Social information processing (theory)

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/social-information-processing-theory

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the interdisciplinary roots?Draws from psychology, sociology, and communication studies to explain social behavior
2. What is Social Information Processing theory?It is a way to understand how we learn from friends and online pals to decide what to think and do. It says our ideas come from social clues, not just facts.
3. Who first talked about this idea and when?Salancik and Pfeffer first described it in 1978, looking at how people in workplaces use social clues to decide.

Social Information Processing: A theory explaining how people use social cues from their environment to form attitudes and behaviors.
Computer-Mediated Communication (CME): Interpersonal interactions conducted through digital technologies, lacking traditional nonverbal cues.
Nonverbal Cues: Communication signals conveyed through body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, and other non-linguistic means.
Attitude Formation: The process by which individuals develop their opinions, beliefs, and feelings towards people, objects, or ideas.