Social Psychology: Perception, Attitudes, and Stereotypes

Social Thought and the Perception of People

Social thought and the perception of people is the process by which we form a first impression of others and make judgments that will guide our further interaction.

Distortions of Social Perception

• Error of primacy: The valuation of first contact determines the sequence of subsequent events.
• Halo effect: If we know one characteristic of a person, we presuppose that they possess other qualities as well.
• Implicit Personality: The information we perceive about others is not composed of isolated facts; they are related to each other so that our impressions are unitary and coherent.
• Illusory correlation: This consists of perceiving a relationship where none exists, or a stronger relationship than actually exists in reality.

Understanding Social Attitudes

Attitudes are predispositions to respond favorably or unfavorably to something. A social attitude is a favorable or unfavorable reaction toward something or someone.

The Three Components of Attitudes

• Cognitive: The belief that the subject has about the object of their attitude.
• Affective: Consists of feelings toward the object of the attitude.
• Behavioral: Refers to the actions of someone in relation to other individuals, groups, or institutions.

Key Functions of Attitudes

• Ego-defensive function: These can protect a person from negative feelings about themselves or their group by projecting those feelings toward others.
• Expressive function: All people express attitudes that reflect their own values.
• Utilitarian or adaptive function: This helps achieve desired goals or objectives that one cannot otherwise reach.
• Knowledge function: They serve to organize and structure different social aspects of the world.

The Formation of Attitudes

Attitudes are learned throughout life and are acquired in several ways:

• Education: The values, beliefs, and behaviors of parents influence the attitudes of their children.
• Personal experience: These are caused by direct contact with the object of the attitude.
• Groups: Social groups work to produce conformity among their members.
• Media: Many attitudes toward material objects in our environment are based on the influence of television.

Methods for Changing Attitudes

• The delivery of rewards and punishments to change actions.
• The application of the theory of advertising persuasion.

Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination

Defining Stereotypes

A stereotype is a set of shared beliefs about the personal attributes of a group of people.

The Functions of Stereotypes

• They have a functional and adaptive value because they simplify perception and reduce the complexity of reality through categorization.
• They facilitate team integration.
• They involve self-fulfilling prophecies, because we tend to see everything that supports our stereotype.

Defining Discrimination

Discrimination is unequal or negative behavior that a person exhibits toward another based on the category or group to which they belong.