Social Cognition
From brains to culture
- Susan T. Fiske - Princeton University, USA
- Shelley E. Taylor - University of California, Los Angeles, USA
How do people make sense of each other? How do people make sense of themselves?
Social cognition attempts to explain the most fundamental of questions. It looks at why other people are not simply ‘objects’ to be perceived and how the social world provides dramatic and complex perspectives on the Self and Others.
The subtitle of this book ‘From Brains to Culture’ reflects the journey that Social Cognition has been on since it first emerged as a dynamic and forward-looking field of research within social psychology. Structured in four clear parts, Social Cognition: From Brains to Culture begins with a clear outline of the basic concepts before moving into more topical sections: understanding individual selves and others, followed by making sense of society. The authors finish by looking beyond cognition to affect and behaviour.
Challenging and rigorous, yet strikingly accessible, this book is essential reading for all students of social psychology from undergraduate to post-graduate and beyond.
Supplements
Since the very first edition, Social Cognition has been the undisputed bible of the field, and this new edition is the best one yet. Insightful, authoritative, and beautifully written by two of the field’s most eminent researchers, it is an indispensable guide for students and scientists alike. The book that came first remains first.
Generations of researchers in social psychology have been schooled by Fiske & Taylor’s Social Cognition; their framing of the field is in our collective DNA. The Third Edition wonderfully enhances this tradition and is a reminder that Social Cognition is a must read for scholars in psychological science and beyond who seek to understand the rich dynamics of everyday life.
Two decades ago, as an undergraduate, the first edition of the Fiske & Taylor lured me into the field of Social Cognition. It’s been a steady companion ever since, allowing me to check what ‘The Bible’ had to say about pretty much anything I wanted to know about how the social mind works. Just as its predecessors, this new edition is bound to be the standard reference for the field.
Social Cognition has revealed as one of the most prolific areas of social psychology, and as a promising field of intersection with other disciplines. Since its very first edition, Social Cognition has been the reference book in this field. Fiske and Taylor, two of the field's most eminent researchers, show that it is perfectly possible to approach a topic that is broad and difficult without losing rigor or depth.
Social Cognition carefully explains and clearly organizes different approaches and models that address the way we think of people – as different from objects. Fiske and Taylor clarify how classic studies and early theories have developed into our current understanding of social cognition. The book is an invaluable resource, cleverly structured to provide easy access to very complex phenomena. It incorporates the most recent and sophisticated research in cognitive neuroscience, while also illustrating how these basic mechanisms are relevant to real world issues and intercultural differences. This new edition of the classic textbook is indispensable for all interested in the way we consider ourselves and others.
Fiske and Taylor has long been the go-to reference book for the field of social cognition. The new edition is as thorough, smart, and current as ever.
Sample Materials & Chapters
Chapter 5: Self in Social Cognition
Gender Prejudice Has Built-in Ambivalence p.354-359
