INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL DECISION-MAKING PY151

Social-Decision Making is formally known in the field of psychology as “Social Cognition”. This presentation will describe what social cognition – its roots and its topic areas. Social-Decision Making is formally known in the field of psychology as “Social Cognition”. This presentation will describe what social cognition – its roots and its topic areas.

Social Cognition is a marriage of two separate fields in psychology: Social Cognition is a marriage of two separate fields in psychology: Social Psychology Social Psychologyand Cognitive Psychology Cognitive Psychology

Social Psychology is: Social Psychology is: The scientific study of the way in which people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions are influenced by the social environment. The scientific study of the way in which people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions are influenced by the social environment.

A partial list of topics studied by social psychologists: A partial list of topics studied by social psychologists: Friendship and attraction Friendship and attraction Aggression Aggression Altruism Altruism Conformity Conformity Attitudes Attitudes Prejudice Prejudice Group Behavior Group Behavior Leadership Leadership

Example of an issue studied in social psychology - Kitty Genovese In 1964, Kitty Genovese was murdered when going home after she left work at 2:00 AM in New York. It took ½ hour for her killer to complete the murder. During this ½ hour, 38 witnesses saw at least part of the murder. NONE of them did anything to stop the attack. Social psychologists ask why these people acted as they did. Some answers include: diffusion of responsibility, audience inhibition, and pluralistic ignorance.

Cognitive Psychology is: Cognitive Psychology is: The study of basic mental abilities, particularly stressing how the mind processes information. The study of basic mental abilities, particularly stressing how the mind processes information.

A partial list of topics studied by cognitive psychologists: A partial list of topics studied by cognitive psychologists: Perception Perception Learning Learning Memory Memory Language Language Problem-solving Problem-solving Forgetting Forgetting

An example of an issue in cognitive psychology – the Stroop Effect On the next slide: PRONOUNCE THE NAME OF THE COLOR OF THE PRINT, NOT THE NAME OF THE WORD. PRONOUNCE THE NAME OF THE COLOR OF THE PRINT, NOT THE NAME OF THE WORD.

yellowpurplegrey whiteorangeorange pinkgreenpink greytanblack blackredorange orangegreenwhite yellowpurpleyellow

Results: People have a tendency to pronounce the name of the word, not the color of the print. Results: People have a tendency to pronounce the name of the word, not the color of the print. Conclusion: We process words so quickly that we have trouble following instructions that tell us not to process the word (rather the color of the word). Our tendency to process words quickly creates errors in mentally handling this task. Conclusion: We process words so quickly that we have trouble following instructions that tell us not to process the word (rather the color of the word). Our tendency to process words quickly creates errors in mentally handling this task.

So, what then is social cognition? Social Cognition: The scientific study of how people make sense of their social world: How they perceive, represent, interpret, and remember information about themselves and about other individuals and groups. Social Cognition: The scientific study of how people make sense of their social world: How they perceive, represent, interpret, and remember information about themselves and about other individuals and groups.

Social cognition applies theories and methodologies from cognitive psychology (“ the information processing approach”) to classic social psychological questions. Social cognition applies theories and methodologies from cognitive psychology (“ the information processing approach”) to classic social psychological questions.

Topic areas covered in the study of social cognition: Topic areas covered in the study of social cognition: Attribution Attribution Person Perception Person Perception Social Categorization and Schemas Social Categorization and Schemas Social Inference and Decision-Making Social Inference and Decision-Making Heuristics Heuristics

Attribution concerns: Attribution concerns: How people explain the cause of their own and other people’s behavior How people explain the cause of their own and other people’s behavior

Kinds of Questions People Ask That Reflect Attribution Issues What caused me to do so poorly on that exam? What caused me to do so poorly on that exam? What caused my girlfriend to get angry with me? What caused my girlfriend to get angry with me? Why did my team win the big game against that other team? Why did my team win the big game against that other team? Why did that accident happen? Why did that accident happen?

Person perception concerns: Person perception concerns: Judgments that we make about the qualities that we see in other people. Judgments that we make about the qualities that we see in other people.

Kinds of Statements People Make That Reflect Person Perception Issues John is a mean person. You are acting very cold today. Barbara really is motivated to do well today. He acts like another one of those lousy liberal professors.

Schemas concern: Schemas concern: General assumptions that we make about people. General assumptions that we make about people.

Schemas begin with categorization. Schemas begin with categorization. People categorize everything: People categorize everything: Introverts Extroverts Introverts Extroverts Geeks Frat Rats Geeks Frat Rats Liberals Conservatives Liberals Conservatives Cups Glasses Cups Glasses

Once we form a category, we define what we believe is the typical category member. That definition of the typical category member is our schema for the category. Once we form a category, we define what we believe is the typical category member. That definition of the typical category member is our schema for the category.

Examples: Examples: John thinks that geeks are intelligent, computer nuts who are skinny, weigh 90 pounds, and wear thick glasses. John thinks that geeks are intelligent, computer nuts who are skinny, weigh 90 pounds, and wear thick glasses. Mary believes that cups have handles. Glasses do not have handles. Mary believes that cups have handles. Glasses do not have handles.

Social Inference involves: Social Inference involves: Assessing what information should be gathered to address a given judgment or decision, collecting that information, and combining it in some form to make the decision or judgment. Assessing what information should be gathered to address a given judgment or decision, collecting that information, and combining it in some form to make the decision or judgment.

Kinds of Decisions That Represent the Social Inference Process What should be my major in college? What should be my major in college? Should I fix my old car or buy a new one? Should I fix my old car or buy a new one? Should I marry this person or not? Should I marry this person or not? What kind of career would I like to have? What kind of career would I like to have?

Heuristics are: Heuristics are: Shortcuts used in social inference that reduce a complex problem to a simpler one. Shortcuts used in social inference that reduce a complex problem to a simpler one.

When we use heuristics, we do not go through the full social inference process to make a decision. Rather, the shortcut enables us to make a quick decision. When we use heuristics, we do not go through the full social inference process to make a decision. Rather, the shortcut enables us to make a quick decision.

Examples of Use of Heuristics Which candidate should I vote for? Bob’s a Republican; I’m a Republican. I’ll vote for him. Which candidate should I vote for? Bob’s a Republican; I’m a Republican. I’ll vote for him. Look at that guy! He must be a Pike. He’s acting just like one. Look at that guy! He must be a Pike. He’s acting just like one. If I’d have left my house just a minute earlier, I wouldn’t have been in that intersection when the drunk driver sped through it and hit me! If I’d have left my house just a minute earlier, I wouldn’t have been in that intersection when the drunk driver sped through it and hit me!

What Value Do We Get from Social Cognition? Our attributions, schemas, inferences and judgments, and heuristics: Our attributions, schemas, inferences and judgments, and heuristics: Give us an understanding of the world and other people Give us an understanding of the world and other people Allow us a way to predict what we have to do to get the outcomes we want to achieve for ourselves. Allow us a way to predict what we have to do to get the outcomes we want to achieve for ourselves.

Example of the Understanding and Prediction Derived from our Social Cognition: Example of the Understanding and Prediction Derived from our Social Cognition: I think that Sue is a warm and friendly person (my understanding of her). I think that Sue is a warm and friendly person (my understanding of her). I think that life would be great if we were to get married (prediction for the future). I think that life would be great if we were to get married (prediction for the future).