Why do we so often ignore the influence of situations on behavior?
keywords:
aging / autism / dispositions / fundamental attribution error / mentalizing / social cognition / theory of mind
Why do we so often ignore the influence of situations on behavior?
Situations matter; they have an effect on us all, great or small. We are told we should walk a mile in someone else’s shoes, to “look at it from my point of view,” and would never dream of swearing in the principal’s office. So why are we so quick to judge others’ behavior as if the situations they find themselves in are irrelevant? Imagine you are walking... / more
More than meets the eye: Physical sensations influence first impressions
keywords:
person perception / social cognition / impression formation / embodied cognition / metaphor
More than meets the eye: Physical sensations influence first impressions
People are special. Person perception is quite different from rock perception, for example. Geologists, those with a rock in their shoe, and pet rock owners aside, the perception of a rock is often merely the perception of a collection of lines and surfaces. Yet people are not simply collections of lines and surfaces. People have inner worlds such as mental states and... / more
Your mother, metaphors, and other monkey business: How experiences of physical warmth shape how we think about relationships
keywords:
embodiment / social cognition / conceptual metaphors / loneliness
Your mother, metaphors, and other monkey business: How experiences of physical warmth shape how we think about relationships
Peter was a student in his early twenties, and apart from several inconsequential trysts, had spent most of his life alone and indifferent to the world of love and romance. He had, in fact, become so accustomed to this lifestyle that he assumed this would be his fate, and had made peace with the prospects of a cold and lonely existence. This assumption was proven wrong when Peter met Gwen, a girl Peter had chanced to meet in one of... / more