Psychology Topic 6 Social Cognition

What is person perception most accurately defined as?

• The mental processes used to understand and form impressions of others
• The emotional reaction towards new people
• A judgement of another’s social class
• The perception of external stimuli
• The unconscious response to eye contact

Answer explanation

Person perception is defined as the cognitive processes involved in forming impressions of others.

A student assumes a peer is “lazy” for not submitting an assignment. This is best described as:

• Internal attribution
• External attribution
• Stereotype
• Self-serving bias
• Projection

Answer explanation

Judging someone’s failure based on their personal traits (e.g., laziness) is an internal attribution.

The fundamental attribution error involves:

• Overestimating internal factors and underestimating external ones in others’ behaviour
• Assuming all behaviour is accidental
• Judging our own actions more harshly than others
• Believing people’s actions are based solely on social norms
• Relying only on direct perception to judge others

Answer explanation

This bias leads us to overemphasise personal traits over situational causes in others.

A student says, “I failed because the test was unfair.” This is an example of:

• External attribution
• Internal attribution
• Self-handicapping
• Fundamental attribution error
• Attributional style

Answer explanation

Blaming the situation (test was unfair) reflects an external attribution.

Which of the following best represents the affective component of an attitude?

• "I love pineapple on pizza."
• "I think pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza."
• "I avoid ordering pineapple on pizza."
• "Pineapple is commonly used in tropical dishes."
• "Pineapple is a controversial topping."

Answer explanation

The affective component is about emotional responses — “love” indicates positive emotion.

What is one key criterion that must be present for something to be considered an attitude?

• It must involve an evaluation.
• It must be socially acceptable.
• It must align with stereotypes.
• It must result in a behaviour.
• It must be rational and unbiased.

Answer explanation

For an attitude to exist, it must involve an evaluative judgement, such as positive or negative assessment.

According to the tri-component model, which of the following represents the cognitive component?

• "I believe uniforms reduce distractions."
• "I feel anxious in uniform."
• "I protest against wearing uniforms."
• "Uniforms are commonly used in schools."
• "I prefer to wear hoodies to school."

Answer explanation

The cognitive component reflects beliefs and thoughts — this belief about reduced distractions is cognitive.

A key criticism of the tri-component model is that:

• Behaviour does not always align with affect and cognition
• Emotions are never consistent
• Cognitions are unrelated to beliefs
• People cannot hold stable attitudes
• Feelings cannot be measured

Answer explanation

Critics argue that people may feel or believe something but behave differently, especially under social pressure.

Which of the following fails to meet the criteria for a true attitude?

• Believing Huskies are energetic dogs
• Loving Huskies and thinking they are the best breed
• Disliking Huskies after being bitten as a child
• Owning and caring for a Husky because you love them
• Thinking Huskies are loyal and friendly due to your experiences

Answer explanation

This is a statement of fact/belief without evaluation, stability, or experiential learning—so not an attitude.

In which example are the affective and cognitive components aligned, but not the behavioural?

• Hating smoking, believing it causes harm, but still smoking socially
• Disliking dogs and believing they’re dangerous, and avoiding them
• Loving cats, believing they are calming, and adopting one
• Feeling neutral about school, having no opinion, and skipping class
• Loving animals, thinking they deserve care, and volunteering

Answer explanation

Emotion and belief are negative, but behaviour contradicts them—highlighting a limitation of the model.