Warmer and More Social: Recent Developments in Cognitive Social Psychology
Author(s)
Schwarz, Norbert
Abstract
Since the late 1970s, theorizing in psychological social psychology has been dominated by the computer metaphor of information processing models, which fostered an emphasis on “cold” cognition and the conceptualization of individuals as isolated information processors. More recent research shows a renewed interest in the interplay of feeling and thinking in social judgment and in the role of unconscious processes in reasoning and behavior. Moreover, research into socially situated cognition and the interplay of communication and cognition highlights the role of conversational norms, social interdependence, and power in social judgment. Experimental research into these issues is reviewed. The emerging picture is compatible with social psychology’s latest metaphor, humans as motivated tacticians who pragmatically adapt their reasoning strategies to the requirements at hand.
