Social psychology remains unbalanced as long as we study human behaviour exclusively ‘from the outside’, leaving out of account people’s own reasons for acting as they do. Originally published in 1982, the result of the author’s emphasis on the cognitive dimension is a much more complete and well-rounded textbook of social psychology than had previously been available. Beginning with an exploration of the various models that have been suggested to explain the whole range of social behaviour, the book goes on to argue that consistency – comparability, similarity, congruity – is the principle by which social behaviour can best be explained. It goes into the cognitive processes that determine social attitudes, ascription of certain characteristics to individuals, and the attraction we feel to some people but not others. It also shows how these processes can be extended and affected by group membership. Consistency is important, the author believes, because it allows the maximum prediction of others’ behaviour and guidance of our own. These functions are demonstrated by observing failures of consistency, such as occur in humour and in negative self-esteem, and the author examines these inconsistencies in a final chapter.

This volume provides an overview of recent research on the nature, causes, and consequences of cognitive consistency. In 21 chapters, leading scholars address the pivotal role of consistency principles at various levels of social information processing, ranging from micro-level to macro-level processes. The book's scope encompasses mental representation, processing fluency and motivational fit, implicit social cognition, thinking and reasoning, decision making and choice, and interpersonal processes. Key findings, emerging themes, and current directions in the field are explored, and important questions for future research identified.

Social psychology remains unbalanced as long as we study human behaviour exclusively ‘from the outside’, leaving out of account people’s own reasons for acting as they do. Originally published in 1982, the result of the author’s emphasis on the cognitive dimension is a much more complete and well-rounded textbook of social psychology than had previously been available. Beginning with an exploration of the various models that have been suggested to explain the whole range of social behaviour, the book goes on to argue that consistency – comparability, similarity, congruity – is the principle by which social behaviour can best be explained. It goes into the cognitive processes that determine social attitudes, ascription of certain characteristics to individuals, and the attraction we feel to some people but not others. It also shows how these processes can be extended and affected by group membership. Consistency is important, the author believes, because it allows the maximum prediction of others’ behaviour and guidance of our own. These functions are demonstrated by observing failures of consistency, such as occur in humour and in negative self-esteem, and the author examines these inconsistencies in a final chapter.

This text provides a broad critical review of the various empirical and theoretical traditions in social psychology.

Virtually every question in social psychology is currently being shaped by the concepts and methods of implicit social cognition. This tightly edited volume provides the first comprehensive overview of the field. Foremost authorities synthesize the latest findings on how automatic, implicit, and unconscious cognitive processes influence social judgments and behavior. Cutting-edge theories and data are presented in such crucial areas as attitudes, prejudice and stereotyping, self-esteem, self-concepts, close relationships, and morality. Describing state-of-the-art measurement procedures and research designs, the book discusses promising applications in clinical, forensic, and other real-world contexts. Each chapter both sums up what is known and identifies key directions for future research.

This collection brings a new perspective to research in social cognition. It assembles 15 chapters aiming to provide an innovative and integrative analysis of the phenomenon of human knowledge.

Originally published: Evanston, Ill.: Row, Peterson, c1957.