Cognitive processes and social knowledge

Question 1

What are schemas in social psychology?

Answer 1

Schemas are mental frameworks /templates that help us organize and interpret social information.
They allow us to make quick judgments based on past experience **by filling in gaps when data is missing.

Question 2

What are automatic processes?

Answer 2

Automatic processes are mental operations that happen **without conscious effort. **
They are:
1. fast,
2. emotional, and
3. intuitive—often referred to as “System 1” thinking, according to Kahneman.

Question 3

What are heuristic processes?

Answer 3

Heuristics are mental shortcuts or** rules of thumb** the brain uses to** make quick decisions** when** information is limited. **
They are efficient but can lead to systematic biases or errors.

Question 4

What are systematic processes?

Answer 4

Systematic processes are:
1.slow,
2.deliberate, and
3.conscious.
They involve rational thinking and analysis—what Kahneman calls “System 2” thinking.