SOCIAL COGNITION

SOCIAL COGNITION – HOW

WE THINK ABOUT THE SOCIAL
WORLD AND HOW WE MAKE SENSE
OF COMPLEX ISSUES.
NOT ALL THE TIMES IN OUR LIFE DO WE MAKE
RATIONAL WELL THOUGHT OF DECISIONS. WE
DON’T ALWAYS WEIGH PROS AND CONS AND
FACTORS. IN SOCIAL SITUATIONS, WE RELY ON
HEURISTIC STRATEGIES TO MAKE SENSE OF
THINGS. DEFAULT MENTAL SHORTCUTS THAT
FEEL RIGHT.
ANCHORING AND ADJUSTMENT – WHERE YOU BEGIN
MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

• IN BARGAINING – YOU START HIGH, YOU START LOW YOU

END LOW
• PORTION CONTROL – MORE FOOD MAKES YOU EAT MORE,
SMALLER SERVINGS SATISFY YOU FASTER.
PREFERENCE FOR THE STATUS QUO – PEOPLE LIKE WHAT
THEY ARE USED TO, HERE AND NOW.

• GOOD OLD DAYS

• ORIGINAL IS ALWAYS THE BEST
• PEOPLE AGREE WITH YOUR SELF ASSESSMENT
• TRADITION IS HARD TO CHANGE
PREFERENCE FOR THE STATUS QUO –
CHOCOLATE EXPERIMENT
• CHOCOLATES WERE GIVEN TO PARTICIPANTS TO JUDGE
• ONE BATCH WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN PRODUCED SINCE
1937
• ANOTHER BATCH WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN PRODUCED
SINCE 2003
• PARTICIPANTS CHOSE THE 1937 CHOCOLATE AS THE
BETTER CHOCOLATE
• IN REALITY BOTH BATCHES WERE THE SAME CHOCOLATE
PRIMING – MAKING CERTAIN SCHEMA READILY AVAILABLE
WILL INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR

• SCHEMA – BASIC UNIT OF SOCIAL COGNITION

• E.G. “FIESTA” WE THINK OF LIVELY MUSIC, DANCING, LOTS
OF FOOD LOTS OF CELEBRATION.
• BUZZWORDS LIKE: DDS, DELAWAN, BBM, KAKAMPINK,
WOKE, WORDS THAT “TRIGGER” (MISUSE),
PRIMING – MAKING CERTAIN SCHEMA READILY AVAILABLE
WILL INFLUENCE BEHAVIOR

• WHEN SCHEMATA ARE MADE AVAILABLE BY PRIMING, THE

PERSEVERANCE EFFECT, TELLS US THAT SCHEMA CAN BE
RESISTANT TO CHANGE EVEN OF THEY ARE PROVEN
WRONG.
• COGNITIVE DISSONANCE

• YOU CAN’T CHANGE PEOPLE WITH JUST FACTS.

 Effects persist, schema
Schema is primed Schema is not
influence social thought
(stimulus) expressed.
and behavior.

Unpriming –
schema is Effects of schema
expressed in dissipate, no longer
behavior and influence social thought
thoughts or behavior

Get it out
of your system
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR – A LOT OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IS
APPLIED IN BUYING AND SELLING. MANUFACTURERS WANT
TO KNOW HOW TO SELL BETTER BY UNDERSTANDING WHAT
MAKES US BUY.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR – A LOT OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IS
APPLIED IN BUYING AND SELLING. MANUFACTURERS WANT
TO KNOW HOW TO SELL BETTER BY UNDERSTANDING WHAT
MAKES US BUY.

CONSPICUOUS CONSUMPTION – BUYING

TO EXPRESS, WEALTH, AN IMAGE, A MESSAGE.
THE KIND OF STUFF YOU BUY IS BECAUSE
THERE IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO SAY
ABOUT YOURSELF. OR THAT YOU IDENTIFY
WITH THE BRAND / PRODUCT YOU PURCHASE.
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR – A LOT OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY IS
APPLIED IN BUYING AND SELLING. MANUFACTURERS WANT
TO KNOW HOW TO SELL BETTER BY UNDERSTANDING WHAT
MAKES US BUY.

BRAND IDENTITY – BRANDS HAVE AN

IDENTITY AND A BRAND PERSONALITY AN
IMAGE.
 FUNCTIONS OF GOODS

THINKING GOODS FEELING GOODS

CONSIDERS YOUR IDENTITY

UTILITARIAN
AND FEELINGS
IMPULSE BUYING – AN URGE TO BUY SOMETHING
IMMEDIATELY, WITH LESS REGARD FOR CONSEQUENCE

SELF CONTROL DILEMMA – PLEASURABLE

EXPERIENCE NOW VS LONG TERM GOALS.

ADVERTISING IN SOCIAL MEDIA AND ONLINE SHOPPING IS

MEANT TO ACTIVATE YOUR IMPULSE BUYING WITH USE OF
PLEASURABLE EXPERIENCES.
SELF CONTROL – REQUIRES EFFORT, AND REQUIRES
COGNITIVE RESOURCES.

• FATIGUE, STRESS, MENTAL UNWELLNESS REDUCE OUR

WILL POWER.

• WE LEARNED FOR EXAMPLE THAT FB PRIORITIZES GETTING

US ANGRY BECAUSE ANGRY GETS MORE REACTIONS, AND
ALSO BECAUSE ANGER REDUCES OUR WILL POWER.
ADVERTISING
• COGNITIVE: PERSUASION USING DATA, BUT YOU CAN ONLY
BE PERSUADED WITH DATA IF YOU REMEMBER IT. SO
IMPORTANT DATA IS MADE EASY TO REMEMBER, WITH
GIMMICKS, CATCHPHRASES, CATCHY SONGS
• AFFECTIVE: THROUGH FEELINGS THROUGH CLASSICAL
CONDITIONING, JINGLES, NOTIFICATION TONES “SHOPEE!”
PUTTING ADVERTISEMENTS IN PLEASANT CONTEXTS, E.G.
JOLLIBEE AND MCDO FAMILY ORIENTED ADS.
ADVERTISING

• SUBLIMINAL: QUICK ALMOST UNNOTICED BUT

SUBCONSCIOUSLY REMEMBERED. E.G. QUICK REPEATED
BUT IMPERCEPTIBLE FLASHES OF INSTRUCTIONS
 Product placements in movies
 Campaign slogans matching the initials of the politician e.g.
Serbisyong Bayan for Mayor Sonny Belmonte of QC
POLITICAL BEHAVIOR
BIG 5 PERSONALITY DIMENSIONS

• EMOTIONAL STABILITY
• EXTRAVERSION
• AGREEABLENESS
• OPENNESS TO NEW EXPERIENCES LIBERAL
• CONSCIENTIOUSNESS CONSERVATIVE

POLITICAL ORIENTATION IS DEFINED BY AT LEAST TWO OF

THESE TRAITS
IMPORTANT CONCEPTS WITH REGARDS TO POLITICAL
BEHAVIOR

• GROUP THINK – HAVING ONE KIND OF PATTERNED

THOUGHT
 Predicts Partisan Attitudes as demonstrated by the Michigan model
 Party Identification is an indicator of which way a person votes.
• MOTIVATED POLITICAL REASONING
 Confirmation bias – accepting what fits with your beliefs
 Disconfirmation bias – being critical with those that don’t fit with your
beliefs.