Social Cognition

1. Discuss the topic of social cognition and in particular the role of heuristics in the way we process information. Briefly describe two different heuristics and give examples of how and when they might be used as well as problems connected with their use. The manner in which we interpret, analyze, remember, and use information about the social world is known as social cognition to social psychologists. This process has a large effect on our daily lives as we interact socially. The thought processes of social cognition is one that is “automatic”, therefore we quickly, effortlessly, and without careful reasoning interpret our social environment (Baron & Branscombe, 2012). This automatic process can lead to accurate judgments or can lead to significant errors in conclusions drawn. Social cognition is multi-faceted, but there are simple rules for making complex decisions or drawing inferences in a rapid and seemingly effortless manner, these are known as heuristics. Rather than being careful, systematic, and effortful the components of social thoughts can be complex. There are many types of heuristics such as: representativeness, anchoring and adjustment, and availability. The representativeness heuristic is a strategy for making judgments based on the extent to which current stimuli or events resemble other stimuli or categories (Baron & Branscombe, 2012, p. 38). This means that by using this heuristic individuals are passing judgment on the simple rule: the more an individual seems to resemble or match a given group, the more likely he or she is to belong to that group. When the representativeness heuristic is imposed the individual uses a prototype, a summary of the common attributes possessed by members of a category, to pass their judgment. This approach to social cognition is used often for instance when we meet new people. We often judge by their characteristics to determine for instance what social circle they follow or if they are

References: Baron, R. A., & Branscombe, N. R. (2012). Social psychology (13th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.