Page 1 - LN 1_Attitude and Social Cognition

Class - XII

Psychology

Chapter 6: Attitude and Social Cognition

MODULE - 1

(Topics: Explaining social behaviour, nature and components of attitudes)

Short Note

EXPLAINING SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR

• The inferences we make when we meet people about their personal qualities is
called impression formation.
• The process of assigning causes to the behaviour shown in specific social situations
is called attribution.
• Impression formation and attributions are influenced by attitudes.
• These three processes are examples of social cognition.
• Attitude, impression formation and attributions are the mental activities which are
related to the gathering and interpretation of information about the social world,
collectively called as Social Cognition.

• Social cognition is activated by cognitive units called schemas.
• There are other examples of social influence that are in the form of observable
behaviour. Two such examples are:
1. Social Facilitation/ Inhibition:
The improvement/decline in performance in the presence of others, and
helping.
2. Pro-social Behaviour:
Responding to others who are in need or distress.
• It is necessary to study both social-cognitive processes and social behaviour in
order to understand completely how the social context influences the individual.

NATURE AND COMPONENTS OF ATTITUDES

• Attitudes:
✓ are views which are not merely thoughts, but also have emotional and
action components, which are more than ‘opinions’.