Study of how individuals influence and are influenced by other people o The science of human experience Social Psychology Social Influence Research I Conformity Uniformity of opinion and behavior due to unintentional social pressure A Muzafer Sherif the Autokinetic Effect a Part 1 individual participants go into a dark room i Watch the beam of light tell me how far it moves 1 The light never moves it just appears too Autokinetic Effect ii He now has data on individual s perceptions when they are b Part 2 three participants go into the room at a time i All asked to state out loud how much they think the light 1 Repeat several times with the same 3 people ii He now has data on what individuals reported perceptions when they are in groups of 3 c Results of the Group of 3 i 1st trial results are scattered similar to participant who did it alone moves alone ii 2nd 3rd 4th trials Judgments get closer and closer together until they all agree 1 Group Norm B Solomon Asch the Line Study a Experiments took place in groups i 7 people 1 participant 6 confederates ii Confederate Someone who poses as a participant who is really working with the experimenter b Said it was a perception study rather than a Conformity experiment i Shown a line told to look carefully ii Then shown three lines told to say which is closest to the standard c Ask each participant to make their judgment one at a time i Real Participant always goes last d Control Group everyone gives right answer e Experimental Group first 2 confederates give right answer then next 4 give the same incorrect answer C Result From the Two Experiments a Informational influence conformity because you are not sure what to do Sherif b Normative Influence conforming to the group in order to gain acceptance Asch c Factors that influence conformity i Group size ii Unanimity of the group iii Cohesion iv Status of group members v Public vs private commitments II Compliance Adjusting one s behavior because of an explicit request for action by someone a Tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to later with no real power Ways to Gain Compliance A Foot in the door technique comply with a larger request i Freedman Fraser 1966 ii Household product questionnaire 1 Only Large 22 2 Small Large 53 b How does it work i Self perception change B Even a penny a Cialdini Schroeder i Will donate to the American Cancer Society even a penny will help 1 Just Request 28 5 compliance 2 Request with a Phrase 50 compliance b How does it work i Take away excuse person more likely to make a commitment C Low ball Technique a After a person agrees to something you raise the cost and lower the benefits i Cialdini 1978 1 Call and ask to participate in an experiment a Knows its at 7 am 31 b Agree then finds out 56 2 Result a People have already made a commitment a Tendency for people to comply to a smaller request after first denying D Door in the face Technique a larger request i Cialdini 1975 1 ask college students to donate time to help juvenile detention center a Large only 0 b Moderate 16 7 c Large Moderate 50 2 How does it work a Norm of reciprocity we feel the need to reciprocate E Scarcity III Obedience power a If someone feels like they can t have something that will make them want it more Change in behavior where people comply with a demand from someone with A The Milgram Experiment a Experimenter authority facilitates the experiment i please continue ii you have no other choice you must go b For every wrong answer inc voltage by 15 v can go up to XXX i During it the teacher hesitated to hurt the student but the authority told them to keep going 1 only one person refused to finish B Stanford Prison Study a Philip Zimbardo i Why do prisons tend to become abusive degrading environment 1 Assumption only a certain type of person would choose to work in a prison ii Created simulated prison scenario b Got together a group of the most normal people i Flip a coin one guard the other prison c During the study i At first no incidents ii Then prisoner rebellion 1 guards respond with force iii Things get out of hand 1 degrading and abusive treatment 2 prisoners begin to have a emotional break downs d study stopped after 6 days was supposed to last 14 e Conclusions everyone is capable of this behavior f Conforming to social roles IV Social Influence in Groups Social Facilitation Social Inhibition Social Loafing Groupthink o Mere presence of others can enhance performance on simple tasks o Mere presence of others can hinder performance on difficult tasks o Unconscious tendency to slack off when performing in a group o Tendency of decision making groups to suppress dissent in the interests of group harmony V Helping Altruism Bystander Effect Pluralistic Ignorance o A person is less likely to provide help when there are others present o If others do not define the situation as an emergency neither will we Diffusion of Responsibility o Assuming someone else will take action Interpersonal Attractions Three types of love 1 Intimacy Liking 2 Passion Infatuation 3 Commitment Empty Love All three together Consummate love Aggression An act that is intended to cause harm or damage another person Theories of Aggression A evolutionary a to protect mate children or resources B Frustration Aggression Hypothesis a Frustration Aggression b Can t achieve goal get angry C Modeling a Learn to be aggressive by watching others i Direct go out and do what you saw ii Indirect doesn t seem as bad to be aggressive more acceptable may influence later behavior D Cognitive Behavioral a Think about the reward punishments associated with the aggression b Aggression may be intrinsically reinforcing c If punished it should decrease Attributions An explanation for what causes someone s behavior o Cause and effect explanation Attribution Theory Theory of how people explain others behavior Two Dimensions internal vs external o Explaining behavior as due to the individual s internal personality Internal Attributions characteristics External attributions o Explaining behavior as due to situational reasons Attribution Errors Fundamental Attribution Error o Tendency for observers to underestimate situational influences and overestimate dispositional influence upon other s behavior See others behavior as internally driven rather than due to external factors Actor Observer Bias o We attribute our own behavior to situational factors external but others behavior to dispositional factors internal Self