ABSTRACT
This chapter is intended to provide the reader with an overview of several important concepts:
Social cognition and social perception: this will include definition and components of social cognition, and an idea about social perception, self-concept, social schemas, first impressions, and stereotypes.
Attribution: this will include definition and types of attribution, factors influencing the formation of an attribution, and attributional biases.
Attitudes and attitude change: this will include definition and components of attitude, theories of attitude formation and change, factors moderating attitude change, and types of persuasion strategies.
Aggression: this will include definition and types of aggression, gender difference in aggression, theories explaining aggression, provocation of aggressive behavior, and how to reduce aggression.
Prosocial behavior: this will include the definition and theories that explain why people care about others, and how we can increase helping.
Interpersonal attraction: this will include factors that influence an individual’s attraction, and give an idea about intimate relationships and love.
Groups and social influence: this will include the importance of social categorization, group structure and cohesion, social roles, group interactions and social influence, and an overview of the main areas of group interaction and social influence including conformity, obedience, reactance, minority influence, social facilitation, social loafing, deindividuation, group polarization, and groupthink.
Prejudice: this will include the definition and components of prejudice, theories of intergroup prejudice, group conflict, and how to reduce prejudice.
