Introduction

This is a book about social cognition. Theory and research that fall under this rubric have captured the imagination and energies of many social and cognitive psychologists since the mid-1970s. Several other books on the topic have appeared (Fiske & Taylor, 1984; Hastie, Ostrom, Ebbesen, Wyer, Hamilton, & Carlston, 1980; Higgins, Herman, & Zanna, 1981; Cantor & Kihlstrom, 1981; Nisbett & Ross, 1980; Wyer & Carlston, 1979) and, more recently, two handbooks have emerged (Sorrentino & Higgins, 1986; Wyer & Srull, 1984). Moreover, a series of “advances” in the area has been established and several journals devote all or many of their pages to the topic. Given this flurry of activity, one might assume that the domain of inquiry is well defined and can easily be differentiated from others. Yet, “What is social cognition?” continues to be one of the most frequently asked questions we receive at colloquia and other speaking engagements. The question is frustrating, as there has never, to our knowledge, been a universally accepted answer. To convey both the objectives and limitations of this book, however, an answer must be provided.