Abstract
Background
Decision-making and judgments in our social activities often erroneous and irrational, known as social biases. However, cognitive and affective processes that produce such biases remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated associations between social schemas, such as social judgment and conformity, entailing social biases and psychological measurements relevant to cognitive and affective functions.
Method
Forty-two healthy adult subjects were recruited in this study. A psychological test and a questionnaire were administered to assess biased social judgements by superficial attributes and social conformity by adherence to social norms, respectively, along with additional questionnaires and psychological tests for cognitive and affective measurements, including negative affects, autistic traits, and Theory of Mind (ToM). Associations of social judgment and conformity with cognitive and affective functions were examined multiple regression analysis and structural equation modeling.
Results
Anxiety and the cognitive realm of ToM were mutually associated with both social judgments and conformity, although social judgements and conformity were still independent processes with each other. Social judgements were also associated with autistic traits and the affective realm of ToM, whereas social conformity was associated with negative affects other than anxiety and intuitive decision-making style.
Conclusions
These results suggest that ToM and negative affects may play important roles in social judgements and conformity, and social biases connoted in these social schemas.
Cognitive and Affective Processes Associated with Social Biases