(Part - 2) - Attitude and Social Cognition Class 12 Psychology

Social Cognition

• Social cognition is the process of perceiving, interpreting, and understanding the social world around us. It involves how we think about ourselves and others, how we make judgments and decisions about people and situations, and how we interact with others in social situations. 
• Social cognition is an important aspect of human psychology as it influences our attitudes, behavior, and relationships with others.

Schemas and Stereotypes 

• Social cognition is the study of how people perceive, interpret, and remember information about themselves and others in their social environment. One important concept in social cognition is schemas, which are mental frameworks that help individuals organize and interpret information about the world around them. Schemas can influence how people perceive, interpret, and remember information, and can also affect their behavior.
• Stereotypes are a type of schema that are often based on oversimplified or inaccurate information about a particular group of people. Stereotypes can be negative or positive and can have a significant impact on how people perceive and interact with members of a particular group. Stereotypes can lead to prejudice, discrimination, and unfair treatment of individuals or groups.
• It is important to be aware of the role of schemas and stereotypes in social cognition and to actively challenge negative stereotypes to reduce prejudice and discrimination.

Impression Formation and Explaining Behaviour of Others through Attribution

• Impression formation and explaining the behavior of others through attribution are important topics in social cognition.
• Impression formation refers to the process of forming an overall impression of someone based on the information available. People tend to rely on certain cues, such as physical appearance, behavior, and communication style, to form impressions of others. These impressions can be influenced by the context in which they are formed, as well as by pre-existing beliefs and stereotypes.
• Attribution, on the other hand, refers to the process of explaining the behavior of others. People often make attributions based on the causes they perceive to be responsible for a person's behavior. Attribution can be either internal or external. Internal attribution involves attributing behavior to a person's traits or characteristics, while external attribution involves attributing behavior to the situation or context.
• There are several biases that can influence both impression formation and attribution. For example, the fundamental attribution error refers to the tendency to attribute others' behavior to their internal traits or characteristics, rather than the situation or context. The self-serving bias, on the other hand, refers to the tendency to attribute one's own behavior to external factors, while attributing others' behavior to internal factors.
• Understanding impression formation and attribution can help individuals develop a more accurate understanding of others' behavior and avoid making inaccurate assumptions or stereotypes.

Behaviour in the Presence of Others

• Behavior in the presence of others is a fascinating area of study in social psychology. This area of research looks at how individuals behave differently when they are in a group or social setting compared to when they are alone.
• One of the most famous theories related to behavior in the presence of others is social facilitation, which suggests that the mere presence of others can enhance an individual's performance on simple or well-practiced tasks. On the other hand, the presence of others can also lead to social inhibition, where individuals may perform worse on complex or novel tasks.
• Another important concept related to behavior in the presence of others is social loafing, where individuals may exert less effort when working in a group than they would if they were working alone. This phenomenon is often explained by diffusion of responsibility, where individuals feel less accountable for the outcome of the group's performance.
• Furthermore, group polarization is another phenomenon where group discussions can lead to more extreme opinions and attitudes, as individuals tend to adopt the views of the group they belong to. This can be explained by the social comparison theory, where individuals compare their opinions and attitudes with those of others in the group.
• Overall, the study of behavior in the presence of others highlights the complexity of social interactions and how social context can influence individual behavior and attitudes.

Pro-social Behaviour

• Pro-social behavior refers to any behavior that benefits others or society as a whole, such as helping, sharing, volunteering, and cooperating. It is the opposite of anti-social behavior, which refers to behaviors that harm others or society, such as aggression, vandalism, and crime.
• Pro-social behavior can be influenced by many factors, including personal values, social norms, empathy, and situational factors such as the presence of others or perceived rewards or costs. Research has also shown that pro-social behavior can have positive effects on both the helper and the recipient, such as increased feelings of happiness, self-esteem, and social connection.
• Some examples of pro-social behavior include donating to charity, volunteering at a local organization, helping a stranger in need, and cooperating with others to achieve a common goal.

Factors influencing Pro-social Behaviour

• Prosocial behavior is influenced by various factors. 
• For instance, if a family prioritizes kindness and generosity, their children are likely to exhibit altruistic behavior. 
• It is important to consider social norms when helping others. 
• People feel a sense of social responsibility to help those in need. 
• Reciprocity is another factor that prompts people to help those who have helped them in the past. 
• Equity plays a role as people are more likely to help when it is deemed fair to do so. 
• Empathy is another factor that increases prosocial behavior, as people who are more empathetic are more likely to feel the distress of others and act accordingly. 
• However, prosocial behavior may decrease when there are many bystanders. 
• For instance, in the case of a road accident, people may not offer help as they assume someone else will take responsibility, leading to diffusion of responsibility.