Social-cognitive

Relating to or denoting the mental processes involved in understanding and responding to social situations, including how individuals perceive, interpret, and process information about themselves and others. This includes how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are shaped by their interactions with the social world, encompassing concepts like social perception, attribution, attitudes, and the development of self-concept within a social environment. It highlights the interplay between cognitive processes and social contexts, examining how we make sense of social stimuli and navigate our relationships.

Social-cognitive meaning with examples

• The study employed a social-cognitive framework to examine how children's beliefs about their abilities influenced their academic performance. Researchers explored how students' self-efficacy and perceived control over their learning correlated with their grades and motivation. This approach considered how their thoughts and feelings, influenced by social comparisons and feedback from teachers and peers, shaped their learning behaviors and outcomes.
• Social-cognitive dissonance often occurs when individuals hold conflicting beliefs or behaviors, creating psychological discomfort. For instance, a person who values environmentalism but drives a gas-guzzling car might experience dissonance, leading them to either change their behavior (buying an electric car) or modify their beliefs (downplaying the severity of climate change) to reduce the mental conflict.
• Therapies based on social-cognitive principles are effective in treating a variety of mental health conditions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), for example, helps patients identify and challenge negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to problems like anxiety or depression, providing tools to modify them. Such modifications aim to improve their social interactions and overall well-being.
• The research explored social-cognitive development in adolescents, examining how their understanding of social situations and their ability to take different perspectives evolved as they matured. They examined perspective-taking abilities and assessed their comprehension of social norms and relational dynamics. This involved evaluating their empathy levels and exploring their emotional processing capabilities in social contexts.