Courtesy Dr. Julie Gralow

An Introduction to Social Psychology Social psychology Study of human cognition, emotion, and behavior in relation to others, including how people behave in social settings

Courtesy Dr. Julie Gralow An Introduction to Social Psychology Research methods Same general research methods as other psychologists, but often with deception Often involves confederates who play part of experimental manipulation

Courtesy Dr. Julie Gralow IN THE NAME OF SCIENCE A research confederate in Stanley Milgram’s classic experiment is strapped to a table and hooked up to electrodes. Participants in this study were led to believe they were administering electrical shocks to the confederate when in reality the confederate was just pretending to be shocked. This allowed the researchers to study how far the participants would go applying the shocks—without anyone actually being hurt. Stanley & Alexandra Milgram/Alexander Street Press

Courtesy Dr. Julie Gralow Social Influence POWER OF OTHERS Social influence Refers to how a person is affected by others as evidenced in behaviors, emotions, and cognition Can be obvious or barely noticeable Other people’s behavior is partly derived from how we view them, just as our behavior is partly derived from how others view us.

Courtesy Dr. Julie Gralow Social Influence CONFORMITY Tendency to modify behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, and opinions to match those of others Following the crowd Tendency to conform to the norms or standards of the social environment; often occurs because people feel compelled to fit in and belong

Courtesy Dr. Julie Gralow Studying conformity: Asch’s Conformity Experiment Participants in this experiment were asked to look at the lines on two cards, announcing which of the comparison lines was closest in length to the standard line. photo by William E. Asch, Opinions and Social Pressure, Scientific American, Nov 1955, Vol 193, No.5, 31-35

Courtesy Dr. Julie Gralow Social Influence CONFORMITY Certain conditions increase likelihood of conforming: 1. The group includes at least three other people who are unanimous. 2. You have to report your decision in front of others and give your reasons. 3. The task seems difficult to you. 4. You are unsure of your ability to perform the task.

Courtesy Dr. Julie Gralow Social Influence CONFORMITY Certain conditions decrease the likelihood of conforming: 1.At least one other person is going against the group with you. 2. Group members come from individualist, or “me- centered” cultures, meaning they are less likely to conform than centered cultures.

Courtesy Dr. Julie Gralow Social Influence OBEDIENCE Obedience Changing behavior because we have been ordered to do so by an authority figure Milgram’s study

Courtesy Dr. Julie Gralow OBEDIENCE: TROUBLING DISCOVERIES Milgram’s research illuminated the dangers of human obedience. Feeling pressure from authority figures, participants in Milgram’s studies were willing to administer what they believed to be painful and life-threatening electric shocks to other human beings. (Milgram, 1963) Stanley & Alexandra Milgram/Alexander Street Press

Courtesy Dr. Julie Gralow Groups and Relationships WHEN TWO HEADS ARE NOT BETTER THAN ONE Bystander effect Tendency for people to avoid getting involved in an emergency they witness because they assume someone else will help

Courtesy Dr. Julie Gralow CASUALTIES OF THE BYSTANDER EFFECT Kitty Genovese (left) and Hugo Tale-Yax (right) lived in different eras, but both were victims of brutal assaults and the cold indifference of bystanders in New York City. Genovese and Tale-Yax might have been saved if the passersby who saw them in distress had called for help. NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images Christopher Sadowski/Splash News/Newscom

Courtesy Dr. Julie Gralow PROSOCIAL BEHAVIOR Prosocial behavior Behavior aimed at benefiting others Altruism Desire or motivation to help others with no expectation of anything in return Empathy Ability to understand and recognize another’s emotional point of view, is a major component of altruism.