ALHT106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Physical Therapy, Implicit Attitude, Henri Tajfel
ALHT week 11 Social Cognition and Attitudes
Social Psychology
- Can be broken into 2 main areas of distinction
1. Interpersonal phenomena studying group and social relations
oGroup dynamics
oSocial influences
oRelationships
2. Intrapersonal phenomena studying the formation of the ‘self’
oSocial cognition and perception
oAttitudes and beliefs
oSelf-concept
What is Social Cognition
- Cognition has been defined as “the mental action or processes of acquiring
knowledge through thought, experiences and the senses”
oThink information processing
- Social psychology has been defined as “the scientific field that seeks to understand
the nature and causes of individual behaviour in social situations”
Social Cognition
- “the process by which people make sense (information processing) of themselves,
others, social interactions and relationships”
- In lay terms, this refers to the mental process we use to understand or explain an
individual’s behaviour in certain social settings
1. Sense of Self
2. Sense of Others
Social Cognition in Allied Health Setting
- In the Allied Health setting, the ‘sense of self’ can be applied to two contexts:
1. The client
2. You as the practitioner
- As a skilled practitioner you will be aware of the social formation of the concept of
“self” and moderate these influences in a positive way to enhance treatment
outcomes
- In addition, how do your attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of others influence your
management
- However, you must also be aware of your own ‘sense of self’ and how social
influences, particularly the work environment and relationships formed in the work
space can shape this concept
Unwrapping Social Cognition
- There are many layers of the construct which is social cognition
oThe self
oSchemas
oFirst impressions
oAttitudes
oBeliefs
oAttributions
oSocial identity
The Self
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- The self can be described as “the person, including mental process, body and
personality characteristics”
- To discuss the broader topic of the self, there are 4 related concepts that can
collectively be called Self-Concept
- Self-concept “the person’s concept of himself, a schema that guides the way we
think about and remember information relevant to ourselves”
1. Self-schemas
2. Self-esteem
3. Self-consistency
4. Self-presentation
Schemas
- We introduced the concept of schemas in the cognition lecture in week 6 in memory
and used again in relation to intelligence
- Schemas = mental framework that develops from our experiences with particular
people, objects or events
oFor example, you have a schema of what a university lecturer looks like
oHowever, you also have a self-schema
Self-Schema
- Self-schemas “a schema about the self that guides the way we think about and
remember information relevant to ourselves”
- This refers to the schemas we hold about ourselves
- This can include but is not limited to our physical characteristics (eg. I am
overweight), interests (eg. I am sporty), personality traits (eg. I am shy) or behaviour
(eg. I am assertive)
Self-Esteem
- Self-esteem “a person’s evaluation of himself, how much he likes and respects
himself”
- Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself (I am able to achieve this, or I am
worthy of this success)
- Poor self-esteem has been linked to poorer outcomes post rehabilitation
Self-Consistency
- Self-consistency “to interpret information to fit the way one already sees oneself
and to prefer people who verify rather than challenge views”
- In essence this is the way we interpret information to support the view of ourselves
to maintain our view of the self
Self-Presentation
- Self-presentation “the process by which people attempt to control the impressions
that others form of them”
- This refers to the things you do in order to present you “self” ie. Showering brushing
your teeth
Schemas and First Impressions
- Social cognition is pervasive in everyday life
- A prominent application of social cognition is in schemas we sue and apply with first
impressions we form of other people
- First impressions (or initial perception) of another person will affect future beliefs of
that we have about that other person
First Impressions in Allied Health Setting
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- First impressions can be imperative into the interaction you as an allied health
practitioner will have with your client
- The way someone has processed their initial experience +/- your initial presentation
may be more powerful than what you are about to tell them
- Some examples of things outside your control that will affect first impressions are:
oAbility to locate place of consultation
oAccess to car parking
oLength of waiting list
oPatient privacy
oAccess to toilets
oCommunication with administration/front office staff
- Whilst you may think you are just doing a job, every interaction you will have with
clients will be different and hence will need to make positive impressions using
different skills
- Some examples of things that you can control that will affect first impressions:
oPunctuality
oDress
oLanguage
oListening skills
oRespect
oBehaviour
Can you undo first impressions?
- Whilst first impressions are very difficult to eradicate, there is evidence that they can
sometimes be changed
- This can occur if the first impression is to be challenged in multiple different contexts
and settings
- The study found at least four interactions of greater than 40 minutes were needed to
solidify the lasting impressions we have about others
Attributions
- Attributions refer to the process of explaining what causes people’s behaviour and
our own behaviour
External vs. Internal
- Internal attribution (dispositional attribution) refers to interpreting an event or
behaviour as being caused by factors that are related to the individual
oEg. We attribute the behaviour of a person to their personality, motives or
beliefs
oClinical example: the client is very reserved during your initial assessment.
You explain to your supervisor that you attribute this behaviour to the person
being an introvert (low on extroversion big 5 personality scale)
- External attribution (situational attribution) refers to interpreting an event or
behaviour as being caused by the situation the individual is in
oEg. Referring to environmental or social influences to interpret behaviour
oClinical example: the client is very reserved during your initial assessment.
You explain to your supervisor that you attribute this behaviour to the fact
that they have suffered physical abuse in the past
Covariation Model of Attribution
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Document Summary
Alht week 11 social cognition and attitudes. Can be broken into 2 main areas of distinction. Interpersonal phenomena studying group and social relations: group dynamics, social influences, relationships. Intrapersonal phenomena studying the formation of the self": social cognition and perception, attitudes and beliefs, self-concept. Cognition has been defined as the mental action or processes of acquiring knowledge through thought, experiences and the senses : think information processing. Social psychology has been defined as the scientific field that seeks to understand the nature and causes of individual behaviour in social situations . The process by which people make sense (information processing) of themselves, others, social interactions and relationships . In lay terms, this refers to the mental process we use to understand or explain an individual"s behaviour in certain social settings: sense of self, sense of others. In the allied health setting, the sense of self" can be applied to two contexts: the client, you as the practitioner.
