Interpersonal & Group Perspectives

Attributions Continued Just World Belief: We tend to believe that the world is, on the whole, fair, and that wrongs will be punished and rights rewarded. A number of studies have shown beliefs that people who suffer deserve it and have brought their ills upon themselves. Why Do We Think Like This? Invulnerable Belief- We can avoid unpleasant situations Reduce anxiety caused by injustices You get what you deserve and you deserve what you get.

How Correlated are Actions and Attitudes?

Attitudes & Behaviors may not be as correlated as you think! Read the description of the psychology experiment & answer the question. When we feel less coerced & more responsible for troubling actions we feel greater cognitive dissonance. Rationalization: protects our ego; If we choose to do/say it, we must believe it. Cognitive Dissonance Theory: When attitudes and behaviors do not match it creates stress. Especially when you feel responsible for your behavior!! What causes changes in our attitudes? Persuasion Credibility Likability Attractiveness

Conformity-Asch Factors increasing conformity Group size, cohesiveness, social status, culture, avoid rejection, no prior commitment to behavior or attitude. (Informational social influence, normative social influence)

Social Facilitation The presence of others improves performance on easy tasks. Difficult tasks = decreased performance Examples: Cars rate of speed Billiards accuracy Sporting events Laughing @ The Office Cars travel 15% faster!

Social Loafing Tendency to work LESS when in a group Loafing increases with group size (feel less accountable, more dispensable) Not observed in all cultures Collective vs. Individualistic societies Examples: Clapping at a concert School projects  Football Game/Films Find the social loafer!!

Group Polarization Group interaction intensifies the original opinion of group members. In groups, people tend to be more extreme in their decisions. Examples: Inflexible juries tend to hand down harsher sentences Racial attitudes Political attitudes

Groupthink Occurs when the desire for harmony overrides critical thinking. Alternative decisions are NOT considered. Feel Invincible Feel unanimous (all agree) Direct pressure to conform Mindguards: alternative solutions are kept from leader High Stress Examples: Bay of Pigs & Challenger Disaster