Understanding the Two Types of Social Cognition: Automatic vs. Controlled Processing

Understanding the Two Types of Social Cognition: Automatic vs. Controlled Processing

Have you ever wondered how humans process social information? Social cognition is the study of how people accommodate their behavior to the social context in which they find themselves. There are two types of social cognition: automatic and controlled processing.

Automatic Processing

Automatic processing is when social information is processed involuntarily, effortlessly, and without conscious awareness. This type of processing is intuitive and relies on prior knowledge and experience to make judgments. For instance, when you meet someone for the first time, you automatically form an impression based on their appearance, and this impression will influence how you interact with them.

Other examples of automatic processing include stereotyping and priming. Stereotyping is the process of categorizing people into a group based on a particular characteristic, such as race, gender, or occupation, and assuming that everyone in that group has the same traits. Priming, on the other hand, is when exposure to one stimulus affects the response to another stimulus.

Controlled Processing

Controlled processing, as the name suggests, is when social information is processed deliberately, with effort, and with conscious awareness. This type of processing is more thoughtful, rational, and logical. Controlled processing requires more mental resources than automatic processing, and as a result, it is a slower process.

Examples of controlled processing include effortful evaluation and active problem-solving. Effortful evaluation is when you engage in detailed and critical thinking about a social stimulus, such as evaluating a job candidate’s qualifications. Active problem-solving is when you use cognitive skills to solve a social problem, such as figuring out how to resolve a conflict with a coworker.

Examples of Automatic and Controlled Processing

Let’s say you are walking down the street and someone bumps into you. Your automatic processing would lead you to form an impression of the person based on their appearance, such as their race or gender. This impression may influence how you respond to them, such as apologizing or getting angry.

On the other hand, if you were in a job interview, you would engage in controlled processing. You would use cognitive skills to evaluate the candidate based on their qualifications, such as their skills and experience. This evaluation would be deliberate, effortful, and conscious.

Conclusion

Understanding the two types of social cognition, automatic and controlled processing, can help us make better decisions in our personal and professional lives. By being aware of our automatic processing tendencies, we can try to overcome biases and stereotypes. By engaging in controlled processing, we can make more thoughtful and rational decisions. As social beings, we are constantly processing social information, and being aware of how we do it can lead to better outcomes for all.