台大心理系

Human beings are social beings, interacting with one another to weave the complex fabric of society. Extensive research in psychology has shown that our sensitivity to social norms emerges at a young age. Children are attentive to the social group information – information related to race and ethnicity, culture, gender, sexuality, and other social groups to which we belong – in their environment, and are capable of using this information to make other decisions. The study of how people consider and use social group information across the lifespan has created a relatively new field known as social cognitive development. In my talk, I will present a series of studies investigating issues of social cognitive development in several different cultures. I discuss when children become aware of social group differences and how this awareness subsequently impacts their preferences and decisions when learning and socializing with others. I conclude my talk with the psychological insights this research offers, as well as the future directions I will take to further explore how social cognition develops over time.