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SOCIAL THINKING
Most of us share a great desire to understand the other people in our lives. From our first encounters with others, we begin to form impressions of their character and capabilities. We develop attitudes about them, including sometimes an attraction to them that may evolve into more personal relationships. We create personal theories to explain their behavior, hoping to be more confident in predicting how they will respond to us. And sometimes we think about them not as individuals, but more simply as members of some social group: We respond to them based on our prejudices and stereotypes. These processes are part of social cognition, <glossary term> our attempt to actively interpret and make sense of information about other persons. Perceiving Other Persons
Imagine that a car pulls up next to you at a stoplight. The driver is a 20-something male wearing a black leather jacket and mirrored sunglasses. He is driving a recent model BMW convertible and he has a cell phone that appears to be permanently attached to his ear. He repeatedly revs the engine as he waits for the light to change and he never once looks in your direction. Can you picture him? How hard was it to form an impression of him? How long did it take? Is he patient or impatient? Is he kind or cruel? Would he prefer to golf or to bowl? Notice that from just a few words, we are able to form rich impressions of another person. For most of us, it takes little more than a glance or a casually spoken word to give rise to a host of thoughts and beliefs.  |
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