Social cognition

Slides on Social cognition

1. Social cognition Social cognition  is the encoding, storage, retrieval, and processing, of information about  conspecific . Social cognition focuses on how people process, store, and apply information about other people and social situations. It focuses on the role that cognitive processes play in our social interactions. It describes the ways how we think about other people. The way we think about others plays a major role in how we think, feel, and interact with the world around us. The process of information occurs in two ways Automatic Forceful

2. Social cognition Automatic processing of information The information are processed smoothly, easily, effortlessly and unintentional manner. We can do two or more than two things at once. We can talk on mobile, listen radio, keep attention to traffic light. A learner of bicycle riding devote a lot of attention initially.

3. Social cognition effortful processing information Cognitive capacities are limited. Cognitive process require Concentration, attention and time It is difficult to re call the date, formulae in the class room For this practice and exercise is required.

4. Social cognition Processed information is transferred into schemas( past and social experiences about people) They help us to organize and interpret our social thoughts. Schemas effect our attention, encoding and retrieval process. It guide our behaviour. It is used in making judgment about other people. Information that fit our schemas are ignored.

5. Social cognition Impression formation is another factor in social cognition. People try to make first impression to others as it exert strong impact. People use different technique to boost their images. There are generally two ways: self enhancement and other enhancement

6. Social cognition In self enhancement, people try to look good by exposing good images, styles through dress. Verbal and non verbal gesture. In Other enhancement, impress the target people in various ways like smile, flattering, doing small favors, handling and controlling others. Overdoing such expressions sometimes cause misunderstanding and distrust with one another

7. Social behaviour Social behaviour  is the interactions made between a group of people. It looks how people interact and relate with each other in social contexts. Every society has their own norms and values. While living and working together they share and share social norms and values and their influence in behaviour of individual. It guides us how to adapt in society and

8. Ways to manipulate the others bahaviour (Persuasion) Persuasion is an umbrella term of influence. It is a form of social influence used in daily life. It is also a pressure to convince others to change attitude or behaviour. Persuasion can attempt to influence a person's beliefs, attitudes, intentions, motivations, or behaviors . This process goes on class room, Religeous affairs, in political field and in the media. People often receive message from radio, TV, newspa.per , parents , peers speeches, magazines, ads and public figures. It can explained through “who says what to whom by what means.

9. Factors of persuasion Credibility of communicators . I t has two component: Expertise and trustworthiness . Physical attraction : physically attractive communicators are more persuasive.( male and females models). Fitting the message to the nature of audience: One sided message to less educated and uninformed. Two sided message to well educated and well-informed audience. The power of emotions: It works better in less educated and less analytical group. A low level of fear message are more effective. High level fear are violent and repelled. D istraction: more inclined to persuasion when are distracted by extraneous event. Vocal power: more persuasive

10. Attitude An attitude is an expression of favor or disfavour toward a person, place, thing, or event. psychologist Gordon Allport   described attitudes as"the most distinctive and indispensable concept in contemporary social psychology. It is very complex cognitive process just like personality of an individual. Positive attitude: positive mental attitude is a psychological term which describes mental phenomenonin whichthe centarl idea is thatone can increase achievment throughoptimistic thought process. Negative attitude : It is characterized by great disregard for every thing. Someone who constantly pointed out negative in everything.

11. Attitude Attitudes are the belief system that direct our thoughts, feelings, and actions with regard to other people, situations and ideas Attitude can be formed from a person's past and present. It evaluates or provide judgment based on past information or impression. It may be about objects, people and thoughts like AIDS, religion, abortion, politicians or suicide. Attitude vary in intensity. . Attitude

12. Features of attitude Attitude can be characterized in different ways: Change with time and situation. Related feeling and belief of people. Affects one’ behaviour positively or negatively. Affect perception. Learned through experiences. May be unconsciously held

13. Attitude component attitudes are evaluations of an object that have cognitive, affective, and behavioural components. These components are also known as taxi CAB, that will get you where you want to go. Cognitive component:   refer to the beliefs, thoughts, and attributes that we would associate with an object. Many times a person's attitude might be based on the negative and positive attributes they associate with an object. Eg , Person who like dogs, love them and express dog is faithful but who hate say dog’s bite. Thus, attitude make people to interpret the events, impressions differently according to their belief system.

14. Attitude component Affective component:   It refer to our feelings or emotions linked to an attitude object. Affective responses influence attitudes in a number of ways. For example, many people are afraid/scared of spiders. So this negative affective response is likely to cause you to have a negative attitude towards spiders. Behavioural component : refer to past behaviours or experiences regarding an attitude object. refer to past behaviours or experiences regarding an attitude object. For example, the people who have negative attitude towards street children, will rebuff when they approach near. On the contrary, who have positive attitude try to hit upon the cause of their miserable life.

15. Clasification Daniel Katz classified attitudes into four different groups based on their functions. Utilitarian : provides us with general approach or avoidance tendencies Knowledge : help people organize and interpret new information Ego-defensive : attitudes can help people protect their self-esteem. (respect) Value-expressive : used to express central values or beliefs descrepancies

16. function of attitude The adjustment function : attitude often help people to adjust their work environment . Ego defensive function : it help people to retain their dignity and shelf image. The value of expressive function : Attitude provide individuals with a basis for expressing their views . The knowledge function : Attitude provides slandered frames of references that allow people to understand and perceive the world around him.

17. Condition related to attitude change ( Reactions to persuasion ) Attitude change is difficult task. we become irritated and hatred when some one enforce to change our attitude and behaviour. We resist show negative sign and adopt opposite behaviour. Social psychologist called it as reaction to persuation . Under this situation, we often feel that our freedom, independency and decision making power is reduce by persuader. The reaction to persuasion are explained as

18. Reaction to persuasion Forewarning It is the early warning given by persuader to change our existed attitude beforehand knowledge. But we likely to be less affected by it. Eg . Political speech, tapped message etc. It influence our cognitive process in persuasion . Selective avoidance : In this, we shift our attention away from information that challenges our existing attitude. It is a kind of ignoring tendency to the persuaders attempt. For example, we turn of tv , mute commercials etc.

19. Reaction to persuasion Active defense : In this, we give strong arguments against persuader to defend our existing view. It makes observation more strong and reduce the impact of persuader to influence on our attitude. Biased assimilation It is the tendency to evaluate the persuasions information as less convincing and reliable than our existing attitude. This makes us difficult to change our views. Attitude polarization In this, we give more importance to our existing information. It strengthened our initial information in such a way that we can’t change our views.

20. Major job attitudes OB describes three job attitudes of human while at work. Job satisfaction It is the positive feeling about the job. The person who are highly satisfied with their job hold positive feelings about their jobs, while unsatisfied hold negative feelings . Job involvement It related to job satifaction If the people are highly satisfied with their jobs, then their involvement in the job increases greatly and care about the work they do. It increase their competence, meaningfulness and autonomy to their jobs .

21. Major job attitudes Organizational commitment A job holder identify the organization and its goals and wishes to be a member in the organization. There are three separate dimensions: affective commitment : It is the emotional attachment to the organization and a belief in its values. Continuance commitment : remaining with organization for economic reasons. Normative commitment is the obligation to remain with organization for moral or ethical reason.

22. Development of attitude Attitude develop in the process of want satisfaction. Person develop positive attitude towards the objects which satisfies primary and secondary wants. Person develops positive attitude while approaching goal . Attitude are shaped by exposed information The religious and cultural thought prepare the people shape their attitude. The belief system of close associates like parents, teacher and friends influence the attitude. The role of different channel of media also shape our attitude. Genetic factor Recent Study showed that genetic factor also play in the development of attitude. Identical twins are closely related to their attitude . Learning factor Different learning theories like social learning, classical conditioning and instrumental conditioning etc are found to be essential to develop attitude

23. prejudice Prejudice  is prejudgment, or forming an opinion before becoming aware of the related facts of a case. It include belief structure, information and prejudgment of that group It refers to biased, often negative attitude about the group of people. The word is often used to refer to predetermined usually unfavourable, judgments toward people or a person because of  gender , political opinion,  social class , age ,  disability ,  religion ,  sexuality ,  race / ethnicity ,  language ,  nationality , or other personal characteristics. Prejudice leads discrimination which indicate action toward the group that are the target of prejudice. Prejudice can also refer to unfounded beliefs. Prejudice is positive or negative.

24. prejudice Gordon Allport defined prejudice as a "feeling, favorable or unfavourable, toward a person or thing, prior to, or not based on, actual experience“ According to Baron and Bryne prejudice is an attitude; it is usually negative, towards the members of some group, based solely in their membership in that group. This definition shows; Prejudice is an attitude and cognitive aspect. It is usually negative Aimed towards the biased group Because the person belong to that group

25. Causes of prejudice Enhance self esteem. People feel superior themselves in various ways. They often talk and put down the negative views towards the other group and hold prejudice. Saving effort Some people never want to change their information which are received later because the information which they received earlier are permanently saved . Competition. Prejudice develops due to struggle for jobs, housing, good school . People always want good homes, high status, that might not be available to all. This leads to high completion and develop prejudice.

26. Causes of prejudice Direct experience. people often develop prejudice to other group of people during direct interaction with them . They don’t like the behaviour (talking, eating, dressing) of such group during direct interaction . Role of medias The medias show the low status of minority people which create negative prejudice. Social categorization Social categorization is the distinction made on the basis of race, age, occupation, income religion and so on. We divide people into two categories as us and they. Persons in us category are viewed as favorable term and them are perceived more negative

27. Causes of prejudice Social norms Every society has their own social norms which guides the behaviour of people of that group. Prejudice develop when any one goes out of the laws of society and also if any one hate the laws set by the society . Social identity theory It explains that individuals seek their self esteem by identifying them with special social group and think themselves as superior than others. If individuals feel secure in their group, they can be generous toward the other group and show reduced prejudice but if the group is threatened then strong negative prejudice develops.

28. Causes of prejudice Cognitive sources Stereotypes These are a type of cognitive form of prejudice. Some people hold stereotype belief , thinking, feeling etc towards the certain race , religiion and other group. The belief about specific group directs the individual to form prejudice. Illusory correlation It refers to overestimating the rate negative behaviour towards relatively small group. Eg White race in USA overestimate the crime rate among black race. In group differentiation and out-group homogeneity It states that the members of out group are similar to one another than the members of one’s own group. Person who hold strong prejudice towards some social group often used to say “you know what they are like ;they all are the same”

29. Technique to reduce prejudice It is common in life and wide spread in most societies. People often develop prejudice against sex, race, religion, etc. It can reduced though different techniques Thorough learning Prejudice is not a in born character and is developed through learning. It is acquired through parents, medias, teachers. So , training should given to biased parents, person to alter their prejudice so that they can promote their children and others to reduce prejudice.

30. Technique to reduce prejudice Direct inter group contact : In recent time, there is less contact and communication among different groups . This leads less recognition of similarity between them. So, increased contact may increase the mutual attraction, interaction and communication with out group which help to decrease the prejudice. Frequent contact among different group increase friendship which can increase the empathy and understanding between groups. Thus, reduce the conflict or racial prejudice. Re-categorization: One of important factor of prejudice is the concept of us and they. The boundary between us and they should be reduced which reduce prejudice. Gaertner and his colleagues (1989, 1993) the theory of re-categorization or “common in group identity model”. This model suggest that the individual belonging to different social group come to view themselves as a members of a single social entity.

31. Technique to reduce prejudice Cognitive interventions: Stereotype is the one of the major factor to develop prejudice. It can reduced by motivating and awareing the people about conservative thoughts and beliefs. Negative thinking traits like poor, hostile, to racial or ethnic group causes prejudice . It should be reduced by developing positive thinking as well as by saying ‘no’ to such setreotype traits associated with specific group.

32. Effects of prejudice Prejudice affects the everyday lives of millions of people across the globe. Prejudice held by individuals unnaturally forces on others who are targets of their prejudice,a false social status that strongly influences who they are, what they think, and even the actions they take. People acting out their prejudices cause domestic violence, crime, death, and the loss of billions of dollars in lost productivity, property loss, and expense to society. Prejudice can enforce very dramatic barriers or invisible barriers on individuals. Opportunities in life are lost and personal relationships damaged when people act upon their prejudice. When not acknowledged and confronted, prejudice negatively impacts the lives not only of the victims, but of those holding the prejudice.

33. Social influence It is the effort made by individual to change attitudes, beliefs, perception and behaviour of others. It occurs when one's emotions, opinions, or behaviours are affected by others. It includes- conformity, compliance, Obedience and intense indoctrination conformity: Conformity is a type of social influence involving a change in behaviour, belief or thinking to align(support) with those of others or to align with normative standards. People accept social norms in order to be liked by others and change their attitudes. Social norms may be spoken or unspoken Spoken norms also called social norms has powerful effect in our behaviour. Government function through laws, rules and regulation and are generally regulated by written rules and signs in public places. E.g., speed limit 10 km, No horn sign in school and hospital area etc.

34. Social influence Unspoken norms also influence influence our behaviour. For example, the current and rapidly changing standers of dress, fashion influence the behaviour of people. People stands when national anthem of their country is played at sport events and other public gathering is also unspoken social norms. Compliance Compliance is the act of responding favorably to an explicit or implicit request offered by others. Compliance is when people appear to agree with others, but actually keep their dissenting(uncooperative) opinions private. Technically, compliance is a change in  behavior  but not necessarily  attitude . Obedience Obedience is a form of social influence that derives from an authority figure. It is a good thing as it enhances a society by putting togethrits members to obey lawas , rules and costoms .

35. Social influence On the contrary, if it goes to the negative direction, it becomes pain to society. Obedience is generally distinguished from  compliance , which is behavior influenced by peers, and from conformity , which is behaviour intended to match that of the majority. Obedience can be seen as  immoral ,   and  moral For example, in a situation when one orders a person to kill another innocent person and he or she does so willingly, it is generally considered to be immoral. However, when one orders a person to kill an enemy who will end many innocent lives and he or she does so willingly, it can be considered moral.

36. Intense indoctrination Indoctrination is the process of inculcating(inspiring) ideas, attitudes, cognitive strategies or a professional methodology. indoctrination is a critical component in the transfer of cultures, customs, and traditions from one generation to the next . Indoctrinated person is expected not to question or critically examine the doctrine they have learned, often in the context of  political opinions , religion, religious  belief etc. Indoctrination  is sometimes associated with negative connotation.(suggestion). For example, A mass suicide occurred in people’s temple with its 914 members when ordered to do so by their leader in 1978.

37. Discrimination Discrimination  is the behavior or actions, usually negative, towards an individual or group of people, especially on the basis of sex/race/social class, etc. Racial discrimination  in South Africa. Apartheid (literally "separateness") was a system of racial segregation that was enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1994.  Non-white people where prevented from voting and lived in separate communities. Age discrimination  is discrimination against a person or group on the grounds of age. Gender Discrimination : In Western societies while women are often discriminated against in the workplace, men are often discriminated against in the home and family environments.  For instance after a divorce women receive primary custody of the children far more often than men. Women on average earn less pay than men for doing the same job