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.

The social world is complicated and our minds are limited, so we take shortcuts. We have to make quick decisions – this person is dangerous, this one is not. The shortcuts we take mostly work well enough, because, after all, we survive. But some are deeply unjust, including racial or social class categories or other unfair stereotypes. This book will help your students understand how these shortcuts work, why they exist, and how they are changing. There are examples in each chapter which * Show applications in the real world to help with their understanding * Highlight significant pieces of research to help them demonstrate knowledge of a wide range of sources * Explain researching in social cognition to improve their skills and give ideas for their own research. Visit study.sagepub.com/fiskeandtaylor4e for more.