Chapter 4: Social Cognition

Social cognition

How we think about, understand, and remember information about other people

Confirmation bias

Looking for and remembering information that supports what you already believe

Need for cognitive closure

Wanting a clear answer so you do not have to deal with uncertainty

Group polarization

When people in a group develop more extreme beliefs after discussing them with others who agree

Information cocoon

Focusing mostly on information that agrees with your beliefs and makes you comfortable

Social comparison

Comparing yourself to other people

Herd behavior

Copying the actions or beliefs of a group

Observational learning

Learning by watching and copying other people

False consensus bias

Overestimating how many other people share your beliefs or behaviors

Homophily

The tendency to connect with people who are similar to you

Filter bubble/echo chamber

An online environment that mainly shows you information that matches your existing beliefs

Emotional contagion

Automatically taking on the emotions or mood of people around you

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

A group that makes sure research with human participants is ethical and safe

Informed consent

Making sure participants understand a study's risks, benefits, and procedures before agreeing to participate

Stigma

A negative or unfair belief about someone because of the group they belong to

Stereotype

A belief or assumption about someone based on the group they belong to

Personhood/person-centered care

Treating people with dignity by focusing on their individual needs, choices, and identity

Self-efficacy

Belief that you can successfully achieve a specific goal

Social model of disability

The idea that society and physical barriers can create problems for people with disabilities

Agency

The ability and belief that you can make your own decisions and control your actions

Self-fulfilling prophecy

When a false belief causes actions that eventually make the belief come true

Attribution

An explanation for why someone acted a certain way or why something happened

Cognitive anchor

The first piece of information used as a starting point when making a decision

Fundamental attribution bias/correspondence bias

Focusing too much on a person's traits and not enough on their situation when explaining their behavior

External attributions

Explaining behavior based on the situation or environment

Internal attributions

Explaining behavior based on the person's traits or personality

Cognitive heuristics

Mental shortcuts that help you make quick decisions

Schema

A mental framework that helps you organize and understand information

Representative heuristic

Judging something based on how much it matches a typical example or stereotype

Availability heuristic

Judging how likely something is based on how easily examples come to mind

Cognitive prime

When something you see or experience influences how you respond to something later

Individuating characteristics

Unique traits and qualities that make a person different from others

Self-esteem

Your opinion of your own worth and value