Social Psychology n How does society influence your behavior?

How does society affect our thinking and actions?

How do people explain behavior? n Fundamental attribution error – Overestimating the influence of personality – Underestimating the influence of situation

How do our actions affect our attitudes? n The “foot-in-the-door” phenomenon – People who agree to a small action, will comply with a larger one later.

How does the role we play affect our attitudes and actions? n Philip Zimbardo’s prison study – Students randomly assigned to be guards or prisoners – Guards acted like guards – Prisoners acted like prisoners – Study called off after only six days because participants were endangered by their role playing. – Result: Since the roles we play affect our attitudes and behavior; if we play that role long enough we may become that type of person.

How do our actions affect our attitudes? n Cognitive dissonance theory – Leon Festenger – Cognitive = thinking – Dissonance = Unresolved differences – When we act differently than we believe, we experience cognitive dissonance.

Cognitive dissonance (cont.) n To reduce dissonance, we will change our attitudes (or behavior) to produce agreement. n We change our attitudes to justify past behavior. I know smoking can kill me, but I still smoke. Change behavior Quit smoking Change attitudes Smoking is not that bad

Cognitive dissonance (cont.)

Do you remember? n What mistake do people often make when explaining a person’s behavior? n If you want someone to do a large favor for you, what strategy could you use? n What did the Zimbardo prison study tell us? n To change someone’s behavior using the cognitive dissonance theory, what strategy would you use?

How do we influence each other? n Will you conform to group pressure?

Which line is longer?

What is the Solomon Asch conformity study? n Comparing lengths of lines n People rejected what they could see, to conform with the group even when it was clearly incorrect.

Obedience - Will you do what you are told even if it would hurt someone?

Stanley Milgram’s shock experiments n Teachers - gave shock ( volts) n Learners - received shock n Results: The majority of “teachers” ordered to shock the “learners” complied fully, and gave the highest level of shock.

Stanley Milgram’s shock experiments (Cont.)

What causes prejudice? n Scapegoat Theory – Frustration & feeling disadvantaged creates prejudice – “They caused my problems.” n The Cultural Theory of prejudice – Emery Borgardus – People well adjusted to a “culture of prejudice” become prejudiced.

What causes aggression? n Frustration - aggression hypothesis – Frustration - anger – aggression E.g. Hurting someone that frustrated you (not always physical)

Do you remember? n What did the Solomon Asch study tell us? n What did Milgram’s shock experiments tell us? n What idea may explain why people growing with the KKK are prejudiced? n What idea may explain why the poor may be prejudiced? n What example do you have in your life of the frustration-aggression hypothesis?

Have you ever been “In love”? n Sternberg’s theory of love – Intimacy – Passion – Commitment

Have you ever been “In love”? n Passionate love – Fully absorbed with the other – “Walking on clouds” n Companionate love – A deep affectionate attachment to the other – Based on equity and self disclosure

Will someone help you in an emergency? n The bystander effect – Kitty Genovese – Before helping, people must: n Notice the situation n Interpret it as an emergency n Assume responsibility

Bystander effect (cont.) n The more people are available to help, the less chance any one person will help. n “Diffusion of responsibility”

Why do we help? n Self interest n The “Social Exchange” theory – Cost - benefit analysis – Will the cost (money, time, discomfort) be less than the benefit (reduced guilt, social approval, good feelings). n Reciprocity norm – I give you something, I expect something back – Name stamps in contribution envelopes

Do you remember? n What love keeps an older couple together when they are no longer young and beautiful? n Why will a fireman point to one bystander and ask them to do something rather that asking anyone on the crowd? n What is idea most apt to explain why people give money to people on the street?