Original language | English |
---|---|
Title of host publication | International Encyclopedia of the Social and Behavioral sciences |
Editors | J. D. Wright |
Place of Publication | Oxford, UK |
Publisher | Elsevier |
Pages | 186-191 |
Volume | 22 |
Edition | 2nd |
ISBN (Print) | 9780080970868 |
Publication status | Published - 2015 |
Abstract
Categorization is a process by which people make sense of things by working out similarities and differences. Social categorisation is especially important because it explains the way that people make sense of other people and themselves. Studying social categorization helps us to understand the way that people perceive groups and form impressions of individuals. The big ongoing question in the study of social categorization relates to whether this is a process that works primarily by reducing information overload or generating new information.