Social Cognition: Making Sense of People [Paperback]

Ziva Kunda (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 25, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0262611430 | ISBN-13: 978-0262611435

How do we make sense of other people and of ourselves? What do we know about the people we encounter in our daily lives and about the situations in which we encounter them, and how do we use this knowledge in our attempt to understand, predict, or recall their behavior? Are our social judgments fully determined by our social knowledge, or are they also influenced by our feelings and desires?Social cognition researchers look at how we make sense of other people and of ourselves. In this book Ziva Kunda provides a comprehensive and accessible survey of research and theory about social cognition at a level appropriate for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers in the field.The first part of the book reviews basic processes in social cognition, including the representation of social concepts, rules of inference, memory, "hot" cognition driven by motivation or affect, and automatic processing. The second part reviews three basic topics in social cognition: group stereotypes, knowledge of other individuals, and the self. A final chapter revisits many of these issues from a cross-cultural perspective.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Ziva Kunda provides a comprehensive and accessible survey of research and theory about social cognition at a level appropriate for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers in the field.

About the Author

Ziva Kunda is Professor of Psychology at the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Product Details

• Paperback: 602 pages
• Publisher: A Bradford Book (June 25, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262611430
• ISBN-13: 978-0262611435
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #201,264 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Consolidation, January 18, 2005

By 

N N Taleb "Nassim N Taleb" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Social Cognition: Making Sense of People (Paperback)

I spent some time looking for a simple bedside aggregation of the various topics associated with the psychology of decision making and the various perceptual biases, without finding much. Most of the books are excellent; but, aside from this one (and Jon Baron's) they are usually compilation of original research. I like to have a readable consolidation of the material not far from my figertips. I was lucky to have found this book, which provides a wonderful and comprehensive coverage of the topics.
It is limpid, precise, illustrative, showing a wonderful clarity of mind.

Now the bad news. The author passed away recently at the age of 48.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, complete, May 29, 2009

By 

C. Powell - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Social Cognition: Making Sense of People (Paperback)

This is an excellent book, very well-written and thorough. I borrowed it from a friend to use as a reference for a paper, and ended up enjoying myself thoroughly while reading it. I absolutely had to buy a copy for myself to add to my library. I'm thinking of developing a social cognition course, and if I do, I'm definitely using this book.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of cognitive science, August 11, 2005

By 

N.R. Truman "hapa717" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Social Cognition: Making Sense of People (Paperback)

The book--although poorly bound--is written very nicely. Kunda has a wonderful way of presenting the material objectively and respectfully while still engaging the reader. There are numerous, minor typos but this does not distract the reader terribly. A natural progression is found in Kunda's style, where she presents a topic, draws on some familiar day-to-day experiences, and presents the experiments and research that support it. She explains contradictions and allows the reader to make his/her own conclusions and inferences concerning topics like hot cognition, influences of mood on memory, subliminal processing, false-memories, and influences of culture on cognition. She, herself, did extensive work in the area of cognitive science and since her passing, will be missed by many as her work was incredibly innovative and interesting.

The book reads quickly and will be enjoyed by most. The only thing I wish was different about this book was its size (there is so much left over white space on each page--it's unnecessary). Most people with some experience or interest in cognitive science should find this book fascinating. Do not expect an in-depth or even moderate assessment of the biological or neurological underpinnings of cognition. This book explains cognition by reviewing social and cognitive experiments.