Transcript lecture #9
Social Psychology Chapter 13 Social Psychology Social psychology: ATTITUDES Dimensions Change Formation Consistency Attitudes: Dimensions of Attitudes 1. Cognitive Dimension: 2. Emotional Dimension: 3. Behavioural Dimension: How are Attitudes Formed? Learning - Operant conditioning - Observational learning How are Attitudes Formed? • Does behaviour shape attitudes? • “Stanford Prison Experiment”: college students asked to act and dress as prisoners or guards quickly developed attitudes consistent with their assigned role. Persuasion: Changing Attitudes 4 Key Components (Carl Hovland): • Communicator • Communication • Medium • Audience The Elaboration Likelihood Model • Adaptive: • attitude change can be accomplished via two routes: The Elaboration Likelihood Model • Central Route: • Peripheral Route: Figure 13.2 Elaboration Likelihood Model Attitude Consistency: Cognitive dissonance (Festinger): Figure 13.3 Cognitive Dissonance Social Cognition Mental Shortcuts Attribution Nonverbal Communication Prejudice Social Cognition • Social cognition: • Impression formation: Mental Shortcuts • pragmatic rules of the thumb Mental Shortcuts • Representativeness: • Availability: Mental Shortcuts • False Consensus Effect: • Framing: Assessing the World by Using Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal Communication • nonverbal communication • Often plays a greater role in impression formation than oral communication. Facial Expressions Six basic emotions are distinguished in facial expressions cross culturally: Body Language Body Language: Body positions, gestures, and movements that convey information about moods and attitudes. Eye Contact • People tend to judge others based on eye contact. • Eye contact is a powerful form of nonverbal communication in all cultures. • The meaning of eye contact is culturally defined Attribution Inferring the Causes of Behavior Attribution Attribution Kelly’s Attributional Model Criteria used to determine whether the causes of behavior are internal or external: 1) Consensus 2) Consistency 3) Distinctiveness Errors in attribution • Fundamental attribution error – Napolitan & Goethals (1979) classic study demonstrating fundamental attribution error Errors in attribution • Actor-Observer Effect Errors in Attribution • Self-serving bias –. Prejudice: The Darker Side of Attitudes Prejudice Definitions: • Prejudice = • Stereotypes = Prejudice • Discrimination What causes prejudice? • Social Learning Theory • Motivational theory • Cognitive Theory • Personality Theory Social Learning Theory Motivational Theory • Based on the idea that people compete for scarce resources • Asserts that people tend to dislike individuals who are viewed as competitors • This dislike is generalized to entire groups Cognitive Theory Cognitive Theory • Mental shortcuts can lead to: – Illusory correlations: – Social categorization Classic Study of Stereotyping & Prejudice • Bodenhausen & Wyer (1985) – Subjects read vignettes about people who had committed crimes and were asked to make parole recommendations. – Name of criminal = ‘John T.’, ‘Carlos Ramirez’ or ‘Ashley Chamberlain’ – Crime = embezzling company funds by forging signatures, or brutally attacking a man in a bar after an argument. – Sometimes an explanation of the crime was provided – Subjects likely to recommend parole of ‘John T.’ regardless of crime (no stereotype) – Less likely to recommend parole if crime fit stereotype i.e. Chamberlain embezzled, Ramirez attacked) SOCIAL INFLUENCE •Conformity •Obedience Social Influence • Social influence CONFORMITY • Conformity – • Asch (1951) conducted the following experiment:: – Seven to nine people were asked to judge which of three lines matched a standard line – Only one group member, the “naïve” participant, was really unaware of the purpose of the study – The other “participants” deliberately gave false answers – Asch found some naïve participants would go along with the group, even when the answer they gave was obviously wrong Factors influencing conformity: • Amount of information – • Relative competence of the group – • Position within a group – • Public nature of behaviour - Why Do People Conform? • Social conformity approach – • Attribution • Independence • Expediency - OBEDIENCE • Obedience Obedience: The Milgram Studies • Classic studies of obedience were performed by Stanley Milgram • Milgram told participants they would be participating in a study of the effects of punishment on learning • Their task was to administer electric shock to a “learner,” but in reality, the “learner” was a confederate Results • • • • • No participant stopped before 300v 65% administered all 30 levels of shock Teacher did display distress Concluded obedience to authority common What about female participants? Explaining Milgram’s Results • Psychological Distance – • Cognitive Reinterpretations – • Slippery slope - Ethical Issues • Milgram’s study raised ethical issues • To ensure that there are no long-lasting ill effects from participating in a study, participants are debriefed • Debriefing PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOUR Altruism - helping Bystander Apathy – Not helping Prosocial Behaviour: Helping • Prosocial behaviour – • Altruism Bystander Apathy: Not helping • Latané and Darley found that whether or not someone helps depends on a series of interconnected events and decisions • The potential helper must: Bystander Apathy: Not helping Reasons for not helping include: • Ambiguity – • Pluralistic Ignorance – • Diffusion of Responsibility – • The Bystander Effect -