The cognitive bases of socialized preferences

• In Event: Neuroscience, Cognition, and Sociology

Abstract

Research on family socialization suggests that the drivers of preferences (such as values and attitudes) are rooted in early life experiences. But the cognitive process that connects past experiences to present thought processes is not well understood or theorized. In this article, I draw on recent cognitive science research on the role of affectively-valenced memories in shaping preferences, and the sensitivity of the involved cognitive processes to top-of-mind concerns. Revisiting socialization theories in light of these ideas suggests that while rooted in affective memories, socialized preferences are results of probabilistic predictions of the brain and are malleable to priming. Across 3 related studies, including a preregistered survey experiment, I empirically examine the case of socialization of inclinations towards parenthood.

Author

• Tamkinat Rauf, University of Wisconsin-Madison