Social cognition

Social cognition is a cognitive social psychology, insofar as it is affected by the same species. Some researchers restrict the definition to information that relate to the social relations of the individual. In humans include attempts to gain the most accurate knowledge about its environment, in addition to a consistent self - identity and an acceptable self-esteem, the most fundamental motives of behavior.

Special fields of social cognition include

• The social perception ( see for example conformity experiment of Asch, Nonverbal Communication )
• Social learning ( see, for example learning in the model),
• Socially influenced memory processes ( for example, in the hearings),
• Socially influenced emotions (eg, attractiveness, aggression),
• Socially influenced thinking ( for example, cause guesses, so-called attributions ) and
• Many cognitive distortions.

Other branches of social cognition are empathy, mentalizing and theory of mind.

In most cases, the individual of social influence on his cognitions is not aware of. A typical example is the formation of schemas, which allow the normal, 'automatic' functioning in everyday situation.