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Topic 12

Social Cognition

Definition

Understanding social relationships and reasons for behaviour (level of cognition therefore important, status of own relationships important)

thinking about relationships/behaviour and acting from that thinking
developing a system of rules

First social relationships

Begin instinctively and then become at least in part cognitive e.g.

attachment (Bowlby, Ainsworth)
personality (Erikson)
empathy (Hoffman)

Hoffman - EMPATHY
seeing how others feel and relating that to oneself

Global Empathy (see the feeling of another & mirror that behaviour- innate behaviour, mostly emotional)

Egocentric (see the feeling of another & relate to how you would want comfort -some cognition strong emotion)
Empathy for feelings (see the feeling and match for understanding but action relate to helping -more cognition than emotion)
Empathy for condition (see the feeling, know the context & possibilities -strongly cognitive + emot)

Moral Judgement - Piaget

Heteronomous morality (absolutist, other referenced)

Autonomous (situation changeable, individual responsibility)

Kohlberg
understanding of morality is

based upon experience

then a cognitive act
is developmental (stage like)
involves justice or fairness

Level 1: Preconventional Morality

Stage 1: Punishment & Obedience (experience tells that others have greater power)

Stage 2: Individual & instrumental (If it gets me what I want it's OK, if I feel good it's OK)

Level 2: Conventional Morality (The time of rules and agreement)

Stage 3: Mutual Expectations (What the family or other small group expects, like to "be good", table manners etc)

Stage 4: Social System (Law & order, school a big influence, society has rules which are good for all)

Level 3: Principled (postconventional)

Stage 5: Social contract/ individual (laws are able to be changed, things are relative i.e. staying out, sense of universal values)

Stage 6: Ethical Principles

Gilligan

moral thinking is not simply being just or fair but involves caring

proposed gender differences
does "caring" change?

Eisenberg

Moral behaviour is caring, sharing or doing "good" for others

called prosocial behaviour or altruism
Hedonistic (self)
Needs- oriented (others needs related to how the individual would feel)
Approval oriented (parents, friends approve)
Self-reflective, empathetic (good of group, a good thing to do)
Internalised value system