INTRODUCTION TO INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL DECISION-MAKINGSOCIAL DECISION-MAKING

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

• Social Cognition is a marriage of two Social Cognition is a marriage of two separate fields in psychology:separate fields in psychology:

• Social PsychologySocial Psychology

andand

• Cognitive PsychologyCognitive Psychology

• Social Psychology is:Social Psychology is:

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

• A partial list of topics studied by social A partial list of topics studied by social psychologists:psychologists:

• Friendship and attractionFriendship and attraction• AggressionAggression• AltruismAltruism• ConformityConformity• AttitudesAttitudes• PrejudicePrejudice• Group BehaviorGroup Behavior• LeadershipLeadership

Example of an issue studied in Example of an issue studied in social psychology - Kitty social psychology - Kitty GenoveseGenovese

In 1964, Kitty Genovese was murdered when In 1964, Kitty Genovese was murdered when going home after she left work at 2:00 AM in going home after she left work at 2:00 AM in New York. It took ½ hour for her killer to New York. It took ½ hour for her killer to complete the murder. During this ½ hour, 38 complete the murder. During this ½ hour, 38 witnesses saw at least part of the murder. witnesses saw at least part of the murder. NONE of them did anything to stop the attack.NONE of them did anything to stop the attack.

Social psychologists ask why these people acted Social psychologists ask why these people acted as they did. Some answers include: diffusion as they did. Some answers include: diffusion of responsibility, audience inhibition, and of responsibility, audience inhibition, and pluralistic ignorance.pluralistic ignorance.

• Cognitive Psychology is:Cognitive Psychology is:

• The study of basic mental abilities, The study of basic mental abilities, particularly stressing how the mind particularly stressing how the mind processes information.processes information.

• A partial list of topics studied by A partial list of topics studied by cognitive psychologists:cognitive psychologists:

• PerceptionPerception• LearningLearning• MemoryMemory• LanguageLanguage• Problem-solvingProblem-solving• ForgettingForgetting

An example of an issue in An example of an issue in cognitive psychology – the cognitive psychology – the Stroop EffectStroop Effect

On the next slide:On the next slide:

PRONOUNCE THE PRONOUNCE THE NAME OF THE NAME OF THE COLOR OF THE PRINTCOLOR OF THE PRINT, NOT THE , NOT THE NAME OF THE WORD.NAME OF THE WORD.

yellow purple greywhite orangeorangepink green pinkgrey tan blackblack red orangeorange green whiteyellow purple yellow

• Results: People have a tendency to pronounce Results: People have a tendency to pronounce the name of the word, not the color of the the name of the word, not the color of the print. print.

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

So, what then is social So, what then is social cognition?cognition?

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

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

• Topic areas covered in the study of social Topic areas covered in the study of social cognition:cognition:

• AttributionAttribution

• Person PerceptionPerson Perception

• Social Categorization and SchemasSocial Categorization and Schemas

• Social Inference and Decision-MakingSocial Inference and Decision-Making

• HeuristicsHeuristics

• Attribution concerns:Attribution concerns:

• How people explain the cause of How people explain the cause of their own and other people’s their own and other people’s behaviorbehavior

Kinds of Questions People Ask Kinds of Questions People Ask That Reflect Attribution IssuesThat Reflect Attribution Issues

• What caused me to do so poorly on What caused me to do so poorly on that exam?that exam?

• What caused my girlfriend to get What caused my girlfriend to get angry with me?angry with me?

• Why did my team win the big game Why did my team win the big game against that other team?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 Judgments that we make about the qualities that we see in other people.qualities that we see in other people.

Kinds of Statements People Kinds of Statements People Make That Reflect Person Make That Reflect Person

Perception IssuesPerception IssuesJohn is a mean person.John is a mean person.

You are acting very cold today.You are acting very cold today.

Barbara really is motivated to do well today.Barbara really is motivated to do well today.

He acts like another one of those lousy He acts like another one of those lousy liberal professors.liberal professors.

• Schemas concern:Schemas concern:

• General assumptions that we make General assumptions that we make about people.about people.

• Schemas begin with categorization.Schemas begin with categorization.

• People categorize everything:People categorize everything:

• Introverts ExtrovertsIntroverts Extroverts

• Geeks Frat RatsGeeks Frat Rats

• LiberalsLiberals Conservatives Conservatives

• CupsCups Glasses Glasses

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

• Examples:Examples:

• John thinks that geeks are intelligent, John thinks that geeks are intelligent, computer nuts who are skinny, weigh computer nuts who are skinny, weigh 90 pounds, and wear thick glasses.90 pounds, and wear thick glasses.

• Mary believes that cups have handles. Mary believes that cups have handles. Glasses do not have handles.Glasses do not have handles.

• Social Inference involves:Social Inference involves:

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

Kinds of Decisions That Kinds of Decisions That Represent the Social Inference Represent the Social Inference ProcessProcess• 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 Shortcuts used in social inference that reduce a complex problem to a that reduce a complex problem to a simpler one.simpler one.

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

Examples of Use of Examples of Use of HeuristicsHeuristics• Which candidate should I vote for? Bob’s a Which candidate should I vote for? Bob’s a

Republican; I’m a Republican. I’ll vote for him.Republican; I’m a Republican. I’ll vote for him.

• Look at that guy! He must be a Pike. He’s Look at that guy! He must be a Pike. He’s acting just like one.acting just like one.

• If I’d have left my house just a minute earlier, I If I’d have left my house just a minute earlier, I wouldn’t have been in that intersection when wouldn’t have been in that intersection when the drunk driver sped through it and hit me!the drunk driver sped through it and hit me!

What Value Do We Get from What Value Do We Get from Social Cognition?Social Cognition?

• Our attributions, schemas, inferences and Our attributions, schemas, inferences and judgments, and heuristics:judgments, and heuristics:

• Give us an understanding of the world and Give us an understanding of the world and other peopleother people

• Allow us a way to predict what we have to Allow us a way to predict what we have to do to get the outcomes we want to do to get the outcomes we want to achieve for ourselves.achieve for ourselves.

• Example of the Understanding and Example of the Understanding and Prediction Derived from our Social Cognition:Prediction Derived from our Social Cognition:

• I think that Sue is a warm and friendly I think that Sue is a warm and friendly person (my understanding of her).person (my understanding of her).

• I think that life would be great if we were to I think that life would be great if we were to get married (prediction for the future).get married (prediction for the future).