Cognitive processes and social knowledge 3

Question 1

Give a real-life example of how a schema works.

Answer 1

When entering a restaurant, you expect to see a menu and waiters—that’s your “restaurant schema” guiding your behavior and expectations.

Question 2

What is an example of automatic processing in social interaction?

Answer 2

Feeling uneasy around someone wearing a hoodie without knowing why—your brain reacted before you could think rationally.

Question 3

Give an example of a heuristic influencing a decision.

Answer 3

After watching a news report about a plane crash, someone might overestimate the danger of flying due to the availability heuristic.

Question 4

When do people use systematic processing in daily life?

Answer 4

When reading scientific research or deciding how to vote in an election—people think carefully, weigh options, and process information deeply.

Question 5

How do these processes relate to social biases or prejudice?

Answer 5

Schemas and heuristics can reinforce stereotypes; automatic processing can lead to unconscious bias. Systematic thinking is needed to recognize and correct these errors.