Social Cognition: Making Sense of People

by Ziva Kunda

Ziva Kunda provides a comprehensive and accessible survey of research and theory about social cognition at a level appropriate for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers in the field. How do we make sense of other people and of ourselves? What do we know about the people we encounter in our daily lives and about the situations in which we encounter them, and how do we use this knowledge in our attempt to understand, predict, or recall their behavior? Are our social judgments fully determined by our social knowledge, or are they also influenced by our feelings and desires? Social cognition researchers look at how we make sense of other people and of ourselves. In this book Ziva Kunda provides a comprehensive and accessible survey of research and theory about social cognition at a level appropriate for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers in the field. The first part of the book reviews basic processes in social cognition, including the representation of social concepts, rules of inference, memory, "hot" cognition driven by motivation or affect, and automatic processing. The second part reviews three basic topics in social group stereotypes, knowledge of other individuals, and the self. A final chapter revisits many of these issues from a cross-cultural perspective.

Genres: Psychology, Sociology, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Academic, Science, Social

488 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1999

Reviews

[Elcilor]

Social Cognition elegantly reveals a multitude of cognitive errors and flawed assumptions ingrained in the Western mindset. It is beautifully articulated, though somewhat abstract and challenging to retain, particularly for those not immersed in the subject regularly. The message that resonates most with me is the importance of maintaining humility about our own assumptions.

We often tend to attribute behavior to individual characteristics rather than considering contextual circumstances. For example, when a person commits a crime, we assume that this is because of a flawed character, whereas the context could be equally, if not more, important. Additionally, the book highlights the significance of diversifying the aspects of our personality that define our self-worth. This diversification can help us remain resilient in the face of setbacks in any one area.

Moreover, the realization that various cultures, whether from the East or West, the North or South, can significantly differ in their social cognition is a powerful insight. In summary, it was undeniably a valuable and enlightening reading experience!

[Steven R. Kraaijeveld · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to the fascinating field of social cognition.

[Mo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good introductory overview of classic social cognition research.

[Eunhae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best textbook I've ever read in my college years.
Cool/practical insights into people and our judgments.
Almost feel like a must for everyone.