Download Intro to Social Psychology

Unit 14: Social
Psychology
Essential Questions:
•
What is Social Psychology?
•
What is Sociology?
•
What is Social Behavior?
What is Social Psychology?
•
•
•
Sociology is the study of social behavior, the way
people interact with one another, and the social
relationships they form through interaction.
Psychology is the study of mental processes as they
relate to behavior.
Social Psychology is the subfield where the two
disciplines overlap. It is the study of how we think about
social behavior and social relations, and how these
social relations can affect our thinking.
Social Thinking
Social thinking is the way in which we think
about social behavior and the connections we
have with other people. This includes how we
perceive the social actions of others, and the
way in which we perceive ourselves. There
are many theories of social cognition which
explain some of our typical behaviors.
Fritz Heider's Attribution Theory
When explaining our own
behavior to ourselves, we
tend to attribute it to our
situation.
I’m not a shy person; I’m
only shy with people I
don’t know. Around my
friends I’m very outgoing.
When explaining the
behavior of others, we
tend to attribute it to their
disposition, or
personality.
He doesn’t ever speak up
in class. He’s probably
just a very shy person.
Fundamental Attribution Error
This fundamental difference in attribution often
leads to misunderstandings. The
Fundamental Attribution Error occurs when
someone decide that someone else’s
behavior is due to their general disposition,
simply ‘the way they are’, while that person
attributes the exact same social behavior to
their temporary situation.
Actions and Attitudes
The way we feel (our
attitude) affects the way
we act, but the way we
act also affects our
attitudes. Being friends
with someone may lead
you to help them, but
helping someone you
don’t know may lead to
your becoming friends.
How Attitude affects Actions
Central Route Persuasion:
Occurs when someone is
convinced to feel a
certain way due to clear
evidence or some sort of
logical argument. This is
slow to create, but leaves
lasting convictions.
Peripheral Route
Persuasion:
Occurs when someone
takes a certain attitude
based on on superficial
or incidental cues, such
as an attractive
salesperson. This leads
to snap judgements, but
rarely lasts long.
How Actions Affect Attitudes
Foot-in-the-Door
Phenomenon:
Give them an
inch, and they’ll
take a mile, with
beliefs as well as
money.
The Cognitive Dissonance Theory
This theory states that when people have contradictory
attitudes, they will feel discomfort, and attempt to
eliminate one attitude in favor of another. When
someone is made to play a role which is contradictory to
their own personal attitude, they will attempt to either
stop playing the contradictory role or replace their
previous attitude with an attitude that will allow them to
keep playing that role. Thus, the way a person acts can
change their attitude.
The Stanford Prison Experiment
The Stanford Prison Experiment is a famous
example of how role-playing and cognitive
dissonance can make a person’s actions
change their attitudes about someone else.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZwfNs1pq
G0
Social Thinking Review
•
•
•
What is Attribution Theory?
What theory can explain how the participants
of the Milgram Experiment behaved?
What are some methods of persuasion?
Types of Social Influence
One of the main topics in Social Psychology is
the question of influence. How much
influence do our social connections have over
our thoughts and actions? In what ways can
we influence others through the actions we
take or avoid? Can our mere presence
produce startling unconscious reactions in
others?
Conformity: Solomon Asch’s Line Comparison Test
Conformity (cont.)
•
•
When taking the line comparison test on
their own, 1% of college students were
incorrect.
When taking the test with 2 planted students
who answered incorrectly, 33% answered
incorrectly. Even when they could clearly
see what the correct answer was, one third
of the students decided to side with the
Obedience: the Milgram Experiment
The Milgram Experiment examined the degree
to which volunteers will obey an authority
figure even when confronted with the
possibility of hurting or even killing another
person.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W147ybO
dgpE
Group Influence: Social Facilitation
Social Facilitation is when someones performance
becomes more extreme in the presence of others. For
example:
A skilled pool player is more likely to sink more shots
when being watched by four bystanders than when
playing alone.
An unskilled pool player is less likely to sink more shots
when they are aware of being observed.
Note that performance tends to become more extreme,
rather than uniformly better or worse.
•
•
Other Types of Group Influence
Social Loafing: When
people believe that
others are helping them,
they will put in less effort.
Example: A singer will
tend sing louder when
performing by
themselves and more
quietly when in a chorus.
Deindividuation: In a
group situation where
there is a feeling of
anonymity due to the
presence of many others,
people can lose selfawareness and selfrestraint and react more
strongly to arousal. This
process is known as
Sources:
•
•
•
Psychology (9th Edition) by David G. Meyers
From Youtube.com:
o Milgram Obedience Study
o The Stanford Prison Experiment
The National Center for Biotechnology
Information (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)
Social Psych
Roots of Prejudice, Aggression, and
Attraction
Do Now
•
•
•
How do you think prejudices and stereotypes come about?
When was a time that you felt aggressive? What triggered it?
Why do you think people are attracted to others?
Cognitive Roots of Prejudice
•
•
•
•
•
Prejudices are formed from cultural divisions and the way our
minds process information
Categorization is the human mind’s need to categorize the
world to simplify it.
Other-Race Effect: The tendency to recall faces of one’s
own race more accurately than faces of other races
A vivid case is when an event causes a stereotype of a
larger population. (i.e. 9/11)
The just world phenomenon is the notion that the world is
just and that people deserve what they get. (i.e. Successful
people are good and unsuccessful people are bad.)
Aggression
•
•
•
Aggression is any physical or verbal behavior intended to
hurt or destroy, it may be done as a reaction or as a means
to an end.
Influenced through experience and biology.
Biology sets the threshold of aggression but a situation sets it
off.
Biological Factors
•
•
•
Genetic: Twin studies show that identical twins are more
likely to both be aggressive, while fraternal aren’t. (i.e. the Y
chromosome)
Neural: The neural system that when stimulated can either
inhibit or produced aggressive behavior.
Biochemical: Hormones, drugs, and other substances that
affect the neural system which controls aggression. (i.e. low
serotonin, high testosterone, and alcohol)
Psychology of Aggression
•
•
•
•
Studies show that animals or humans who experience
unpleasant events often make others miserable (Berkowitz,
1983)
Frustration Aggression Principle is that idea that being
blocked from a goal can create anger which can generate
aggression
Aggressive cues also make aggression more likely such as a
gun being available
Physical pain, person insult, foul odors, hot temperatures,
and many other stimuli can trigger aggression
Social Cultural Influences
•
•
•
•
Some people use aggression when they learn that
aggression can reward them or observe it through other’s
behaviors. (i.e.Bobo doll experiment)
Higher crime rates are seen in areas with a greater
difference in wealth
Cultural values and views against pacifism increase rate of
aggression
Aggression is portrayed in the media as something that is
casual and people tend to become desensitized to it (i.e.
video games)
Psychology of Attraction
• Mere exposure effect is the phenomenon that repeated
•
•
•
exposure to a person or thing increases the chances of liking
them.
Familiarity increases the chances of liking a person too.
Appearance and physical attraction also plays a role in how
people judge each other.
People are attracted to people with opposite immune system
from them
Physical Attraction
•
•
•
•
•
•
Physical attraction accounts for thinking people are more
healthy, happy, and successful
Attractiveness isn’t related to self-esteem or happiness
though
Beauty differs from culture to culture
Men tend to think youthful women are more attractive while
women tend to find men that are healthy, mature, and
affluent are attractive
Average is seen as more attractive
http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/physical-traits-
Review
•
•
•
Why do humans divide the world into categories?
How is the psychological definition of aggression different
from the one used in common language?
What is the mere-exposure effect?
Social Relations
Romantic Love
Romantic love is a critical part of human
experience. When relationships are built,
occasionally a simple friendship will progress
and grow to become a more intimate
relationship of romantic love.
The Psychologist Elaine Hartfield believed
there were two separate categories of love:
passionate and compassionate.
Passionate Love
Passionate love is defined as being a state of
arousal and intense positive absorption from
another person.
This form of love is usually present at the
beginning of a relationship, and involves
intense feelings of sexual attraction.
Hartfield described passionate love as being,
Compassionate Love
After the initial excitement and heat of a new
relationship cools, Hartfield believed that love
then matured to become compassionate love.
This second form of love is characterized by a
deep affectionate attachment between the
couple. This is essential in maintaining a strong
long term relationship after the initial passion
fades.
There are two important factors to maintaining
a relationship
Equity – this is a condition in which people give and
receive equally within their relationship
Self Disclosure – this is when two people reach a point in
which they feel comfortable enough to reveal intimate
details about themselves to their significant other
It is important to share with your significant other,
in a national survey, “sharing household chores”
ranked 3rd in a list of factors people associate with
a successful marriages, right after “faithfulness”
Altruism
Altruism is defined as the unselfish regard for the wellbeing
of others
Altruism became a big concern among social
psychologists in 1964 after the attack of Kitty Genovese.
Kitty was stabbed and sexually assaulted outside of her
apartment building at 3:30 in the morning. She screamed
for help for over 20 minutes before someone finally called
the police. Later on over 35 residents of Kitty’s building
reported hearing the screams and doing nothing about it.
Each one of them assumed someone else would make the
There many factors that could lead someone to
ignore an emergency situation. After a series of
experiments, psychologists John Darley and
Bibb Latane stated that people will only
respond if they first;
⦿ Notice the incident
⦿ Interpret it as an emergency
⦿ Choose to assume responsibility
After an extensive amount of studies done by
Altruism researchers, scientists have compiled a
list of factors that boost the chances that we will
help someone in need.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The person seems to need and deserve out help
The person is similar to us in some way
We have observed someone else being helpful
We are not in a hurry
We are feeling guilty
We are not preoccupied
Other terms and theories
Social Exchange theory – this is the idea that
our social behavior is an exchange process in
which we seek to maximize benefits and minimize
cost
Reciprocity norm – the expectation that people
will help, not hurt, those who have helped them
Social- responsibility norm – the expectation
that people will help those dependent on them.
Conflict and Peacemaking
Psychologists question what part of the human
mind cases conflict? And how can we replace
these destructive tendencies with a spirit of
cooperation?
Psychologists believe that conflict stems from
incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.
The elements of conflict are always the same,
weather they are within a marital dispute, or even
Social Traps
Situations in which we harm our collective well
being based on pursuing our interests are
called “Social Traps” This occurs when two
parties are so intent on pursuing their own self
interests that they become caught in mutually
destructive behavior. This phenomenon is
illustrated in the “Social- trap game matrix”