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Social Psychology
The study of how people are influenced
by the presence of others.
Social Psychology
A textbook definition:
The scientific study of how we
think about, influence, and relate to
one another.
Introduction
Three areas of study in social psychology
1. Social Cognition: the ways people think about
others
2. Social Influence: how the presence of others
influences the thoughts, behavior and feelings of a
person.
3. Social Interaction: the relationships and
interactions between people
Introduction
Module 74 is about Social Cognition
1. Social Cognition: the ways people think about
others
• Attribution
• How attitudes affect actions
• How actions affect attitudes
• Cognitive Dissonance
Attribution Theory: the theory that we can explain
someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or
the person’s disposition.
Attribution:
The process of
explaining the
reason behind
a person’s
behavior:
your own or
someone else’s.
Dispositional
Situational
(internal)
(external)
“He’s such a
careless driver. He
never watches out for
other cars.”
“He probably got
caught in some bad
traffic, and then he was
late for a meeting.”
Fundamental Attribution Error
Fundamental Attribution Error: the tendency to
overestimate the influence of a person’s disposition
when determining their behavior while overestimating
situational factors in your own behavior.
Teacher says:
This student is lazy
(Disposition)
Student says:
I had to work late
yesterday.
(Situation)
Fundamental Attribution Error
Fundamental Attribution Error: the tendency to
overestimate the influence of a person’s disposition
for positive behavior while overestimating situational
factors in negative behavior.
Attitude and Actions
Attitudes: feelings, often influenced by our
beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a
particular way to people, events, or objects
Attitude and Actions
Components of Attitudes
Cognitive
(beliefs)
Affective
(feelings)
Behavior
(actions)
I think
jazz music is
better than any
other kind of
music.
I like jazz
music; it's fun
and uplifting.
I buy jazz
music CDs &
MP3s every
chance
I get.
Attitude and Actions
Since attitudes affect actions, people put effort
into trying to persuade other’s attitudes.
Persuasion: Attempt
to change another’s
attitude via argument,
explanation, etc.
Attitude and Actions
Since attitudes affect actions, people put effort into
trying to persuade other’s attitudes.
This can happen on a personal level, or it may take
the form of public policy.
Persuasion can happen in one of two forms:
• Peripheral Route Persuasion
• Central Route Persuasion
Attitude and Actions
Since attitudes affect actions, people put effort into
trying to persuade other’s attitudes.
This can happen on a personal level, or it may take
the form of public policy.
Persuasion can happen in one of two forms:
• Peripheral Route Persuasion: This technique does
not involve systematic thinking. People are
influenced by incidental cues such as endorsements
by famous or attractive people, the way the speaker
is dressed, etc.
Attitude and Actions
• Central Route Persuasion: Offers
evidence and arguments aimed to trigger
thoughts favorable to the issue.
2011
Attitude and Actions
• Central Route Persuasion: Offers
evidence and arguments aimed to trigger
thoughts favorable to the issue.
2013
Attitude and Actions
• Central Route Persuasion: Offers
evidence and arguments aimed to trigger
thoughts favorable to the issue.
2011
Attitude and Actions
• Central Route Persuasion: Offers
evidence and arguments aimed to trigger
thoughts favorable to the issue.
2013
Attitude and Actions
• Central Route Persuasion: Offers
evidence and arguments aimed to trigger
thoughts favorable to the issue.
2011
Attitude and Actions
• Central Route Persuasion: Offers
evidence and arguments aimed to trigger
thoughts favorable to the issue.
2013
Attitude and Actions
Can you think of examples where
attitudes have affected action?
• In your personal life?
• In your family?
• At school?
• In society?
Attitude and Actions
Not only do attitudes affect actions, but
actions affect attitudes.
Cooperative
actions, such as
those performed
by people on
sports teams, feed
mutual liking.
Such attitudes, in
turn, promote
positive behavior.
Attitude and Actions
Techniques for action-changing:
• Foot-in-the-door technique: The tendency for
people who have first agreed to a small request to
comply later with a larger one
• Door-in-the-face technique: Make a large
request that is rejected, followed by a smaller one
that is accepted
• Norm of reciprocity: If someone does
something for you, you feel obligated to do
something for them.
• Lowball technique: make a commitment, then
experience additional other costs
• That’s-not-all technique
Attitude and Actions
Have you ever found yourself in a situation
where your attitudes and actions don’t
match? What happens?
When they don’t match, we experience
cognitive dissonance.
Attitude and Actions
Cognitive dissonance:
Discomfort arising when one’s
thoughts and behaviors do
not correspond
Lessening cognitive dissonance:
•Change the conflicting
behavior
•Change the conflicting attitude
•Form a new attitude to justify
the behavior
“I am a
good, loyal
friend.”
“I repeated
gossip about my
friend Chris.”
Attitude and Actions
Role playing affects attitudes.
• A role is a set of expectations (norms)
about a social position, defining how those
in the position ought to behave.
• What roles do you currently fill?
• How do you act in those roles? What
expectations are there of your behavior?
• Famous role-playing simulation in 1972:
Stanford Prison simulation
Video
13:40
Attitude and Actions
The attitudes-follow-behavior principle has
an encouraging implication:
We may not be able to directly
control our feelings, but we
can influence them by altering
our behavior.
Changing your behavior can change how
you think about others and how you feel
about yourself.