Social representations, intergrupal relationships and social cognition

Abstract

This article aims to illustrate the potential of the study of social representations in articulation with other areas of social psychology, namely the theories of intergroup relations and some concepts from the field of social cognition. Firstly, we review the main aspects of the theory of social representations: the concept, the process of construction of social representation, their structure and functions. Then, we discuss points of convergence and divergence in relation to the field of social cognition and emphasize the role of intergroup relations in the construction and transformation of social representations. Finally, we point out some of the criticisms that this field of study has faced within the domain of social psychology and the ways in which researchers have tried to overcome these criticisms.