Social perception, impression formation and the utilisation of schemas applied in the context of Hong Kongs new found slimming culture.

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Social perception, impression formation and the utilisation of schemas applied in the context of Hong Kong's new found "slimming culture."

Throughout the ages, humans have distinguished themselves from the animal kingdom through the ability to reflect. This fundamental need to search for reasons in the interactive world has allowed us to exponentially improve our quality of life. This ability to think is pivotal in understanding social interactions. Thinking processes that include impression formation and the use of schemas are just some of the frequently used cognitive skills to interpret the world we live in. Impression formation deals with the assumptions made about the nature of a group or individual. These assumptions help simplify and differentiate the mass of information we are exposed to everyday. (Mrug & Hoza 2007) Before even uttering a single word, characteristics about that person or group of people have already been identified and categorised into their respective social schemas. According to Kuhl (2000), an individual's cognitive schemas are dependent on the availability of schematic cues and the salient nature of the stimulus, with highly salient stimuli accelerating learning and retention. This can be applied to explain the sudden emergence of a "slimming culture" in Hong