Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

Module I: Cognitive Analytics

and Social Cognition

COGNITIVE ANALYTICS & SOCIAL

SKILLS FOR PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
 Topics to be covered Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Understanding the self-preliminaries

• Models of Understanding Self- T-E-A Model, Johari Window, PE Scale
• Meaning and Importance of Self Esteem, Self-Efficacy, Self-Respect
• Behavioural Communication- Assertive Skills
• Technology adoption, Social Media Etiquettes
• Creativity (ICEDIP Model), Visualization
• Problem sensitivity
• Problem Solving (Six Thinking Hats)
• Cognitive Flexibility, Cognitive Errors
• Introduction to Social Cognition
• Attribution Processes (Perceptual Errors)
• Social Inference, Stereotyping, Prejudice
• Accepting Criticism
 Understanding self Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• The self is first and foremost the collection of

beliefs that we hold about ourselves.
– What are our important characteristics? What are we
good at?
– What we do poorly?
– What kinds of situations do we prefer or avoid?
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.
Personal vs. Social Identity

• The personal identity end of this continuum refers to

when we think of ourselves primarily as individuals.
• The social identity end refers to when we think of
ourselves as members of specific social groups.
• Eg. describe yourself as a confident person at the
personal identity level and as members of a group.
 Working Self-Concept
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• This aspect of the self concept that is assessed for a

particular situation is called the working self concept.
– e.g. in a classroom situation, the academic self is likely to be the
dominant determinant of our thoughts and feelings, whereas
when we are reminded about a party on Friday, the social self
may be accessed.
• Think about a situation to justify working self-concept.
 Self-Confidence Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Self-confidence is the confidence one has in oneself,

one’s knowledge, and one’s abilities. It is the confidence
of the type: “I can do this”. “I have the ability to do this”.
• Confidence =~ willingness to try
• Think about a situation when trying lead to increased self
confidence and fear of failure never make you try
something.
 Self-Image Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Self-image is how you see yourself or how you perceive

yourself.
• Self-image is outcome of self observations
• The outcome can be misconceptions or overconfidence
also.
 T-E-A Model of Understanding Self
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• The way we think, feel and act defines our personality

and behaviour.
• T-E-A Model helps us to understand our self and
personality in totality.
• The more integrated we are in thoughts ,emotions and
actions the more integrated personality is developed.
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.
 STAGES OF UNDERSTANDING SELF
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Self Awareness
• Self Acceptance
• Self Realization
 Self Awareness Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

How do we take all of the information we have about

ourselves and employ it in our daily life?
• When we begin to think of ourselves not as moving
actors in the environment, but as objects of our own and
others’ attention. This state is called self-awareness.
– Self-regulation
– Self-attention
Johari Window Dept. of Behavioural Sc.
 Self Acceptance Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Self acceptance is an individual’s satisfaction or

happiness with oneself and is thought to be necessary
for good mental health.
• It results in an individual’s feeling about oneself that they
are of “unique worth”.
• prerequisite for change to occur.
• also tolerating oneself to be imperfect in some parts.
 Self Realization Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• It is defined as the “fulfillment by oneself of

the possibilities of one’s character or
personality”.
• act of achieving the full development of
your abilities and talents.
 Personal
Effectiveness Scale
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Personal effectiveness means “a measure of your

efficiency, meaning, your ability to create maximum
value in the minimum time and effort; and to make
good progress in the face of difficulties” - Corporate
Coach Group.
• personal effectiveness could be better understood by
its three main components i.e., Self-disclosure- which
means sharing of ideas, feeling, emotions,
experiences with others; Openness to feedback-
which means giving, receiving and accepting feedback
from others; and Perceptiveness- which means being
more aware about the behavior, feelings and emotions
of other people.
 Behavioral Communication
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Behavioral Communication is a psychological construct

that addresses people's use of day-to-day behaviors as
a form of communication.
• It refers to people's tendency to express feelings, needs,
and thoughts by means of indirect messages and
behavioral impacts.
• The symbols attached to these words are a function of
who we are, our social upbringing and culture, which will
pretty much vary quite widely in today's work
environment.
Different Types of CommunicationDept.
Behaviour
of Behavioural Sc.

1. Aggressive behaviour offends or isolates someone

elses rights.
2. Avoidance behaviour (Passive-Aggressive
Communication) ignores the isolation of rights and
responsibilities through fear of the consequences or
because you don’t wish to be bothered with the
consequences.
3. Submissive or accommodating behaviour lets you
reduce anxiety, guilt or fear by letting your views or
thoughts be misconstrued, ignored or lets you be taken
advantage of.
4. Assertive Behaviour - a method of getting what you
want but not at the expense of others.
 Assertive Communication
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Assertive communication involves expressing your own

needs, desires, ideas and feelings while considering and
respecting the needs of others.
• You aim for a win-win situation by balancing your rights
with the rights of others.
“I” statements when talking to workers:
"I feel frustrated when you are late for our weekly progress
meetings. I don't like starting over again and repeating
myself."
This type of statement indicates that you are taking
ownership of your feelings and behaviours and are not
blaming the worker.
 Assertive Communication
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Communicating assertively also includes:

- Speaking in a calm, clear and well-modulated voice
- Showing interest and sincerity by keeping eye contact, smiling
and nodding your head (as appropriate)
- Maintaining an open and relaxed posture
- Communicating your feelings and needs appropriately and
respectfully
- Asking for what you want/need (instead of ordering it)
- Asking questions in order to hear other people’s feelings and
needs
- Listening to the other person’s point of view (without
interrupting)
- Saying “no” in a productive and respectful way
 Aggressive Communication
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• With aggressive communication, you express your own

needs, desires, ideas and feelings without considering
and respecting the needs of others.
• Aggressive communication often involves “you”
statements and attacks on a worker, rather than effective
expressions of needs.
• For example, stating "you are never on time" instead of "I
need you to be on time".
• Managers and workers who communicate in an
aggressive manner are in general perceived as egoistic
and unwilling to make compromises.
 Aggressive Communication
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Other characteristics of aggressive communication may

include:
- Speaking in a loud, bossy and demanding voice
- Having piercing eye contact
- Maintaining an overbearing posture
- Acting impulsively and rudely (low frustration tolerance)
- Commanding what you want/need (instead of requesting)
- Rarely asking questions (only interested in your needs and
goals)
- Not listening well to the other person
- Interrupting the other person frequently
- Being unwilling to accept “no” or to make compromises
Passive (Submissive) Communication
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• When you do not express your own needs, desires,

ideas and feelings, where this would be advisable.
• You simply don’t stand up for yourself.
- Speaking in an overly apologetic or submissive manner
- Avoiding eye contact/poor eye contact
- Having a slumped body posture
- Holding back on stating your feelings and needs
- Giving in to other people, and ignoring your own needs
- Doing what you are asked regardless of how you feel
about it
- Being unable to say “no” when asked for a favor
 Passive-Aggressive Communication
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

(Avoidance)
• It is a combination of the above two styles- being passive
in the manner in which you express your needs, desires,
ideas and feelings, but being aggressive in your
underlying intent.
• Communicating passive-aggressively often involves not
speaking your message, but rather trying to convey it
through small disrespectful, annoying or ambiguous
comments and actions.
• E.g. when they avoid speaking directly to managers
about their concerns, and express their dissatisfaction
through other behaviours that seem manipulative.
 Passive-Aggressive Communication
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

(Avoidance)
• Characteristics of passive-aggressive communication
may include:
- Speaking in a sarcastic voice/using sarcasm
- Using non-verbal behaviours such as sighing and eye-
rolling
- Using facial expressions and body language that are
inconsistent with how you feel (e.g., smiling when you’re
upset)
- Avoiding dealing directly with a disruptive issue (e.g.,
acting passively and denying that there is a problem,
muttering to yourself rather than confronting the person)
 Passive-Aggressive Communication
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

(Avoidance)
- Avoiding dealing directly with a disruptive issue (e.g.,
acting passively and denying that there is a problem,
muttering to yourself rather than confronting the person)
- Acting deceptively (appearing cooperative but acting
uncooperatively)
- Acting out in a subtle, indirect manner (e.g., sabotaging
another person to get even)
 Technology adoption Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Technology adoption is a term that refers to the

acceptance, integration, and use of new technology in
society. 
• The technology life cycle has four distinct
stages: research and development, ascent, maturity,
and decline. 
• Organisations adopt new technologies to improve the
efficiency and effectiveness of various work
processes. ... Failed investments in technology may not
only cause financial losses, but also lead to
dissatisfaction among employees (Venkatesh, 2000).
 Social Media Etiquettes Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

#1. Fill out your online profiles completely with information about you and your
business. 
#2. Use a different profile or account for your personal connections. 
#3. Create a section on your main profile detailing who you are seeking to befriend
and ask that visitors abide by that information. 
#4. Offer information of value. 
#5. Don't approach strangers and ask them to be friends with you just so you can
then try to sell them on your products or services. 
#6. Pick a screen name that represents you and your company well. 
#7. Don't send out requests for birthdays, invitations to play games or other
timewasters for those using the site.
#8. Don't put anything on the Internet that you don't want your future boss, current
client or potential clients to read.
#9. Check out the people who want to follow you or be your friend. 
#10. If someone does not want to be your friend, accept their decision gracefully. 
#11. Never post when you're overly-tired, jet lagged, intoxicated, angry or upset.
#12. Compose your posts, updates or tweets in a word processing document so you
can check grammar and spelling before you send them.
 Geoff Petty’s ICEDIP model of
creativity Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Creativity involves the six phases each of which will be

visited many times when doing a single piece of work.
• The phases will not be visited in any particular order.
• You may visit a phase for hours or for just a few
seconds.
• Each phase has its own mind-set.
• You can increase your creativity by making sure that you
use the most appropriate mindset at a given time.
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

 In which you generate a large number of ideas

 This is the research or idea-generation phase.
 The process is uninhibited and characterised by spontaneity,
experimentation, intuition, and risk-taking.
 Many people wonder where creative people find their
good ideas. The answer is, in amongst a huge pile of
bad ones.
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Creativity is like mining for diamonds, most of what

you dig is thrown away, but that doesn’t make the
digging a waste of time.
• If you ‘can’t think of anything’ you are having difficulty
with this inspiration phase, perhaps because you are
too self-critical, or expect good ideas to come too
quickly.
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

 In which you focus on your goals.

 Key questions are:

◊ what am I trying to achieve

◊ here? what am I trying to say?
◊ what exactly is the problem I
◊ am trying to solve?
what would I like the finished
workopen
And in more to beended
like?
◊ how could I exploit the ideas I have had?
work:
◊ where could this idea take me --- what could I
make of it?
 The aim here is to clarify the purpose or objective of the work. It
is easy to lose your sense of direction while dealing with detailed
difficulties in creative work. So you need occasionally to
disengage from these obstacles and ask: “what exactly am I
trying to do?”.
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• If you ‘get stuck’ in the middle of a project, then rather than

dreaming up a stream of alternatives you need to clarify
where exactly you want to go.
• How to get there is then often straight- forward, or even
blindingly obvious.
• If you feel lost, stuck, bogged down, confused, or uncertain
about how to proceed, then clarification is what you need. In
this clarification phase you have your eye on the ball, you
are being strategic and logical, focussing on how the
finished work will look.
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

 This is a review phase in which you look back over

your work in progress
 In the evaluation phase you examine your work for
strengths and weaknesses. Then you need to
consider how the work could be improved, by
removing weaknesses but also by capitalising on
its strengths.
 Then there will probably need to be another
perspiration phase to respond positively to the
suggestions for improvement. Perspiration and
evaluation phases often alternate to form a cycle.
 Hardly anyone gets things perfect first time.
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Many people dislike the evaluation phase at first.

• They tinker with work that would make others gape in
delight.
• Actually this evaluation phase can be very rewarding, and
no work of real merit will be produced without it.
• If Shakespeare and Picasso found they had to revise their
efforts, then I expect even you will need to!
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• In which you look through the ideas you have

generated and try to determine which ones to work
on
• Here ideas from the inspiration phase are sifted
through and evaluated usually in the light of the
findings of a clarification phase.
• The best ideas are chosen for further development, or
are combined into even better ideas.
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• This is a self-critical phase.

• It requires cool analysis and judgment rather than slap-
happy spontaneity.
• However it should not be so critical as to inhibit productivity
entirely.
• Remember, the ideas you have had are only ideas, not
complete solutions --- you must not expect too much of
them.
• It is where the ideas can take you that counts, not the
ideas themselves.
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• In which you leave the work alone, though you still

ponder about it occasionally , leaving it ‘on the surface
of your mind’.
• Many brilliant ideas have occurred in the bath, or in traffic
jams.
• If you are able to stop work on a project for a few days,
perhaps to work on other things, this will give your
subconscious time to work on any problems encountered, it
will also distance you somewhat from your ideas so that
you are better able to evaluate them.
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

 'Incubation' is particularly useful after an 'inspiration' or a

'perspiration' phase, or if a problem has been
encountered.

 Creative people are often surprisingly patient and untidy,

and are content to let half-baked ideas, loose ends and
inconsistencies brew away in their sub- conscious until
'something turns up'.

 Whenever Sir Isaac Newton had a particularly thorny

problem he always worked on it just before he went to
sleep. He said "I invariably woke up with the solution"
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• In which you work determinedly on your best ideas.

• This is where the real work is done. You are involved in

determined and persistent effort towards your goal, this will
usually involve further 'inspiration' ‘distillation’ and
'clarification' phases.
 Problem sensitivity Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Problem sensitivity is the ability to tell when something is

wrong or is likely to go wrong.
• Problem sensitivity does not involve solving the problem,
only recognizing there is a problem.
https://www.missionnonstop.com/Portals/0/Files/SAFD/Rec
ruiting/SAFirefighterStudyGuide.pdf
 EDWARD DE BONO SIX THINKING HATS
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

An effective tool for decision making and problem solving that

uses both sides of your brain.
 SIX THINKING HATSDept. of Behavioural Sc.
Six Thinking Hats is a very simple, effective parallel
thinking process that helps individuals be more focused,
productive, and mindfully involved. A powerful tool to add
to your leadership toolkit that, once learned, can be
applied immediately!
You and your team members can learn how to separate
thinking into six clear functions and roles using “thinking
hats.” Each thinking role is identified with a colored
symbolic thinking hat. By mentally wearing and switching
"hats," you can easily focus or redirect thoughts,
conversations, or meetings.
 SIX THINKING HATSDept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Six colors of hats for six types of

thinking
- Each hat identifies a type of thinking
- Hats are directions of thinking
• Hats help a group use parallel
thinking
- You can “put on” and “take off” a hat
 USES FOR HATS Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Critical, Analytical Thinking and Problem-

Solving
• Strategic planning
• Running meetings
• Generating ideas
• Public Speaking
• Process Improvement
• Project Management
• Organizational Change
• and much more!
 SIX COLORS Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

White: neutral, objective

Red: emotional, angry

Black: serious, somber

Yellow: sunny, positive

Green: growth, fertility

Blue: cool, sky

 …AND SIX HATS Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

White: objective, facts & figures

Red: emotions & feelings

Black: cautious & careful

Yellow: benefits, positive & speculative

Green: creativity, ideas & lateral thinking

Blue: process, control & organization

 WHICH TWO HATS DO YOU USE?
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

FEELINGS INFORMATION BENEFITS

REFLECTIVE CREATIVE JUDGEMENT

 TECHNIQUE: Dept. of Behavioural Sc.
Choose the right hat or tool

FOCUS: TIME:
Decide on what you want to think about Set limits and work within them

:60
SECONDS
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

The Blue Hat

• The control hat, organizing thinking
itself.

• Sets the focus, calls for the use of

other hats.

• Monitors and reflects on the

thinking
processes used.

Blue is for planning.

 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

THE BLUE HAT

• FACILITATOR ROLE

• The role of the facilitator focuses and

refocuses thinking

• Makes calls for the group to make

decisions
 “
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

•WHAT IS THE POINT OF HIRING SMART

PEOPLE IF WE DON’T EMPOWER THEM TO
FIX WHAT’S BROKEN?
“
- Creativity, Inc.
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

THE WHITE HAT

• The information seeking hat.

• What are the facts?

• What information is available?

• What is relevant?

• When wearing the white hat we are

neutral in our thinking.
 “ Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

•IDENTIFY YOUR PROBLEMS BUT GIVE

YOUR POWER AND ENERGY TO
SOLUTIONS.
“
- Tony Robbins
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

THE WHITE HAT

• FACTS AND LOGIC

• Separates fact from

speculation

• Specifies action needed to fill

gaps

• Assesses the relevance and

 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

WHITE HAT QUESTIONS

• Who, what, when, where?
• What do you know about?
• What are the facts about?
• What do you need or want to
know about?
• Where might you go to find out
about?
• What OPVs should we
consider?
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

THE GREEN HAT

• This is the creative mode of
thinking.

• Green represents growth and

movement.

• In green hat we look to new ideas

and solutions.

• Lateral thinking wears a green

hat.
 “ Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

ALMOST ALWAYS, THE CREATIVE

DEDICATED MINORITY MADE THE
WORLD BETTER.
“
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

THE GREEN HAT

• CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION

• Encourages search for new

ideas

• Seeks to modify and removes

faults from existing ideas

• Makes time for creative effort

 “ Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

YOU CAN’T USE UP CREATIVITY.

THE MORE YOU USE, THE MORE
YOU HAVE. “
- Maya
Angelou
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

OTHER USES FOR

• Balloon Golf
Tee

• Toothbrus Paperclip
h
 OTHER USES FOR
•Balloon •Golf Tee
• Shower Cap • Tooth Pick
Traffic Sign Paper Holder
• Scarecrow • Stake a Picnic Blanket
• Hot Air Balloon Center Piece Tile Spacers
Decorative Lantern • Replace a Lost Cap
(Plug a Tube)

•Toothbrush
• Brush Your Eyebrows •Paperclip gs
Silver Cleaner • Egg Dipper for Dying Eg
•Paint Cleaner Popping Discs
Clean Fingernails • Jewelry Clasp
Apply Hair Dye • Remove Hair from
Brush
Clean the Toilet
• Unclog Bottle of Glue or Salt Shaker
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

GREEN HAT QUESTIONS

• What if?
• What is good about?
• What is the value of?
• How can we make this work?
• What are the alternatives?
• What else can we do?
• What is holding our team
back?
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

THE RED HAT

• EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS

• Gives permission to express feelings,

hunches and intuitions

• Help to make a decision

• Does not require justification

• Best expressed in a word or two

 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

THE RED HAT

• What do you feel about the
suggestion?

• What are your gut

reactions?

• What intuitions do you

have?

• Don’t think too long or too

hard.
 “ Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

TO LIVE A CREATIVE LIFE,

WE MUST LOSE OUR FEAR OF
BEING WRONG.
“
- Joseph Chilton
Pearce
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

RED HAT QUESTIONS

• What does your intuition tell

you?
• Did your feelings change? How?
• What prejudices are present?
• What are you feeling now?
• What is your hunch about?
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

THE YELLOW HAT

• The sunshine hat.

• It is positive and
constructive.

• It is about effectiveness and

getting a job done.

• What are the benefits, the

advantages?
 “
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

MANAGERS OF CREATIVE
COMPANIES MUST NEVER FORGET
TO ASK THEMSELVES: ‘HOW DO
“
WE TAP THE BRAINPOWER OF OUR
PEOPLE?’

- Creativity, Inc.
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

THE YELLOW HAT

• LOGICAL POSITIVES

• Explores Benefits of Ideas

• Must give reasons why an idea

is valuable and might work

• Reinforces creative ideas and

new directions
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

YELLOW HAT QUESTIONS

• What are the Benefits?
• What is good about?
• What are positive
outcomes?
• What is the value?
• Can this be made to work?
• What did you like about?
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

THE BLACK HAT

• The caution hat. Devil’s advocate.

• In black hat the thinker points out

errors or pit-falls.

• What are the risks or dangers

involved?

• Identifies difficulties and

problems.
 “ Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

•I HAVE NOT FAILED. I’VE JUST FOUND

10,000 WAYS THAT WON’T WORK.

“
- Thomas
Edison
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

THE BLACK HAT

• LOGICAL NEGATIVES

• Explores why an idea may not

work

• Must give logical reasons for

concerns

• Points out difficulties and

weaknesses
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

BLACK HAT QUESTIONS

• What should you be cautious
about?
• What are the
consequences?
• What are the pitfalls?
• Why won’t/didn’t this work?
• What weaknesses exist?
• What are the risks?
 Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

THE BLACK HAT

• Is there someone you work with
who tends to overuse black
hat thinking?

• What is the impact?

 Blue Hat Dept. of Behavioural Sc.
Managing The Thinking
Setting The Focus
Making Summaries
Overviews  Conclusions Black Hat
Information & Data Action Plans Why It May Not Work
Neutral & Objective Cautions  Dangers
Checked & Believed Problems  Faults
Facts Missing Information Logical Reasons
& Where To Source It Must Be Given

FOCUS

Yellow Hat Red Hat

Why It May Work Feelings & Intuition
Values & Benefits Emotions Or Hunches
(Both Known & “At This Point”
Potential)
The Good In
Green Hat No Reasons or Justification
Creative Thinking Keep It Short
It Logical
Possibilities  Alternatives
Reasons Must
New Ideas  New Concepts
Be Given
Overcome Black Hat Problems &
Reinforce Yellow Hat Values
SUMMARY OF SIX HATS
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

SIX HATS
 HAT QUIZ Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

1. “Retooling will take a minimum of six months.”

2. “I am unhappy with the merger.”
3. “Our product is the most expensive on
market?”
4. “It will increase our profile in the community?”
5. “Low staff morale is causing high attrition.”
6. “The meeting seems to be drifting.”
 HAT QUIZ (CONT’D)Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

7. “Joe told me he was worried about a staff issue.”

8. “We tried that and staff are not supportive.”
9. “It would be easy to implement a new logo.”
10. “We could offer two for the price of one.”
11. “I am concerned about staff morale.”
12. “Are we ready to commit to a decision?”
13. “What if we gave everyone an additional day
off?”
 TECHNIQUE:
TRY ON EVERY HAT Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

PLANS FACTS CREATIVE FEELINGS BENEFITS JUDGE FEELINGS DECISION

Process, Information, Ideas, Gut Instinct, Values, PiZalls, Gut Instinct, Next Steps,
Data Solutions Intuition Positives Problems Intuition Action Plans
Agenda

What do we What is the What are How does What are What are How does What
want to current new everyone the positive the negative everyone conclusions,
accomplish? information creative feel about aspects of aspects or feel now decisions or
and facts on ideas or the current the current piZalls? that we summaries
the issue or alternatives situation, situation, have can we
problem? in solving issue or issue or worked on make in
the problem? problem? the issue? moving
problem? forward?
 Cognition Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Cognition is a term referring to the mental processes

involved in gaining knowledge and comprehension.
• These cognitive processes include thinking, knowing,
remembering, judging, and problem-solving.
• These are higher-level functions of the brain and
encompass language, imagination, perception, and
planning.
 Cognitive skills Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Cognitive skills are the ways that your brain remembers, reasons, holds
attention, thinks, reads and learns.
• Cognitive abilities help you process new information by taking that
information and distributing it into the appropriate areas in your brain. 
• Cognitive skills are often divided into nine different categories.
• Each of these cognitive skills reflects a different method that your brain uses
to effectively interpret and use information.
– Sustained attention
– Selective attention
– Divided attention
– Long-term memory
– Working memory
– Logic and reasoning
– Auditory processing
– Visual processing
– Processing speed
 Cognitive flexibility 
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to switch

between thinking about two different concepts or to think
about multiple concepts simultaneously.
• Cognitive flexibility has also been shown to be related
to one's ability to cope in particular situations.
For example, when individuals are better able to shift
their thinking from situation to situation they will focus
less on stressors within these situations.
 Cognitive flexibility  Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Having cognitive flexibility allows you to analyze a

situation and come up with alternative plans to meet your
goals or requirements.
• Being cognitively flexible increases your likelihood of
success, too.
• This ability to quickly adapt to new situations increases
one's brain function and resilience to stress.
 Cognitive Errors Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Cognitive distortions are biased perspectives we take on ourselves

and the world around us.
• They are irrational thoughts and beliefs that we unknowingly
reinforce over time.
• These patterns and systems of thought are often subtle–it’s difficult
to recognize them when they are a regular feature of your day-to-
day thoughts.
• That is why they can be so damaging since it’s hard to change what
you don’t recognize as something that needs to change!
• Cognitive distortions come in many forms (which we’ll cover later in
this piece), but they all have some things in common.
• All cognitive distortions are:
– Tendencies or patterns of thinking or believing;
– That are false or inaccurate;
– And have the potential to cause psychological damage.
 Cognitive Errors Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

A List of the Most Common Cognitive Distortions

• All-or-Nothing Thinking / Polarized Thinking
• Overgeneralization
• Mental Filter
• Disqualifying the Positive
• Jumping to Conclusions – Mind Reading
• Jumping to Conclusions – Fortune Telling
• Magnification (Catastrophizing) or Minimization
• Emotional Reasoning
 Social cognition Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Social cognition is a sub-topic of social psychology that

focuses on how people process, store, and apply
information about other people and social situations. It
focuses on the role that cognitive processes play in
our social interactions.
• Social cognition concerns the various psychological
processes that enable individuals to take advantage of
being part of a social group.
• Of major importance to social cognition are the
various social signals that enable us to learn about the
world. We can learn a great deal simply by observing
others.
 Perception Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• A process by which individuals organize

and interpret their sensory impressions in
order to give meaning to their
environment.
 Attribution Theory – Errors in Attribution
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

Fundamental Attribution Error When we make judgments about the

behaviour of other people, we tend to
underestimate the influence of external
factors and overestimate the influence of
internal or personal factors

Self Serving Bias Individuals and organizations also tend to

attribute their own successes to internal
factors such as ability or effort, while
blaming failure on external factors such as
bad luck or unproductive co-workers.
People also tend to attribute ambiguous
information as relatively flattering and
accept positive feedback while rejecting
negative feedback
 Common Shortcuts on Judging Others
(Perception Errors) Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Selective Perception
– The tendency to selectively interpret what one sees on the basis of
one’s interests, background, experience, and attitudes.
• Halo Effect
– When we draw a general impression about an individual on the
basis of a single characteristic, such as intelligence, sociability, or
appearance, a halo effect is operating.
• Contrast Effect
– Evaluation of a person’s characteristics that is affected by
comparisons with other people recently encountered who rank
higher or lower on the same characteristics.
• Stereotyping
– When we judge someone on the basis of our perception of the
group to which he or she belongs, we are using the shortcut called
stereotyping
 Common Shortcuts on Judging Others
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

- Applications in Organizations

Employment Interview

• Selective Perception
• Halo Effect
• Contrast Effect Performance Expectations
• Stereotyping Self-fulfilling prophecy
Pygmalion effect

Performance Evaluation
 Self- fulfilling Prophecy Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• A situation in which a person inaccurately perceives a

second person, and the resulting expectations cause the
second person to behave in ways consistent with the
original perception.
 Improving Perceptions Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• Awareness of Perceptual Biases

• Improving Self-awareness
– Johari Window
• Meaningful Interaction
– Contact Hypothesis- This is the principle that bringing
people together who are in conflict (or where one is
bullying the other), the conflict will subside as they get
to understand one another.
 Handling Criticism Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

"THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID CRITICISM IS TO SAY

NOTHING, DO NOTHING, BE NOTHING.”

• Criticism is "the art of evaluating or analyzing with

knowledge and propriety."
• Criticism is often delivered when someone perceives that
we have failed them, not lived up to their expectations.
 Handling Criticism Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

• The result is that we find ourselves on the receiving end

of words spoken out of frustration, disappointment,
anger, envy.
• Typically, our reaction is to respond in the same manner
- with anger, sarcasm, defensiveness.
• When two people communicate with each other in this
fashion, a healthy, respectful relationship is not possible.
• Therefore, it is important to understand how to deal with
criticism within our relationships - whether they are
intimate, casual, work or school-related.
 TWO TYPES OF CRITCISM
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

1. Valid:
• Valid criticism can also be considered constructive.
• It is based on accurate perceptions of events or
behavior.
• The person doing the criticizing is motivated by a desire
to help and provides solid suggestions for change.
You know it is valid criticism when you:
• have heard the criticism from more than one person • the critic
knows a great deal about the subject
• the critic is generally known as someone who has and applies
reasonable standards of behavior
 TWO TYPES OF CRITCISM
Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

2. Unjustified:
• This type of criticism is often delivered by someone when you don't
live up to their expectations.
• The critic might nag, recite your failures as a person, try to appear
smarter, better, etc. than you, or criticize what you are doing to get
you to do something else.
RESPONDING TO CRITICISM
• The best way to respond to criticism is to use an assertive
communication style.
• In this way, you are showing respect for yourself and your critic,
without attacking or surrendering.
• Your intention in responding assertively is to resolve
misunderstandings, acknowledge what may be accurate in the
criticism, and nip in the bud any unjustified attack.
 TECHNIQUES FOR RESPONDING TO
CRITICISM Dept. of Behavioural Sc.

1. Acknowledgment
2. Disarming
3. Probing