Transcript chapter_16_-_social_psychology

Social Psychology
We cannot live for ourselves alone. All
of our lives are connected by a
thousand invisible threads…..
What is Social Psychology
• Social Psychology: The scientific study of how
we think about, influence, and relate to one
another.
– Social Psychologists: Explore the connections
between people by scientifically studying how we
think about, influence, and relate to one another.
Attribution Theory
• People usually attribute others’ behavior either
to their internal dispositions or to their external
situation (is the behavior due to the person’s
situation or disposition).
– A teacher may wonder if a child’s hostility reflects an
aggressive personality or a reaction to stress or
abuse.
• Problem: Fundamental Attribution Error (overestimating
the influence of personality and underestimating the
influence of situations)
– Republican vs. Democrat (people vs. society / Katrina)
Attitudes and Actions
• Attitudes are feelings, based on our beliefs, that
predispose our reactions to objects, people, and
events.
– If we believe someone is mean, we may feel dislike
for the person and act unfriendly.
Attitudes Affect Action and Vice
Versa
• Our attitudes often affect our actions.
– Example of Attitude affecting Action:
• Democratic leaders didn’t agree with President Bush’s decision to
attack Iraq but voted in support of it anyway because of
overwhelming public support for Bush.
• Similarly, our actions often affect our attitudes.
– Example of Action affecting Attitude:
• Cult involvement (Brainwashing)
– Initially you disagree but you become involved and feel acceptance based
on the actions of the cult leaders and end up forming a positive opinion
of the cult.
Foot-In-The-Door Phenomenon
• The tendency for people who agree to a small
action to comply later with a larger one.
– To get people to agree to something big, start small
and build.
• A small thing makes the next one, although slightly larger,
seem “not so bad” (i.e. stealing / gangs).
• Works for good things, too (contributions).
• Role playing affects attitude (you’re a parent/student now)
• Zimbardo Experiment of 1972
Social Influence
• Why do things like suicides and school violence
(Columbine, etc.) come in groups?
Answer…
• Conformity and Obedience:
– Behavior is contagious (yawn/traffic gawkers)
– We are natural mimics (our attempt at feeling the
way others do – this is how we learn empathy)
• We’re happy around happy people and sad around sad
people.
Group Pressure and Conformity
• Definition of Conformity: Adjusting one’s
behavior or thinking to coincide with a group
standard.
– Conditions that strengthen conformity:
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When you are made to feel incompetent/insecure
When a group has at least three people
When the group is unanimous
When one admires the group’s status
When others in the group observe one’s behavior
– i.e. sorority
Why Do We Conform?
• Normative Social Influence:
– We are sensitive to social norms – understood rules
for accepted and expected behavior – because the
price we pay for being different may be severe.
• Informational Social Influence:
– Influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept
others’ opinions about reality. If we are unsure of
what is right, and if being right matters, we are
receptive to others’ opinions.
Obedience
• Stanley Milgram’s experiment of 1963
– Yale University: The effects of punishment on
learning
Other Influences…..
• Social Facilitation
– You will improve your performance when you compete
against others.
• Exception: when we perform unfamiliar tasks in the presence of
others, we perform more poorly.
• Social Loafing
– In a group, people tend to exert less effort when pooling
their efforts toward attaining a common goal
• Deindividuation
– The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in
group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
Social Relations
• Prejudice: An unjustifiable attitude toward a group and
its members. Prejudice generally involves stereotyped
beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to
discriminatory action.
– Stereotype: A generalized belief about a group of people.
• Race
• Gender
• Sexual Preference
– Overt prejudice is better but subtle prejudice lingers
• All starts with the desire to fit in (in-group)
Aggression
• Definition: Any physical or verbal behavior
intended to hurt or destroy.
– Genetic Influence
– Neural Influence (damage to frontal lobe)
• Study of 15 death-row inmates
– Biochemical Influence (hormones, alcohol, etc)
– Other factors:
– Extreme temperature
– Ostracism
More on Aggression
• Frustration-aggression principle:
– Frustration creates anger, which may in some people
generate aggression, especially in the presence of an
aggressive cue.
• Look at recent situations where a basketball player was
frustrated with his team’s performance, which led to his
aggressive behavior toward a fan who threw a cup of beer
at him…………..
– What were various factors that led to the aggression?
Factors to Consider
• Testosterone
• High arousal level of players and frustrated fans
• Alcohol consumption
• Observing models of aggression
– Movies
– Video games
• Learning that aggression is rewarding
– “Act like a man.”
Attraction
• Proximity (geographic nearness) is friendship’s
most powerful predictor.
– We tend to like, date, and marry people in the same
neighborhood, school, workplace, etc.
• Repeated exposure increases our liking of them.
• Mere Exposure Effect
– What is familiar is safe and approachable
– The woman who married the mail carrier
Beliefs About Appearance
• We believe attractive people are healthier,
happier, more sensitive, more successful, and
more socially skilled.
– Not usually perceived to be more honest or
compassionate, though.
• Why?
• Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…..
Altruism
• Definition: Unselfish regard for the welfare of
others.
– Name some people that come to mind (common or
famous).
Altruism and the Bystander Effect
– Altruism became a major concern of social
psychologists on March 13, 1964.
• Kitty Genovese
– Bystander Effect:
• We will help only if the situation enables us to notice the
incident, interpret it as an emergency, and assume
responsibility for helping.
• The presence of others deters people from helping…Why?
More on the Bystander Effect
• We are most likely to help when:
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The victim appears to need and deserve help
The victim is in some way similar to us
We have just observed someone else being helpful
We are not in a hurry
We are in a small town or rural area
We are feeling guilty
We are focused on others and not preoccupied
We are in a good mood
Social Exchange Theory
• Our social behavior is an exchange process, the
aim of which is to maximize benefits and
minimize costs.
– Example: giving blood / weigh the pros and cons
• Reciprocity norm (we should help those who have helped
us)
– Tips to the waiter/waitress
• Social-responsibility norm (we should help those who
need our help).
Question for You..
• Who do we most often tend to help?
• Who are you (individually) most likely to offer
assistance to?