Download Social Psychology

Social Psychology
The study of how we think
about, influence and relate to
one another.
Social Thinking
How do we think about one
another?
Social Psychology
• Today’s class:
– How you think about people
– How you explain their behavior
– How attitudes and actions impact one another
Attribution Theory
• The idea that we give a casual
explanation for someone's behavior.
•We credit that
behavior either to
the situation or….
•To the person’s
disposition.
Was my friend a
jerk because she
had a bad day or
is just a bad
person?
Fundamental Attribution Error
• The tendency to underestimate the
impact of a situation and overestimate
the impact of personal disposition.
How do you view your
teacher’s behavior? You
probably attribute it to
their personality rather
than their profession.
Attribution At Work
The Effects of Attribution
• Social Effects
• Political
Effects
• Workplace
Effects
Fundamental Attribution Error
• Actor-observer bias:
– Attributing others’ behavior to disposition but
your own behavior to situational factors
• Self-serving bias:
– Crediting your own successes to disposition,
but attributing your own failures to the
situaiton
Attitudes
• A belief or
feeling that
predisposes one
to respond in a
particular way
to something.
How might different attitudes
respond to this picture?
Attitudes
• Mere Exposure
Effect
• Central Route v.
Peripheral Route
Do our attitudes guide our actions?
Only if….
• External pressure is minimal.
• We are aware of our attitudes.
• The attitude is relevant to the behavior.
Attitudes
More often, our actions
affect our attitudes.
Compliance Strategies
• Foot-in-the-door
phenomenon
• Door-in-the-face
phenomenon
• Norms of reciprocity
Zimbardo Prison Study
Role playing affects attitudes.
What do you think happened when college
students were made to take on the roles
of prison guards and inmates?
What happens when we become
aware that our attitudes don’t
match or actions?
You have a belief that
cheating on tests is bad.
The teacher was
really bad so in that
class it is OK.
But you cheat
on a test!!!
Cognitive
Dissonance
Theory
• People want to have
consistent attitudes
and behaviors….when
they are not they
experience dissonance
(unpleasant tension).
• Usually they will change
their attitude.