Social Judgments
Social Judgments - Related Videos
08:04
Evaluating the Accuracy of Snap Judgments
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2023
Source: Diego Reinero & Jay Van Bavel—New York University Social psychologists have long been interested in the way people form impressions of others. Much of this work has focused on the errors people make in judging others, such as the exaggerated influence of central traits (such as "warm" and "cold"), the insufficient weight given to the context in which others' behavior takes place, and the tendency for people to make judgments that conform to their initial expectations about another.
09:20
Using fMRI to Dissect Moral Judgment
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2023
Source: William Brady & Jay Van Bavel—New York University In examining the roles of reason and emotion in moral judgments, psychologists and philosophers alike point to the trolley dilemma and the footbridge dilemma. With the trolley dilemma, most people say that it is appropriate to pull a switch to stop a train from hitting five people by diverting it to kill one person. However, with the footbridge dilemma, most people say it is inappropriate to push a large man off of a bridge in order...
11:13
The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
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Cited by 13 •
2015
Previous research on the social dimension of stress has focused on two important variables: social identity and social support. This protocol introduces an effective experimental manipulation of these two social variables and describes their implementation in a standard stress induction paradigm (Trier Social Stress Test).
00:52
Social Proof
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2020
Social proof is a form of persuasion based on comparison and conformity. People compare their behavior and actions to what others are doing and will change to conform to do what their peers do. A good example of social proof is from laugh tracks on television shows. Fullery & Skeffington (1974) found that adding group laughter sounds to material increased how humorous the participants perceived that material, regardless of whether the content itself was funny or not. By adding a laugh...
02:10
Social Scripts
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2020
People tend to know what behavior is expected of them in specific, familiar settings. A script is a person’s knowledge about the sequence of events expected in a specific setting (Schank & Abelson, 1977). Essentially, scripts are a particular kind of schema, one containing default values for the features within an event. In the restaurant example, the script's features include the props (e.g., tables, menu, food, and money), the roles to be played (e.g., customer and waiter), the opening...
FAQs
Mental schemas organize prior knowledge into expectations, while heuristics support rapid inferences from limited information. Together, they help people interpret observable cues and estimate traits, intentions, or likely actions without examining every aspect of a social situation. Their efficiency supports everyday decisions, but reliance on these shortcuts can also contribute to stereotyping or inaccurate conclusions.
Initial evaluations are not necessarily fixed. When later information conflicts with an existing impression, people may revise their interpretation of a person, group, or situation. This updating process shows that social context and accumulated knowledge influence judgment over time. However, the possibility of revision does not eliminate error, because early inferences may continue shaping subsequent impressions and decisions.
Social judgments can become problematic when evaluations rely on generalized expectations about groups or when people explain behavior inaccurately. The overview identifies stereotyping, bias, and inaccurate attributions as possible consequences of judgment processes. These outcomes matter because interpretations of traits, intentions, or actions can influence interpersonal behavior rather than remaining private impressions.
A useful analysis considers the observable cues available to the individual, the prior knowledge brought to the situation, and the surrounding social context. These elements help explain why impressions may differ or why an evaluation may shift when circumstances change. Examining them connects judgment processes with person perception, decision-making, and interpersonal behavior.
Their consequences extend across education, healthcare, organizations, and everyday social interaction. In each setting, evaluations of people, groups, or situations can shape decisions and interpersonal behavior. Studying these processes helps psychologists identify how impressions and inferences may influence outcomes, while also drawing attention to the possibility of bias, stereotyping, or inaccurate attribution.
Evaluations of others and groups can influence whether people develop favorable or unfavorable impressions, respond positively in interaction, or form relationships. The same processes are relevant to prejudice because judgments may incorporate bias or generalized expectations. Psychology therefore examines social judgments as a link between person perception, interpersonal behavior, relationship formation, and broader responses to groups.