1. Social Psychology

2. Social Psychology understand and explain how our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and behaviors.
Social psychologists first impressions, stereotypes, how people evaluate social interactions, and why racism exists.

3. First Impressions
Person perception: process by which we form impressions
of, and make judgments about, the traits and characteristics of others.
There are 4 basic things which influence our judgment:
1. Physical Appearance
2. Need to explain
3. Influence on behavior
4. Effects of race

4. “What is beautiful is good.”
Physical attractiveness plays a major role in first impressions.
Physically attractive = more responsive, interesting, sociable, intelligent, kind, outgoing, and likely to be recommended for promotions.
However, psychological characteristics often make a person
more or less attractive.

5. How Do First Impressions Work?
First impressions occur quickly and automatically because we
form them based on already formed stereotypes.
Stereotypes are widely held beliefs that people have certain traits
because they belong to a particular group.
Once formed, negative stereotypes and first impressions are hard
to break

6. Where Do Stereotype Come From?
Stereotypes are believed to form when parents, peers, teachers etc.
reward us with social approval for holding certain attitudes or beliefs.
Social psychologists believe stereotypes have been created as
cognitive tools to help us think and make decisions more efficiently.
Stereotypes serve as a source of information and also a thought-saving
device.

7. Why are stereotypes so hard to break?
1. We are often unaware that we use them.
2. We usually dismiss information that does not fit our stereotypes

8. What’s a Schema?
Generalized mental representations that organize knowledge and guide information processing:
Scripts
Stereotypes

9. Four Types of Schemas: 1. Person Schemas 2. Role Schemas
3. Event Schemas
4. Self Schemas

10. Person Schemas
Our judgments about the traits that we and others possess.

11. Role Schemas
Based on the jobs people perform or the social positions they hold

12. Event Schemas
Also called scripts. These schemas associate behaviors with familiar
events, activities, or procedures.

13. Self Schemas
Contain personal information about ourselves, and this information
influences, modifies, and distorts how we behave and or perceive
events.

14. Advantages and Disadvantages of Schemas
1. Schemas may restrict,
bias, or distort what we
remember.
2. They are highly
resistant to change and
therefore may hold a person
back.
Advantages:
Help to analyze and respond
appropriately to particular social
Situations.
2. Provide guidelines for how to
behave in social events.(event)
3. Help to explain the social
behavior of others. (role)