Social Psychology

 Person perception  Attribution processes  Interpersonal attraction  Attitudes  Conformity and obedience  Behavior in groups

Person Perception: Forming Impressions of Others  Effects of physical appearance  Cognitive/social schemas  Stereotypes  Subjectivity in person perception  Illusory correlation  Evolutionary perspectives  Ingroup - outgroup

Attribution Processes: Explaining Behavior  Attributions Internal vs. External Attributions in success and failure  Biases in attributions Fundamental attribution error Defensive attribution Self-serving bias – credit self for success, blame situation for failure  Cultural influences Individualism – collectivism

Close Relationships: Liking and Loving  Key factors in attraction  Physical attractiveness  Matching hypothesis  Similarity, Reciprocity  Perspectives on love  Hatfield & Berscheid – Passionate vs. Companionate love  Sternberg – Intimacy, commitment, & passion  Hazen & Shaver – love as attachment  Attachment styles – attachment anxiety/avoidance  Evolutionary perspectives  Mating priorities  Mate poaching – Buss  Internet and close relationships

Attitudes and Attitude Change  3 components cognitive, affective, and behavioral  Factors in changing attitudes persuasion source, message, channel, and receiver  Theories of attitude change Learning theory ○ Classical conditioning and advertising Dissonance theory – Festinger & Carlsmith (1959) Self-perception theory Elaboration likelihood model

Yielding to Others: Conformity  Conformity – Solomon Asch (1950s) Conformity – Solomon Asch (1950s) Group norm behavior Classic experiment ○ Group size ○ Group unanimity  Compliance Conforming to requested behavior ○ Foot-in-door ○ Door-in-the-face

Yielding to Others: Obedience  Obedience – Stanley Milgram (1960s) Controversial landmark experiment – Figure ○ 65% gave highest shock level ○ Many variations of basic experiment “I was just following orders” ○ presence of a dissenter

Behavior in Groups: The Power of the Situation  Social Roles  Gender Roles Gender Roles  Stanford Prison Study Stanford Prison Study

Behavior in Groups: The Influence of Other People  The bystander effect - Darley and Latane (1968) Diffusion of responsibility  Group productivity and social loafing  Decision making in groups  Group Polarization  Groupthink Bay of Pigs NASA Shuttle disaster

Understanding Prejudice  Prejudice as an attitude  Prejudice and discrimination  Bias attribution of success and failure  Group competition – Sherif et al. (1961) study – field experiment  Ingroups and outgroups  Threats to social identity