CEP 260 1nd Edition Lecture 4 Outline of Last Lecture I Self Concept Outline of Current Lecture II Forming Impressions of Others III The Problem of Prejudice IV The power of Social Pressure V Obedience Current Lecture Forming Impressions of Others Snap judgments vs systematic judgments Snap judgments about others are those made quickly and based on only a few bits of information and preconceived notions They are shortcuts that rely on automatic processing and are used when we are not motivated to form an accurate impression of another person Systematic judgments require more controlled processing and tend to occur when forming impressions of others that can affect our happiness or welfare Attributions are inferences that people draw about the causes of their own behavior others behavior and events 1 Internal attributions when people attribute the cause of others behavior to personal dispositions traits abilities or feelings 2 External attributions when people attribute the cause of others behavior to situational demands or environmental constraints We are most likely to make attributions about others behavior when Others behave in unexpected or negative ways These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute When events are personally relevant When we are suspicious about others motives Perceiver expectations How we expect others to behave can influence our actual perceptions of them Confirmation bias seeking information that supports one s beliefs while not pursuing disconfirming information Self fulfilling prophecies when expectations about a person cause the person to behave in ways that confirm the expectations Social Categorizations Social categorizations cognitive shortcuts in which we categorize people on the basis of nationality race gender etc People perceive similar individuals to be members of their ingroup us and dissimilar people to be members of the outgroup them Categorizing has three important results 1 People have more negative attitudes toward outgroup members 2 People see outgroup members as more alike than they really are the outgroup homogeneity effect 3 The visibility of outgroup members is heightened when they comprise the minority in a crowd Stereotypes widely held beliefs that people have certain characteristics because of their membership in a particular group Stereotypes persist because of 1 Simplicity They are less effortful cognitively But the trade off for simplicity is inaccuracy 2 Confirmation bias 3 Self fulfilling prophecy The fundamental attribution error the tendency to explain other people s behavior as the result of personal rather than situational factors Making attributions requires 1 Focusing on the person making an internal attribution 2 Taking the situation into account allowing for external attributions A defensive attribution the tendency to blame victims for their misfortune so that one feels less likely to be victimized in a similar way Key themes in person perception 1 Efficiency when forming impressions of others we default to automatic processing 2 Selectivity we see what we expect to see by focusing on aspects of the person that confirm our expectations 3 Consistency First impressions do matter Once a perceiver has formed an impression of someone he or she tunes out subsequent information This is called the primacy effect The Problem of Prejudice Prejudice a negative attitude toward members of a group Discrimination involves behaving differently usually unfairly toward the members of a group Prejudice and discrimination often go together but this is not always the case Old fashioned vs modern discrimination 1 Old fashioned or overt discrimination has declined in recent years but a more subtle modern form of discrimination has emerged 2 Modern discrimination when people privately harbor negative attitudes toward minority groups but express them only when they feel such views are justified or that it s safe to do so Causes of prejudice 1 The authoritarian personality a personality type characterized by prejudice toward any group perceived to be different from oneself 2 Cognitive distortions and expectations such as stereotyping fundamental attribution error defensive attributions and expectations 3 Competition between groups perceived threats to one s group such as conflict over scarce resources causes prejudice against outgroup members 4 Threats to social identity when the collective self esteem of a group is threatened two response may occur ingroup favoritism or outgroup denigration Reducing prejudice Cognitive strategies make an effort to override stereotypes by using controlled processing Intergroup contact Superordinate goals goals that require two or more groups to work together to achieve mutual ends can reduce intergroup hostility Persuasion involves the communication of arguments and information intended to change another person s attitudes The elements of the persuasion process The source is the person who sends a communication The receiver is the person to whom the message is sent The message is the information transmitted by the source The channel is the medium through which the message is sent Source factors Attitudes include beliefs and feelings about people objects and ideas Persuasion is more effective when The source has high credibility Sources are deemed credible if they have expertise and are trustworthy The source is likable Likability is increased when the source is attractive and or similar to the receiver Message factors Messages are most effective when Two sided arguments are used This also increases credibility Persuaders use emotional appeals to shift attitudes They create positive feelings in the receiver Receiver factors Mood optimistic vs pessimistic The receiver s need for cognition or tendency to seek out and enjoy effortful thought problem solving activities and in depth analysis Forewarning reduces the impact of arguments on receivers Receivers are harder to persuade when the message content is incompatible with existing beliefs The whys of persuasion According to the elaboration likelihood model our thoughts about a persuasive message are most important in determining whether attitudes will change Messages can be perceived either through a peripheral route not mindful processing or central route mindful processing Messages perceived through central routes are usually more effective longer