Recognized with the 12th Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Social Sciences, psychologist Susan Fiske explores in this interview the mechanisms by which the social mind processes both others and the self. She describes how we use cognitive shortcuts—or heuristics—to make quick judgments about people and groups, and how these shortcuts explain the formation of stereotypes and prejudice. Fiske also discusses how social dynamics—such as cooperation, competition, and power—shape our perceptions and attitudes, and reflects on how social research can contribute to building a fairer society.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Social Sciences has gone in this twelfth edition to psychologists Susan Fiske and Shelley Taylor for their “outstanding contributions” in social cognition, a field which examines the “social mind,” i.e. the cognitive processes individuals use to under
Recognized with the 12th Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Social Sciences, psychologist Susan Fiske explores in this interview the mechanisms by which the social mind processes both others and the self. She describes how we use cognitive shortcuts—or heuristics—to make quick judgments about people and groups, and how these shortcuts explain the formation of stereotypes and prejudice. Fiske also discusses how social dynamics—such as cooperation, competition, and power—shape our perceptions and attitudes, and reflects on how social research can contribute to building a fairer society.
The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Social Sciences has gone in this twelfth edition to psychologists Susan Fiske and Shelley Taylor for their “outstanding contributions” in social cognition, a field which examines the “social mind,” i.e. the cognitive processes individuals use to understand other people and themselves. The committee reached its decision through a remote assessment process due to the extraordinary measures imposed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
00:00 Introduction
00:05 You and Professor Taylor founded the field of social cognition — what is it, and why was it a revolution in social psychology?
00:35 What is a cognitive miser, and in what situations might it be beneficial for a person to act based on that bias?
01:14 You and Professor Taylor co-authored the reference manual in the field of social cognition, which remains so 35 years later. How has the field evolved since then?
02:14 How are stereotypes formed and how can they be changed?
03:12 To what extent do they influence our behavior?
04:10 How might the restrictions and social changes resulting from the COVID-19 lockdown have affected the judgments we make about reality?
