Transcript social comparison - Warren County Public Schools

SOCIAL
PSYCHOLOGY
Fast Track Chapter 13
Bernstein Chapters 17 & 18
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SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY is the study of
how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
are influenced by the real or imagined
presence and influence of others
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Social psychologists are interested in:
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how others affect what an individual
does and how he/she thinks and feels
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how the individual can influence others
SOCIAL INFLUENCES ON THE SELF
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SELF-CONCEPT one’s perception of who one is
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SELF-ESTEEM how valuable one feels oneself to be
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SOCIAL COMPARISON comparing ourselves to those around us as a way of judging/evaluating
ourselves
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REFERENCE GROUP people we use as a comparison to ourselves and with whom we identify most
strongly
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RELATIVE DEPRIVATION being denied access to what we feel we are entitled to have
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TEMPORAL COMPARISON using our past experiences to judge/evaluate ourselves in the current
moment
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IN-GROUP a group for which the individual has strong feelings of loyalty, respect, and togetherness
due to a common feature
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IN-GROUP BIAS showing favoritism toward other members of the in-group based on shared feelings
and admiration
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OUT-GROUP a group of people who hold beliefs different from those of the individual and toward
whom he/she feels animosity
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SELF -SCHEMAS mental frameworks/blueprints that people have about themselves
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SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY when a person unknowingly behaves in a manner that helps to
justify or fulfill an expected outcome
PYGMALION EFFECT
(TEACHEREXPECTANCY EFFECT)
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Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson experiment on the self-fulfilling prophecy
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EXPLAINING
BEHAVIOR
Social psychologists study ATTRIBUTES (attempts to explain why a person behaves a certain way)
as a way of understanding how and why individuals explain their own behaviors as well as the
behaviors of others.
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Attribution theories tend to explain behavior as a result of either:
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INTERNAL (DISPOSITIONAL) FACTORS behavior that is explained as the result of personal
(dispositional) characteristics
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EXTERNAL (SITUATIONAL) FACTORS behavior that is explained as a result of unavoidable
factors or factors out of one’s control
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We ALL use attributes to explain the behaviors of others as well as our own.
Errors in Attribution
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fundamental attribution error (FAE) the tendency to explain the behavior of others as the
result of an internal or dispositional factor
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actor-observer bias the tendency to explain the behavior of others as the result of internal or
dispositional factors while attributing your behavior to external or situational factors
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self-serving bias tendency to attribute success to internal or dispositional factors while
blaming any failure on external or situational factors
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unrealistic optimism the belief that favorable events are more likely to occur to you than to
others
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self-handicapping limiting one’s potential for success by offering explanations for failure
ATTITUDES
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ATTITUDES are reactions to situations, events, or objects based on previous
experiences with them.
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affect our everyday lives
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include beliefs (cognitions), feelings (emotions/affect), and behaviors that are
relatively unchanging
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correlation between attitudes and behavior is weak to moderate; knowns as the
A-B PROBLEM (one’s attitudes do not necessarily predict future behavior)
Forming Attitudes
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explained through behaviorism
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formed through conditioning (classical or operant) and modeling
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mere exposure effect the more a person is subjected to novel stimulus, the
more he or she will grow to enjoy the stimulus; shaping attitudes by repeated
exposure
ATTITUDES
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Changing Attitudes
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ELABORATION LIKELIHOOD MODEL OF PERSUASION
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central route to persuasion involves a careful examination of the
message to determine the validity of the argument
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peripheral route to persuasion involves the use of outside factors to
influence the validity of the argument
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SEE VIDEO
COGNITIVE DISSONANCE discomfort resulting from conflicting cognitions
and behaviors; tension between what we THINK and what we DO
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ways to reduce the discomfort of cognitive dissonance;
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change attitude
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justify behavior
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change behavior
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SEE VIDEO
PREJUDICE AND STEREOTYPES
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PREJUDICE a positive or negative belief about a category of people; refers to
prejudging a person because or she belongs to a specific group; making a judgment
before knowing all the facts
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STEREOTYPING the generalization of a particular group of people based on a preexisting concept or image; involves generalizing an attitude toward a larger segment
of the population
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DISCRIMINATION differing treatment toward a category of people, typically people
of a different ethnicity, religion, or gender; may involve preferential treatment of some
good or service to a group of people
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Factors influencing prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination... SEE HANDOUT
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Philip Zimbardo on Social Reality, Prejudice, and Discrimination
PREJUDICE AND STEREOTYPES
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PREJUDICE a positive or negative belief about a category of people; refers to
prejudging a person because or she belongs to a specific group; making a judgment
before knowing all the facts
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STEREOTYPING the generalization of a particular group of people based on a preexisting concept or image; involves generalizing an attitude toward a larger segment
of the population
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DISCRIMINATION differing treatment toward a category of people, typically people
of a different ethnicity, religion, or gender; may involve preferential treatment of some
good or service to a group of people
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Factors influencing prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination... SEE HANDOUT
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Philip Zimbardo on Social Reality, Prejudice, and Discrimination
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Muzafer Sherif and the Robbers Cave Experiment (1954) on prejudice
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increased competition between the two groups led to increased feelings of ill
will, prejudice, and discrimination
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prejudiced reduced when difficult challenges requiring cooperation between
the groups were successfully completed
CONFORMITY AND COMPLIANCE
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CONFORMITY a change in behavior due to real or imagined group pressure
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COMPLIANCE changing behavior due to a direct request
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What’s the difference between conformity and compliance?
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Most of us conform daily by following along with society’s SOCIAL NORMS (implicit
and explicit rules that guide daily behavior and are based on societal expectancies).
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e.g., facing forward and not talking on an elevator
To maintain social norms, RECIPROCITY (responding to a behavior with the same
behavior) is often used. This also helps maintain social order
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Conformity occurs when people simply go along with the crowd. Compliance
involves a specific request for behavior change.
e.g., someone holds the door for you, you hold the door for the person behind
you
Solomon Asch and the Conformity Study (1950s)
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CONFEDERATES subjects unknown to the actual participants in an
experiment assigned by the researched to influence the experiment
OBEDIENCE AND THE POWER
THE SITUATION
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OF
OBEDIENCE agreeing to an explicit or implicit request because it came from a
person of perceived authority; one of the ways society functions smoothly
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3 main factors affecting obedience:
1. status or prestige of the person giving the order
2. the behavior of others in the same situation
3. the personal characteristics of the individual
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Stanley Milgram’s Obedience to Authority Experiment (1963)
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found participants would follow instructions when reassured by a perceived
authority figure they would not be held responsible for the results of the
actions being ordered (65% of Milgram’s participants followed orders
completely)
THE POWER OF THE SITUATION
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Philip Zimbardo’s Prison Experiment (1971)
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proved that context, or situation, can and will influence behavior of the
individual
AGGRESSION
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AGGRESSION any act that is intended to cause harm to another; found in every
species
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PSYCHODYNAMIC PERSPECTIVE aggression is instinctive, the unconscious
impulse of the id; to redirect these impulses and achieve CATHARSIS (the
release of these instinctual aggressive impulses), we engage in socially
acceptable alternatives such as football, boxing, NASCAR, etc...
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BIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE aggressions results from an innate drive;
frontal lobe plays role important role in inhibiting our behavior and damage to it
can result in bouts of anger and aggression; limbic system damage may lead to
aggressive behavior; higher levels of testosterone increase aggressiveness
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EVOLUTIONARY PERSPECTIVE aggression is innate and serves to further
the survival of the species; the more aggressive an organism is, the greater its
chances for long-term survival
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BEHAVIORAL-COGNITIVE PERSPECTIVE aggression is learned/nurtured;
caused by reinforcement as well as through observation and imitation
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ENVIRONMENTAL PERSPECTIVE aggression stems from outside factors
such as temperature, pollution, and proximity of living arrangements to those of
others; increased temperature and pollution as well as more dense living
conditions increase aggressive behavior
ALTRUISM AND
NON-HELPING BEHAVIOR
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ALTRUISM a genuine concern for the safety and well-being of another
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Why would a person commit an altruistic act?
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arousal cost-reward theory weighing several options in order to reduce
the unpleasant feeling associated with seeing a person in distress; the
individual weighs the cost associated with helping the other person (cost to
other person in need, cost to self)
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reciprocal altruism assisting another person with the expectation that
person will repay the deed in the future; also known as “tit-for-tat” or
summarized by the saying, “If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”
BYSTANDER EFFECT (BYSTANDER APATHY) when the presence of others
inhibits the helping behavior of an individual
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diffusion of responsibility not intervening in the presence of others
because the person thinks that others are going to intervene in the situation;
people feel they cannot personally be held responsible because there are
others around
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e.g., The Kitty Genovese Murder
ALTRUISM AND
NON-HELPING BEHAVIOR
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ALTRUISM a genuine concern for the safety and well-being of another
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Why would a person commit an altruistic act?
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arousal cost-reward theory weighing several options in order to reduce
the unpleasant feeling associated with seeing a person in distress; the
individual weighs the cost associated with helping the other person (cost to
other person in need, cost to self)
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reciprocal altruism assisting another person with the expectation that
person will repay the deed in the future; also known as “tit-for-tat” or
summarized by the saying, “If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”
BYSTANDER EFFECT (BYSTANDER APATHY) when the presence of others
inhibits the helping behavior of an individual
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diffusion of responsibility not intervening in the presence of others
because the person thinks that others are going to intervene in the situation;
people feel they cannot personally be held responsible because there are
others around
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e.g., The Kitty Genovese Murder
ALTRUISM AND
NON-HELPING BEHAVIOR
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What factors contribute to the bystander effect and diffusion of responsibility?
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feelings of incompetence in front of others
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may be having a bad day
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unfamiliar environment
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doesn’t realize the situation is truly an emergency
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doesn’t want to be singled out by getting involved
How can the bystander effect be countered?
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individuals must take charge and assign roles
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pointing directly at individuals and assigning specific tasks ensures others will
help
COOPERATION, COMPETITION,
CONFLICT
AND
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COOPERATION working with another to obtain a
desired goal; when a person decides to help another
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COMPETITION pursuit of a desired outcome while
refuting the same outcome to others; when two groups
are vying for the same goal
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CONFLICT opposing members of a group being in
direct opposition to another group in accomplishing a
similar goal
SEE HANDOUT
GROUP PROCESSES
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How group members interact is often the result of leadership style within the group.
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A charismatic leader can be motivating whereas a disorganized or reserved
leader can be uninspiring.
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The group itself may encourage or discourage certain behavior in its members.
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LEADERSHIP STYLES
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task-oriented leader strongly direct and are driven by goals and production;
usually discourage discussion within the group as this is seen as a distraction
to productivity
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person-oriented leader concerned more with group harmony than production;
typically seek advice from their workers
INFLUENCES OF THE GROUP ON BEHAVIOR
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social-facilitation, social inhibition (evaluation SEE
apprehension),
HANDOUT social
loafing, group polarization, groupthink, deindividuation...