The "Beast or a God" Truly unsocial person is an anomaly. Normal human existence is defined by social interdependence. Defines scope of field: concerned with the interdependent majority.

Cognitive Miser Principle (Social Cognition)

Core Understanding: Human thinking about the social world ($Social Cognition$) is driven by the brain's need to conserve energy.
The Process: Brain uses previously stored information (prototypes, schemas) and mental shortcuts (heuristics) instead of deep analysis.
The Result: Leads to systematic errors: judgments and biases (e.g., jumping to conclusions).
The Context: Judgments and shortcuts are contextual, shaped by social and cultural environment.
Key Terms: Social Cognition, Cognitive Miser, Heuristics, Prototypes/Schemas, Bias, Judgmental Errors.

What Social Psychology Studies

How we perceive ourselves and others: Includes Self-Concept and Social Perception. Covers Attribution Theory (explaining behavior).
What we believe: System of beliefs shaped by need for consistency and confirmation (Confirmation Bias).
Our judgments: Cognitive Biases and Heuristics lead to systematic errors.
Our attitudes: Study of learned evaluations and relationship to behavior (e.g., Cognitive Dissonance).

A. Our Social Intuitions Are Often Powerful but Sometimes Perilous

Social Intuitions: Instantaneous, automatic, unconscious judgments (System 1). Allow rapid decision-making (survival mechanism).
- Examples: Sizing up threats, forming impressions, evaluating relationships.
Perilous Nature: Efficient but prone to biases and errors. Over-reliance leads to prejudice, wrong decisions.
Dual Processing: Intuition (System 1) operates alongside conscious, deliberate thought (System 2).
- Automatic/Unconscious: Fast, effortless (e.g., riding a bike).
- Conscious/Deliberate: Slow, effortful, logical (e.g., doing math).

B. Social Influences Shape Our Behavior

Adaptation to Context: Humans adapt behavior/thinking to social surroundings for acceptance, relationships, survival.
External Forces Shape Internal States: Attitudes/behaviors shaped by:
- Social Norms: Unwritten rules of behavior.
- Culture: Societal values defining acceptable/moral.
- Media/Technology: Digital environments influence self-concept.
The Power of the Situation: Situations can force individuals to act against expressed attitudes (e.g., Milgram obedience).
Relationships as Central: Underscores understanding attraction, intimacy, group dynamics.

Matthias and Pennebaker (2003) Study on Social Interaction

Empirical Evidence: Supports the idea that humans are inherently social animals.
Methodology: Used Electronically Activated Recorder (EAR) to capture real-world behavior snippets.
Key Finding: Almost 30% of students' time spent in conversation, suggesting high social interaction.
Conclusion: Relationships are a large part of being human; social interaction is dominant.

B. Personal Attitudes and Dispositions Shape Behaviour

Attitudes Influence Behavior: Inner attitudes (be