Social Psychology 1: Social Cognition
This is the English summary of the course ‘Social Psychology 1: Social
Cognition’. I also have a Dutch summary available. This summary is
only from lecture 1 – 6, since I am a working student and therefor take
the 3sp course.
This summary is a combinations of the slides and notes during lectures.
I have underlined the words and concepts that are important to
understand.
Good luck!
Table of contents
1. Introduction to social psychology............................................................3
1.1. What is social psychology.................................................................3
2. Methodology: how social psychologist do research.................................4
2.1. An empirical science starting with hypotheses and theories............4
2.2. The observational method: describing social behaviour...................5
2.3. The correlational method: predicting social behavior.......................5
2.4. The experimental method: answering causal questions...................7
2.5. New developments............................................................................9
2.6. Ethical issues in social psychology....................................................9
3. Social cognition: How we think about the social world..........................10
3.1. The social thinker............................................................................10
3.2. Automatic social thinking with schemas.........................................10
3.2.1. Which schemas do we use?......................................................10
3.3. Types of automatic thinking............................................................11
3.3.1. Unconscious metaphors............................................................11
3.3.2. Mental Strategies and Shortcuts...............................................12
3.4. The influence of culture on unconscious thinking...........................12
3.4.1. Analytical versus holistic thinking.............................................12
3.5. Controlled social cognition: high-effort thinking..............................13
3.5.1. Mentally undoing the past: counterfactual reasoning...............13
3.5.2. Thought suppression and ironic processing..............................13
3.5.3. Automatic believing, controlled unbelieving.............................14
3.5.4. Improving human thinking........................................................14
,4. Social perception: how we come to understand other people...............14
4.1. Nonverbal communication..............................................................15
4.1.1. Facial Expressions.....................................................................15
4.1.2. Culture and nonverbal communication.....................................15
4.2. First Impressions.............................................................................16
4.3. Causal attribution: answering the ‘why’ question...........................16
4.3.1. The nature of the attribution process........................................16
4.3.2. The covariation model: internal versus external attributions. . .16
4.3.3. The fundamental attribution bias: people as personality
psychologists.......................................................................................17
4.3.4. Self-Serving attributions............................................................18
4.3.5. Culture and attribution biases...................................................19
4.3.6. How accurate are our impressions?..........................................19
5. Self-knowledge: how we come to understand ourselves.......................19
5.1. The nature of the self......................................................................19
5.1.1. Cultural differences in the definition of the self........................20
5.2. Knowing ourselves..........................................................................20
5.2.1. Introspection: self-awareness...................................................20
5.2.2. Introspection: telling more than we know.................................21
5.2.3. Introspection: about reasons.....................................................22
5.2.4. Observations of our own behaviour..........................................22
5.2.5. Implicit theories of the self and motivation...............................23
5.2.6. Observations of our emotions...................................................23
5.2.7. Through the eyes of others.......................................................25
5.3. Self-control......................................................................................25
5.3.1. Self-regulation...........................................................................25
5.4. Impression management: all the world’s a stage............................25
5.4.1. Flattering and self-handicapping...............................................25
5.4.2. Culture and impression management.......................................26
5.5. Self confidence: how we think about ourself...................................26
5.5.1. Terror management and self-efficacy.......................................26
5.5.2. Narcissism.................................................................................26
6. The need to justify our actions..............................................................26
, 6.1. Maintaining a stable, positive self-image........................................26
6.1.1. The theory of cognitive dissonance..........................................26
6.1.2. Rational behaviour versus rationalizing behaviour...................27
6.1.3. Decisions, decisions, decisions.................................................28
6.1.4. Dissonance and culture.............................................................28
6.2. Self justification...............................................................................28
6.2.1. Justify your effort.......................................................................28
6.2.2. Counter attitudinal advocacy....................................................28
6.2.3. Good and bad deeds.................................................................29
6.2.4. Punishment...............................................................................30
6.2.5. Hypocrisy..................................................................................30
6.3. Why would anyone want to maintain a poor self-image?................31
6.3.1. Confirming our self-concept or enhancing it?...........................31
1. Introduction to social psychology
1.1. What is social psychology
Different people expect other people to help. More people means a
smaller chance that someone will help.
When does hazing/initiation lead to great friendships in the new group,
and when does it not?
Social influence = the effect that words, actions, or mere presence of
other people have on our thoughts, feelings, attitudes or behaviour.
Vb. Peer pressure
Social psychology = the scientific study of the way in which people’s
thoughts, feelings, and actions are influenced by the real or imagined
presence of other people.
Other people can influence us directly through attempts at persuasion or
indirectly through their presence and the transmission of cultural values.
Equals attract. Most people find a partner at the university, sometimes
same degree. That points to similar ambitions, morals, ethics, …
, Social psychology is distinct from other social sciences because of its
emphasis on people’s construal’s, or personal interpretations.
The human ‘social’ brain is one of the biggest.
People are not always aware of the origins of their thoughts or behaviour.
Décart: information enters neutral, then we decide if it’s true or false.
Spinoza: we take information as it is, only after that we can think it over
and change our minds.
Experiment: people have to indicate, true or false, if a word is similar to
an English word. One group got interrupted with a message that that a
certain dot was a programming error. The group that got interrupted, got
their thinking process interrupted, which resulted in more people
indicating true.
Proves Spinoza
2. Methodology: how social psychologist do
research
Does exposure to pornography/violence on tv increases likelihood of
(sexual) violence?
Study with children who watch violent TV at 8 years old and at 18 years
old. Children watching violent TV at 8 years old will show violent
behaviour at 18 years old.
Bystander effect = the amount of bystanders has an important role.
Social psychology is an empirical science based on collected data and
facts.
Hindsight bias = the tendency for people to exaggerate how much they
could have predicted an outcome after knowing that it occurred
2.1. An empirical science starting with hypotheses and
theories
Formulating hypotheses and theories by inspiration from earlier theories
and research. Science is cumulative and people often generate
hypotheses based on previous theories and research. And also by
This is the English summary of the course ‘Social Psychology 1: Social
Cognition’. I also have a Dutch summary available. This summary is
only from lecture 1 – 6, since I am a working student and therefor take
the 3sp course.
This summary is a combinations of the slides and notes during lectures.
I have underlined the words and concepts that are important to
understand.
Good luck!
Table of contents
1. Introduction to social psychology............................................................3
1.1. What is social psychology.................................................................3
2. Methodology: how social psychologist do research.................................4
2.1. An empirical science starting with hypotheses and theories............4
2.2. The observational method: describing social behaviour...................5
2.3. The correlational method: predicting social behavior.......................5
2.4. The experimental method: answering causal questions...................7
2.5. New developments............................................................................9
2.6. Ethical issues in social psychology....................................................9
3. Social cognition: How we think about the social world..........................10
3.1. The social thinker............................................................................10
3.2. Automatic social thinking with schemas.........................................10
3.2.1. Which schemas do we use?......................................................10
3.3. Types of automatic thinking............................................................11
3.3.1. Unconscious metaphors............................................................11
3.3.2. Mental Strategies and Shortcuts...............................................12
3.4. The influence of culture on unconscious thinking...........................12
3.4.1. Analytical versus holistic thinking.............................................12
3.5. Controlled social cognition: high-effort thinking..............................13
3.5.1. Mentally undoing the past: counterfactual reasoning...............13
3.5.2. Thought suppression and ironic processing..............................13
3.5.3. Automatic believing, controlled unbelieving.............................14
3.5.4. Improving human thinking........................................................14
,4. Social perception: how we come to understand other people...............14
4.1. Nonverbal communication..............................................................15
4.1.1. Facial Expressions.....................................................................15
4.1.2. Culture and nonverbal communication.....................................15
4.2. First Impressions.............................................................................16
4.3. Causal attribution: answering the ‘why’ question...........................16
4.3.1. The nature of the attribution process........................................16
4.3.2. The covariation model: internal versus external attributions. . .16
4.3.3. The fundamental attribution bias: people as personality
psychologists.......................................................................................17
4.3.4. Self-Serving attributions............................................................18
4.3.5. Culture and attribution biases...................................................19
4.3.6. How accurate are our impressions?..........................................19
5. Self-knowledge: how we come to understand ourselves.......................19
5.1. The nature of the self......................................................................19
5.1.1. Cultural differences in the definition of the self........................20
5.2. Knowing ourselves..........................................................................20
5.2.1. Introspection: self-awareness...................................................20
5.2.2. Introspection: telling more than we know.................................21
5.2.3. Introspection: about reasons.....................................................22
5.2.4. Observations of our own behaviour..........................................22
5.2.5. Implicit theories of the self and motivation...............................23
5.2.6. Observations of our emotions...................................................23
5.2.7. Through the eyes of others.......................................................25
5.3. Self-control......................................................................................25
5.3.1. Self-regulation...........................................................................25
5.4. Impression management: all the world’s a stage............................25
5.4.1. Flattering and self-handicapping...............................................25
5.4.2. Culture and impression management.......................................26
5.5. Self confidence: how we think about ourself...................................26
5.5.1. Terror management and self-efficacy.......................................26
5.5.2. Narcissism.................................................................................26
6. The need to justify our actions..............................................................26
, 6.1. Maintaining a stable, positive self-image........................................26
6.1.1. The theory of cognitive dissonance..........................................26
6.1.2. Rational behaviour versus rationalizing behaviour...................27
6.1.3. Decisions, decisions, decisions.................................................28
6.1.4. Dissonance and culture.............................................................28
6.2. Self justification...............................................................................28
6.2.1. Justify your effort.......................................................................28
6.2.2. Counter attitudinal advocacy....................................................28
6.2.3. Good and bad deeds.................................................................29
6.2.4. Punishment...............................................................................30
6.2.5. Hypocrisy..................................................................................30
6.3. Why would anyone want to maintain a poor self-image?................31
6.3.1. Confirming our self-concept or enhancing it?...........................31
1. Introduction to social psychology
1.1. What is social psychology
Different people expect other people to help. More people means a
smaller chance that someone will help.
When does hazing/initiation lead to great friendships in the new group,
and when does it not?
Social influence = the effect that words, actions, or mere presence of
other people have on our thoughts, feelings, attitudes or behaviour.
Vb. Peer pressure
Social psychology = the scientific study of the way in which people’s
thoughts, feelings, and actions are influenced by the real or imagined
presence of other people.
Other people can influence us directly through attempts at persuasion or
indirectly through their presence and the transmission of cultural values.
Equals attract. Most people find a partner at the university, sometimes
same degree. That points to similar ambitions, morals, ethics, …
, Social psychology is distinct from other social sciences because of its
emphasis on people’s construal’s, or personal interpretations.
The human ‘social’ brain is one of the biggest.
People are not always aware of the origins of their thoughts or behaviour.
Décart: information enters neutral, then we decide if it’s true or false.
Spinoza: we take information as it is, only after that we can think it over
and change our minds.
Experiment: people have to indicate, true or false, if a word is similar to
an English word. One group got interrupted with a message that that a
certain dot was a programming error. The group that got interrupted, got
their thinking process interrupted, which resulted in more people
indicating true.
Proves Spinoza
2. Methodology: how social psychologist do
research
Does exposure to pornography/violence on tv increases likelihood of
(sexual) violence?
Study with children who watch violent TV at 8 years old and at 18 years
old. Children watching violent TV at 8 years old will show violent
behaviour at 18 years old.
Bystander effect = the amount of bystanders has an important role.
Social psychology is an empirical science based on collected data and
facts.
Hindsight bias = the tendency for people to exaggerate how much they
could have predicted an outcome after knowing that it occurred
2.1. An empirical science starting with hypotheses and
theories
Formulating hypotheses and theories by inspiration from earlier theories
and research. Science is cumulative and people often generate
hypotheses based on previous theories and research. And also by
