Social Psychology

Pretend that you have just found an invisible ring. You cannot be seen, heard, or detected any time you wear it. List 5 things you would do while invisible. Activity (5 minutes)

Why might the following happen? A student reads a pro-Castro essay in your class Your report card shows all A’s for the semester A child hits another child on the playground 2 days in a row You speed on your way to work

Attributions Attribution: why something happened  Situational cause: cause was outside of the person  Dispositional cause: cause was inside the person; who they are Saliency: we judge based on what is most obvious or noticeable

Attributional Biases Fundamental Attribution Error  Tendency to overestimate the extent to which people ’ s behavior is due to their disposition and not the situation Correspondence Bias  Tendency to infer that people ’ s behavior matches their personality Just World Hypothesis  Bad things happen to bad people and good things happen to good people Self-Serving Attributions  Crediting success with internal/dispositional factors but explaining failures with external factors

Directions: (5 minutes!) 1. Read your comic 2. Decide which concept(s) it portrays and why 3. Enlighten someone near you with your conclusions & try to find alternate answers a.Fundamental Attribution Error b.Correspondence Bias c.Just World Hypothesis d.Self-Serving Attribution

“ There he goes again...Satan’s pet.”

I make no claims about all my success, Bernard. I never went to school, I never worked hard, and I’m not particularly bright...I’m just a lucky skunk, Bernard.

I know you miss the Wainwrights, Bobby, but they were weak and stupid people—and that’s why we have wolves and other large predators.

“Well, no, I can’t tell Harriet!...First thing she’s gonna ask me is what I was doin’ checkin’ out a decoy!”

Application Think of a situation or event (historical, political, personal, etc.) that illustrates a case of attributional bias. How might the situation have ended differently without those attributions?

Pro-Social Behavior Helping  Bystander effect: more people around = less likely any one person will help  Diffusion of responsibility: thinking that because other people are there that they will help

Pro-Social Behavior Decision points in helping behavior  Noticing & understanding situation  Assuming responsibility  Knowing how to help  Person differences: good mood, sex of recipient, attractiveness, appearance, race/ethnicity

Model of Bystander Intervention (Figure adapted from Darley &Latane, 1968, pp )

Attitudes Attitude: learned response  Belief / Cognitive: ex. I believe that vegetables are healthy  Emotional / Affective: ex. I feel frustrated at not liking vegetables  Action / Behavioral: ex. I buy vegetables but rarely eat them

Types of Attitudes Non-attitude: no previous thought or experiences about object/topic Strong attitude: very positive or very negative because of lots of experience Ambivalent attitude: some positive and some positive thoughts/feelings/actions  Which type is easiest to change?  Which type best predicts behavior?

Types of Attitudes It is good to eat candy. The laws regarding coastal fishing are not strict enough. The education that I receive from GCC will be worth the money and effort that I put into it.

Creating vs. Changing Attitudes Creating  classical conditioning, observational learning, instruction, interaction, mere exposure effect, strong message Changing  Latitude of acceptance: can move a little  Cognitive Dissonance: unpleasant feeling if our behaviors don’t match our attitudes – can change behavior or can change attitude Attitudes  Experience

Activity (10 minutes) Find one partner and analyze the persuasion attempt  Source  Message  Target audience

Obedience Obedience: following command of someone in authority Infamous Examples of Obedience  Milgram’s experiments (video Power Situation 8:03-11:45)  Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment (16:30-16:55)  Jonestown

Why do we obey? Socialization: taught to obey Foot-in-the-door: small acts lead to larger acts of obedience Norms / Power of the situation  Power – authority of the leader  Distance between learner and teacher  Assignment of Responsibility

Why do we obey?

Why do we conform? Conformity: going along with group Asch’s line studies (video 7:04-8:02)  Normative social influence: approval  Informational social influence: info  Reference groups: want to be like them

Compliance Compliance: going along with a request  Foot-in-the-door technique: small then larger  Door-in-the-face technique: large then smaller  Norm of reciprocity: giving something = obligation  Lowball technique: agreeing to low price then increasing  That’s-not-all technique: adding “extras” to make it seem more valuable

Discussion Attitudes, Obedience, Compliance, & Conformity  What are they? How are they difference?

Prejudiced Attitude Prejudice: Learned negative attitude towards a group Stereotype: believing that all members of a group are the same  Cognitive component of the attitude Discrimination: different treatment based on one’s group  Behavioral component of the attitude  (Video Constructing Social Reality 5:50-9:40)

Why is there prejudice? Group dynamics  In-groups vs. out-groups  Out-group homogeneity: all the same Learned responses: imitation, norms Mental shortcuts: automatic grouping based on similarities  Biases: not motivated to be accurate/fair  We notice what we expect to see, then seeing it reinforces our stereotypes

Why is there prejudice? Competition  Economic resources – who gets them? Displaced aggression: take out anger Downward social comparison: feel better compare to someone worse off Scapegoating: blame 1 person/group Stereotypes  Behavior  Self-fulfilling prophecy: we create responses of others

Physical Pain Females Males Pain = anterior insula/fronto-insular cortex (AI/FI) & anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)

Player Ratings Fair Players Unfair Players

Empathy for other Players Painful Shock Non-painful shock Peak of Empathy Activation Painful Shock Non-painful shock Peak of Empathy Activation

Reward Processing Nucleus Accumbens

Desire for Revenge

Punishment is Rewarding

Examples Take away citizenship rights Label a group as cheaters Place small and then larger restrictions on a group Convey a strong negative message about a small group Youth programs with a message

Examples BA Columbia University 1928 Published novels, plays, and an autobiography to critical acclaim Received grants to study anthropology worldwide Received fellowship to earn PhD 1935 Columbia University Worked as consultant to Paramount Pictures

Discussion

Impressions Quick Emotional Based on available information Hard to change

Interpersonal Attraction Proximity, similarity, physical attractiveness Reciprocity of liking

Interpersonal Attraction Triangular Theory of Love