Lec3: How culture influence social cognitions

What is social cognition?

A mental categorization process → the meanings behind the specific things that happen to you

• impacts behaviour & emotions

What are the 2 types of social cognition?

Type 1. Automatic/unconscious

• why and how to react to a dog for example (is unconscious)

Type 2. Effort/tiring

• requires thinking (a new class)

What is a schema?

Schema: what to expect when something happens

• ex. know a hair in food is disgusting (usually unconscious)

What is a script?

Script: the norm of behaviours learnt in life (expectation)

• know to tell waiter about hair → the waiter offers new food

How do schemas & scripts build identity?

*This builds identity → collectivists maintain harmony & interdependence

• you shape the identity you want (regardless of social status)

• social identity = your identity within groups

What is selective perception?

Cultural differences → eye contact

• Attentive → accept & acknowledge differences

• Avoidant → ignore & find differences important (get upset at eye contact)

What is ethnocentrism?

A universal tendency to those similar to you → in-group bias

• our own cultural group is our reference point → the best way to do something

What is social categoriation theory?

Categorizing others based on a few salient dimensions (ex. hate all people who smoke)

• you can never find 100% similarities

What is stereotyping?

Thinking on autopilot can be good → instantly know that a furry creature with 4 legs is a dog

• can be bag → bias, racism, prejudice

What are reverse perspectives?

Purely judging based on differences

• using norms, schemas, scripts

What is social dominance theory?

• Ex. a duo in a group of three → behave differently to favoured friend

• The favoured friend is privileged → won’t get as mad at favoured friend

* Privilege in the workplace is unfair (is a power) → when not accomplish-based

→ more access to resources, social power, power increase dominance

What are national stereotypes?

An inaccurate judgment based on stereotypes

• ex. Canadians are polite

• never judge based on naationality

What are stereotypic expectations?

Change through removing bias to prevent prejudice

What is contact theory?

Get to know someone you have a bias against

• to learn & understand

2 extremes:

1. Contact may confirm bias/stereotype negatively (fat American)

2. Contact may confirm bias stereotype positively (polite Canadian)

What are attributions (how cultural stereotypes influence)?

• Attributing a behaviour/event internally (I did something wrong)

• Attributing a behaviour/event externally (I did nothing wrong, they did)

What are 3 attribution cues?

Use prior info to make a judgement

1. Situational context → he got angry bc he hates airplanes (external)

2. Consistency over time → someone gets angry 4 times a day (externally)

3. Consistency in similar situations → he got angry at someone else too (externally)

What is fundamental attribution error?

= Ultimate attribution error

• influenced/internalized by in-group bias

• attributing behaviours of others internally

What are cultural differences in attribution?

• Collectivists (Asia) → want to agree with others/maintain harmony → less attribution error (see everyone as own group)

• Individualists (Europe) → more attribution error (me vs. others)

What is the cross cultural interaction model?

How do cultural self-concepts influence motivation?

Variations in self-concept (self-schemas) → the way people define themselves

• Interdependent (Japan): more motivated by preserving harmony

• Independent (U.S.): more motivated by upholding internal attitudes