Chapter 13 Social Psychology 1 Social Psychology Robin Kowalski 2003 research on interpersonal relationships as major source of Social Psychology the scientific study of how people influence our thoughts feelings and behaviors 1 Meaning 2 Stress Disappointment o Other people have large impact on our lives o Organized around Thinking about social thinking Relate social relations Influence social influence Thinking About To make sense of things we try to understand causes for behavior People ask why about events that are Individuals differ in extent to which they feel need to explain human behavior o Unexpected Negative o High in personal relevance answers or explanations that we come up with are called attributions Attribution Theory group of theories that describe how people explain the causes of behavior o 2 kinds of Attribution Personal and Situational o Fundamental Attribution Error tendency to overestimate the effect of dispositional influences on other people s behavior underestimating situational influences Example When observing a bad driver one could assume either a maybe the driver is sick situational b they re simply a crazy driver dispositional From this attribution one would then proceed as such a proceed slowly give lots of room tolerant reaction b race past and give nasty look unfavorable reaction Attitude in a particular way to objects people events belief that includes an emotional component may predispose us to respond Actions Affect Attitudes o Low Ball Technique o Foot in Door Phenomenon o Door in Face technique tendency for people who first agree to a small request persuasive technique involving asking an unreasonably to comply later with a larger request large request before making the small request they originally wished to have granted by quoting a low sales price then mentions add ons once customer is already going to buy more expensive item from two conflicting thoughts or beliefs or actions advertising something as a bargain then encouraged to buy persuasive technique in which the seller of a product starts unpleasant mental experience of tension resulting o Cognitive Dissonance Theory o Bait and Switch Chapter 13 Social Psychology 2 Central Claim to escape mental tension we may modify out attitudes Influencing Conformity a tendency to alter one s thinking or behavior in response to group pressure Solomon Asch 1955 measuring visual discriminations o Had room of participants who knew of experiment only one person didn t Attempted to see if the single person would conform to the opinion of the majority even when they were wrong o 37 of the time participants followed majority and were incorrect o Normative Social Influence people conform because they fear social rejection or o Informational Social Influence people conform because they accept the opinions Reasons for conforming to gain social approval of others Factors influencing Conformity o Admiration of group o Direct pressure ridicule o Group size at least 3 people o Presence or absence of dissenters o Cultural norms values o Personal traits values o Influences on Obedience Authority of experimenter Location of experimenter Location of victim Disobedient peers Obedience behavior following rules or instructions from those of higher authority Consider civil disobedience o Example Milgram s Experiments Tested influence over participant when experimenter was in the room Social Facilitation telling them to continue even if shocking other participant actor enhanced performance on easy tasks in the presence of others o only for easy tasks if difficult we perform worse Social Loafing tendency of people to become less productive in groups o People think their contribution is unimportant o Less individual evaluation diminished responsibility feelings loss of self awareness and self restraint in group situations that Deindividualization foster both arousal and anonymity o Stanford Prison Study Randomly assigned guard or prisoner reduced individuality via clothes Results guards treating prisoners bad harsh punishments increasingly sadistic Prisoners show signs of depression hopelessness anger rebellion Only lasted 6 14 days Chapter 13 Social Psychology 3 Group Polarization held by individual group members tendency of group discussion to strengthen the dominant position Relating To Prejudice situation prior to evaluating the evidence a usually negative conclusion drawn about a person group of people or Stereotype a generalized belief about a group of people often wrong Discrimination unjustifiable negative behavior toward members of out o Beliefs o Emotions o Actions groups Hostility envy fear etc Social roots of prejudice o In group bias us o Out group them o Stereotypes rationalize inequalities o Offers emotional scapegoat for one s anger Cognitive roots of prejudice o Stereotypes as by product of how we cognitively simplify the world Categorization other race effect vivid cases just world phenomenon Aggression behavior intended to harm others verbal or physical o Situational triggers interpersonal provocation frustration media influences aggressive cues arousal alcohol drugs temperature Attraction o 4 Factors that affect interpersonal attraction 1 Proximity mere exposure 2 Similarity common attitude belief interests 3 Reciprocity mutual acceptance 4 Physical attractiveness Compassionate love o Equity receiving in proportion to what you give mutuality of response o Self disclosure Altruism helping others for unselfish reasons o More likely to help be prosocial if Situation is inescapable They have time Are in a good mood Have studied bystander intervention Enlightenment Effect o Pluralistic Ignorance o Prosocial behavior intended to help others no one else seems to find it to be an emergency What affects assuming responsibility o Bystander Effect bystanders are present Someone else will help tendency of any given person to be less likely to help if other
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