Social Psychology

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Social Psychology
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Social Psychology understand and explain how our
thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and behaviors.
Social psychologists first impressions,
stereotypes, how people evaluate social
interactions, and why racism exists.
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First Impressions
Person perception process by which we form
impressions of, and make judgments about, the
traits and characteristics of others.
There are 4 basic things which influence our
judgment
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What is beautiful is good.
Physical attractiveness plays a major role in
first impressions.
Physically attractive more responsive,
interesting, sociable, intelligent, kind,
outgoing, and likely to be recommended for
promotions.
However, psychological characteristics often make
a person more or less attractive.
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How Do First Impressions Work?
First impressions occur quickly and automatically
because we form them based on already formed
stereotypes.
Stereotypes are widely held beliefs that people
have certain traits because they belong to a
particular group.
Once formed, negative stereotypes and first
impressions are hard to break
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Where Do Stereotype Come From?
Stereotypes are believed to form when parents,
peers, teachers etc. reward us with social
approval for holding certain attitudes or beliefs.
Social psychologists believe stereotypes have
been created as cognitive tools to help us think
and make decisions more efficiently.
Stereotypes serve as a source of information and
also a thought-saving device.
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Why are stereotypes so hard to break?
1. We are often unaware that we use them.
2. We usually dismiss information that does not
fit our stereotypes
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Whats a Schema?
Generalized mental representations that organize
knowledge and guide information
processing Scripts Stereotypes
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Four Types of Schemas
1. Person Schemas
2. Role Schemas
3. Event Schemas
4. Self Schemas
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Person Schemas
Our judgments about the traits that we and others
possess.
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Role Schemas
Based on the jobs people perform or the social
positions they hold
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Event Schemas
Also called scripts. These schemas associate
behaviors with familiar events, activities, or
procedures.
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Self Schemas
Contain personal information about ourselves, and
this information influences, modifies, and
distorts how we behave and or perceive events.
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Advantages and Disadvantages of Schemas
Disadvantages 1. Schemas may restrict, bias,
or distort what we remember. 2. They are
highly resistant to change and therefore may
hold a person back.

• Advantages
• Help to analyze and respond
• appropriately to particular social
• Situations.
• 2. Provide guidelines for how to
• behave in social events.(event)
• 3. Help to explain the social
• behavior of others. (role)