessible” a related conceptrelated concept

➡ Related concepts are stored closely together Related concepts are stored closely together in memoryin memory







RetrievalRetrievalRetrievalRetrieval

Accessibility and PrimingAccessibility and Priming

Judgemental HeuristicsJudgemental Heuristics

AccessibilityAccessibilityAccessibilityAccessibility

The extent to which concepts are at the The extent to which concepts are at the forefront of your mindforefront of your mind

Accessible concepts shape social cognitionAccessible concepts shape social cognition

Ironic Effects of Thought Ironic Effects of Thought SuppressionSuppressionIronic Effects of Thought Ironic Effects of Thought SuppressionSuppression

Wegner, Schneider, Carter III, & White Wegner, Schneider, Carter III, & White (1987)(1987)





Suppressed thought becomes Suppressed thought becomes hyperaccessiblehyperaccessible

PrimingPrimingPrimingPriming

The process by which recent experiences The process by which recent experiences increase the accessibility of another conceptincrease the accessibility of another concept

HeuristicsHeuristicsHeuristicsHeuristics

Mental shortcutsMental shortcuts

Fast and efficientFast and efficient

Parallel processingParallel processing

Error proneError prone

Kahneman & Tversky (1979)Kahneman & Tversky (1979)

AlgorithmsAlgorithmsAlgorithmsAlgorithms

Mechanical, step-by-step process for arriving at Mechanical, step-by-step process for arriving at an answeran answer

Slow and deliberateSlow and deliberate

Serial processingSerial processing

EffortfulEffortful

Highly successfulHighly successful

Key HeuristicsKey HeuristicsKey HeuristicsKey Heuristics

Availability HeuristicAvailability Heuristic

Representativeness HeuristicRepresentativeness Heuristic

Anchoring & Adjustment HeuristicAnchoring & Adjustment Heuristic

Simulation HeuristicSimulation Heuristic


Availability HeuristicAvailability HeuristicAvailability HeuristicAvailability Heuristic

A mental shortcut whereby people base a A mental shortcut whereby people base a judgement on the ease with which they can judgement on the ease with which they can bring something to mindbring something to mind


Representativeness Representativeness HeuristicHeuristicRepresentativeness Representativeness HeuristicHeuristic

A mental shortcut whereby people classify A mental shortcut whereby people classify something according to how similar it is to a something according to how similar it is to a typical casetypical case

Base rate bias:Base rate bias:

The tendency to underestimate the impact of The tendency to underestimate the impact of base rates on accurate predictionbase rates on accurate prediction


Anchoring & Adjustment Anchoring & Adjustment HeuristicHeuristicAnchoring & Adjustment Anchoring & Adjustment HeuristicHeuristic

Anchoring:Anchoring:

The mental shortcut whereby people make The mental shortcut whereby people make judgements using the first answer that came judgements using the first answer that came to them as an “anchor”to them as an “anchor”

Adjustment:Adjustment:

The bias whereby even when people learn The bias whereby even when people learn their anchor is untrustworthy, they do not their anchor is untrustworthy, they do not adjust sufficiently away from itadjust sufficiently away from it

Simulation HeuristicSimulation HeuristicSimulation HeuristicSimulation Heuristic

A mental shortcut whereby people substitute A mental shortcut whereby people substitute “normal” outcomes for “exceptional” ones in “normal” outcomes for “exceptional” ones in undoing a situationundoing a situation

Special case of Availability HeuristicSpecial case of Availability Heuristic

AKA “Counterfactual Thinking”AKA “Counterfactual Thinking”





““I remember things the way they I remember things the way they should have been.”should have been.”- Truman Capote- Truman Capote

““I remember things the way they I remember things the way they should have been.”should have been.”- Truman Capote- Truman Capote

Next lecture (9/18):Next lecture (9/18):

The SelfThe Self

Relevant Websites:Relevant Websites:

http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/~wegner/seed.hthttp://www.wjh.harvard.edu/~wegner/seed.htmm

http://viscog.beckman.illinois.edu/http://viscog.beckman.illinois.edu/flashmovie/15.phpflashmovie/15.php

http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/~wegner/seed.htm

http://www.wjh.harvard.edu/~wegner/seed.htm

Social Cognition September 16th, 2009 : Lecture 2.

Documents

social cognition slide

memory slide

social objects

social world

perception processing

female judges

female participants

physical object