Social Psychology Studying the way people think about, influence and relate to others. Attitude Attraction Aggression Group Behavior

Attribution Theory Theory of how we explain someone’s behavior It is either a…. Situational Attribution – External Dispositional Attribution – Internal And Stable Attribution Unstable Attribution

Fundamental Attribution Error We tend to overestimate the role of dispositional factors. Individualistic V. Collectivistic Cultures False Consensus Effect Self-Serving Bias How do you view your teacher’s behavior? You probably attribute it to their personality rather than their profession. But do you really know? When you start a romance, you assume that they agree with your world views….honeymoon period. If you win it is because you are awesome…if you lose, it must have been the coach or weather or….

Attitudes Feelings, based on beliefs, that guide our behavior Advertising is ALL based on attitude formation. Central Route v. Peripheral Route Persuasion

Compliance Strategies Foot-in-the-door phenomenon Door-in-the-face phenomenon Norms of reciprocity

Role-Playing Affects Attitudes –Role – set of behaviors for a specific social positionRole –Zimbardo - Stanford Prison Study –Abu Ghraib

Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive Dissonance Theory Leon Festinger Discomfort we feel when your thoughts are behaviors are inconsistent People want to have consistent attitudes and behaviors….when they are not they experience dissonance (unpleasant tension). Usually they will change their attitude. You have a belief that cheating on tests is bad. But you cheat on a test!!! The teacher was really bad so in that class it is OK.

Conformity and Obedience Chameleon effect Mood linkage

Conformity Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

Asch’s Study of Conformity

Asch’s Results About 1/3 of the participants conformed. 70% conformed at least once. Conditions that Strengthen Conformity : The group is unanimous One is insecure within the group or made to feel incompetent The group is at least three people. One admires the group’s status One had made no prior commitment

Reasons for Conforming – Normative social influence Normative social influence Desire to gain approval/avoid rejection – Informational social influence Informational social influence Accepting other peoples opinions about reality

Milgram’s Study Of Obedience

Results of the Milgram Study

What did we learn from Milgram? Ordinary people can do shocking things. Ethical issues…. Would not have received approval from today’s IRB (Internal Review Board).

Social Facilitation Theory If you are really good at something (well learned tasks)….or it is an easy task…you will perform BETTER in front of a group. If it is a difficult task or you are not very good at it…you will perform WORSE in front of a group (aka - social impairment). Crowding effects

Social Loafing The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling efforts toward a common goal than if they were individually accountable.

Deindividuation People get swept up in a group and lose sense of self. Feel anonymous and aroused. Explains rioting behaviors.

Group Polarization If a group is like- minded, discussion strengthens its prevailing opinion. Groups tend to make more extreme decisions than the individual.

Groupthink Group members suppress reservations about the ideas supported by the group. More concerned with group harmony. Worse in highly cohesive groups.

Cultural Influence Culture – behaviors, attitudes, ideas, values shared by a group Culture – Culture within animals – Culture in humans

Variations Across Cultures Norm – Personal space Personal space – Pace of life

Variation Over Time Changes over the generations

The Power of Individuals Social control vs personal control Minority influence

Social Relations – how we relate to one another: prejudice, aggression, attraction, altruism, peacemaking

Stereotypes, Prejudice and Discrimination Stereotype: Overgeneralized beliefs about a group of people. 3 components: beliefs, emotions and predisposition to action Example: obese people are gluttonous Prejudice: An unjustifiable and usually negative attitude toward a group and its members Example: “I dislike fat people” Discrimination: An action based on a prejudice (behavior). Example: to not hire an obese person

Prejudice How Prejudiced Are People?

Automatic Prejudice

Is it just race? NO Palestinians and Jews Homosexual and Heterosexual Men and Women But women have some things going for them like……

Which person would you want to have a long term relationship with?

How does prejudice occur? In-Group versus Out- Groups. In-Group Bias Scapegoat Theory Girls rule, boys drool Solon vs. Twinsburg

Cognitive Roots of Prejudice Categorization – Out-group homogeneity – Other-race effect Other-race effect Vivid cases Just-world phenomenon Just-world phenomenon – Hindsight bias

Psychology of Aggression Aggression – any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy 2 Types 1.Instrumental Aggression 2.Hostile Aggression

The Biology of Aggression Genetic Influences Neural Influences Biochemical Influences

Aggression Theories Aversive Events –Frustration-aggression principleFrustration-aggression principle Fight or flight reaction Social and cultural influences –Reinforcement Aggression-replacement program –Bandura’s Social Learning Theory

Aggression Psychological and Social-Cultural Factors in Aggression -Observing models of aggression – Rape myth -Acquiring social scripts -Do video games teach, or release violence? – Catharsis hypothesis?

Attraction 5 Factors of Attraction

1. Proximity Geographic nearness Mere exposure effect: Increased attraction to novel stimuli that become more familiar The more we are exposed to something, the more we like it

2. Reciprocal Liking You are more likely to like someone who likes you. Why? Except in elementary school!!!!

3. Similarity Paula Abdul was wrong- opposites do NOT attract. Birds of the same feather do flock together. Similarity breeds content.

4. Reward theory of Conditioning We continue relationships that offer more rewards than costs

5. Physical Attractiveness

The Hotty Factor Physically attractiveness predicts dating frequency (they date more). They are perceived as healthier, happier, more honest and successful than less attractive counterparts.

Beauty and Culture Obesity is so revered among Mauritania's white Moor Arab population that the young girls are sometimes force-fed to obtain a weight the government has described as "life-threatening".

Are these cultures really that different?

Attraction Romantic Love Love –Passionate LovePassionate Love Two Factor Theory of Emotion ( Schachter/Singer) –Companionate LoveCompanionate Love Equity Self-disclosure

Altruism Altruism: Unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Prosocial Behavior Kitty Genovese case in Kew Gardens NY. Bystander Effect: Tendency for a bystander to be less likely to help if other people are present Diffusion of Responsibility – When many people share the responsibility we think someone else will help Pluralistic Ignorance People decide what to do by looking to others – a lack of reaction is interpreted as a non-emergency situation

Altruism

Altruism The Norms of Helping Social exchange theory – we want to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs Social exchange theory Social Norms that Influence Altruism – Reciprocity norm – we help someone who has helped us Reciprocity norm – Social-responsibility norm – we help people who need our help Social-responsibility norm

Conflict and Peacemaking Conflict – a perceived incompatibility of goals actions and ideas Conflict Destructive Social Processes – Social trap we harm our collective well being by following our personal interests Social trap Non-zero sum game – Distorted Perception

Conflict and Peacemaking Enemy Perceptions Mirror-image perceptions Self-fulfilling prophecy

Conflict and Peacemaking Contact Cooperation – Superordinate goals – shared goals achieved through cooperation Superordinate goals Communication Conciliation – GRIT GRIT