Exam 3: The Core Elements of Social Cognition

Which research perspective emerged in the 1970s to answer the general question of what specific mental processes are involved in the person's construction of an understanding of the social world?

Joram has a chronically accessible schema for generosity. When he reads a biography of Albert Einstein, Joram is MOST likely to:

Which of the following motives is NOT a primary influence on our processes of social cognition?

After Hurricane Katrina, pictures were shown in news outlets of people swimming through floodwaters with bags of food. The media tended to describe White people in such images as having _____, and Black people as having _____.

The BEST definition of a schema is:

In one version of a classic study by Tversky and Kahneman (1981), people are presented with the option between Treatment A that will kill 400 of 600 people, versus Treatment B with a one-third probability that nobody will die and a two-thirds probability that everyone will die. Which treatment do the study results suggest people typically choose?

In priming, a contrast effect occurs when:

What is the process of consolidating memories?

A study demonstrated that people holding a warm coffee cup evaluated a stranger as more friendly than people holding a cold coffee cup. What phenomenon in social cognition does this study BEST clarify?

Give an example of a schema which is chronically accessible for you. Provide some illustrations of what the associative network surrounding this schema is like for you. Give examples of some of the semantic and experiential associations in this network. How might this schema be primed in your day-to-day life, and what might be a consequence of this?

Wes is an American Indian. If you ask him, he will tell you that he likes European Americans-indeed, many of his closest friends are of European American background. However, if Wes is alone at night walking on the street, he is more likely to startle if a European American than he is if an American Indian approaches him. This suggests that Wes:

What are at least three ways in which the unconscious can be considered "smart"? Provide examples from research to support your argument. Do you believe the unconscious is smart? In what kinds of situations might the unconscious be less helpful or smart?

In which of the following situations are people LEAST likely to make a decision about another person based on the first information they are given, rather than considering all of the information they receive equally?

In social cognitive terms, what is a metaphor? How do metaphors influence cognitive processes? Give one example of a metaphor.

What is the somatic marker hypothesis?

Adnan is trying to make a decision about which cancer treatment to pursue. His mother tells him that he should listen to his doctor carefully, get a second opinion, and then weigh all his options. His father tells him that he should not pay attention to all the details and simply go with his gut. What does current research on medical decision making suggest?

_____ attitudes are those that people are consciously aware of through the cognitive system, while _____ attitudes are automatic associations based on previous learning through the experiential system.

Briefly discuss the social cognitive research on rumors and gossip. How do people alter information when they tell stories about events they have witnessed? What are some examples of findings from studies on the effects of rumors?

Sari consciously believes that shoplifting is morally wrong. At the same time, in her circle of friends there are several people whom she admires who routinely engage in minor acts of shoplifting. If Sari is in a situation where she has a clear opportunity to shoplift, what does research suggest she is most likely to do?

Which of the following statements does NOT describe a way in which the unconscious is smart?