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Social Psychology in the Clinic
PSY102 – Week 5 – Lecture 8
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Social Psychology’s Principles Are Applicable in Everyday Life
Principles of social thinking, social influence, and social relations have big applications and implications for: Human health and well-being Judicial procedures and juror decisions in courtrooms Influencing behaviors that will enable an environmentally sustainable future
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Social Psychology’s Principles in the Clinic
As laypeople or as professional psychologists, how can we improve our judgments and predictions about others? How do the ways in which we think about self and others fuel problems such as depression, loneliness, anxiety, and ill health? How might people reverse these maladaptive thought patterns? What part do close, supportive relationships play in health and happiness?
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How can we use Social Psychology Concepts in the Clinic?
heuristic hindsight bias individualism In-group bias just-world phenomenon learned helplessness mere-exposure effect normative influence Out-group outgroup homogeneity persuasion prejudice Primacy effect Recency effects Self-serving bias Self-presentation Social comparison Stereotyping Superordinate goals Social loafing Confirmation bias Culture correlational research cognitive dissonance central route to persuasion availability heuristic attribution theory attitude cohesiveness conformity credibility discrimination empathy equal-status contact foot-in-the-door phenomenon fundamental attribution error group-serving bias groupthink Attitudes change behavior Behavior changes attitudes
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What and Why of Clinical Settings?
Mental Health Centers, hospitals, clinics, Why is there a need? Survey of 90,000 American college students 44 percent reported that during the last school year they had at some point felt “so depressed it was difficult to function” 10 percent of men and 20 percent of women suffer from depression Depression is the “common cold” of mental disorders
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What Influences the Accuracy of Clinical Judgments?
Illusory Correlations When we expect a particular association we generally perceive it Hindsight and Overconfidence I-should-have-known-it-all-along phenomenon
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Doctors are not the only ones…
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What Influences the Accuracy of Clinical Judgments?
Self-Confirming Diagnoses Patients may supply information that fulfills clinicians’ expectations Clinical versus Statistical Prediction Statistical predictions are more reliable than intuitive predictions Would you want your doctor to rely primarily on: Intuition, or Scientific data? Rorschach inkblots and the Draw-a-Person test, have correlations far weaker than their users suppose
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What Influences the Accuracy of Clinical Judgments?
Implications for Better Clinical Practice Be mindful that clients’ verbal agreement with what you say does not prove its validity Beware of the tendency to see relationships that you expect to see Rely more on your notes than on your memory
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What Cognitive Processes Accompany Behavior Problems?
Depression Distortion or realism? Depressive realism Tendency of mildly depressed people to make accurate rather than self-serving judgments, attributions, and predictions Explanatory style One’s habitual way of explaining life's events Positive Negative
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What Cognitive Processes Accompany Behavior Problems?
Depression Distortion or realism? Is negative thinking a cause or a result of depression? Depressed moods cause negative thinking Negative thinking causes depressed moods How could this be? Normal people exaggerate how competent and well liked they are Protective Depressed people do not
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How can negative thinking result in depression?
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What Cognitive Processes Accompany Behavior Problems?
Loneliness Feeling lonely and excluded Loneliness, depression, and shyness feed one another Loneliness is the “headache” of mental disorders Is loneliness also a product of thinking? Consider: can someone be lonely in a crowd? Is loneliness the result of longing for specific kinds of people and connections? If it is a thinking problem – work to change your thinking!
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What Cognitive Processes Accompany Behavior Problems?
Anxiety and Shyness Doubting our ability in social situations Self-presentation theory We feel anxious when we are motivated to impress others but have self-doubts Remember: being nervous about appearing nervous? Over-personalizing situations Tendency that breeds anxious concern and, in extreme cases, paranoia Alcohol abuse – to relieve nervousness, anxiety
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Health, Illness, and Death
Reactions to illness Noticing symptoms Explaining symptoms: Am I sick? We interpret symptoms by using familiar disease schemas Do I need treatment? Women more than men seek treatment – Why? Are women more often sick? – No!
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Health, Illness, and Death
Perhaps women are more attentive to their internal states Perhaps women are less reluctant to admit “weakness” and seek help In fact, men may be more disease-prone: Men have higher rates of hypertension, ulcers, and cancer As well as shorter life expectancies.
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What Cognitive Processes Accompany Behavior Problems?
Health, Illness, and Death Emotions and illness Type A personality Anger-prone Depression
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What Cognitive Processes Accompany Behavior Problems?
Health, Illness, and Death Optimism and health Stress and illness Learned helplessness Explanatory style and illness – hopeful vs. pessimistic Hopeful explanatory style is generally good medicine.
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What Cognitive Processes Accompany Behavior Problems?
The healing power of positive belief is evident in the well-known placebo effect the healing power of believing that one is getting an effective treatment. If you think a treatment is going to be effective, it just may be—even if it’s actually inert Optimistic thinking reduces stress – and the bad things stress does to the body
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What Are Some Social-Psychological Approaches to Treatment?
Inducing Internal Change through External Behavior If we cannot directly control our feelings by sheer willpower, we can influence them indirectly through our behavior Remember: right behavior leading to right beliefs and attitudes?
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What Are Some Social-Psychological Approaches to Treatment?
Breaking Vicious Circles Social skills training Observing and practicing new behaviors in safe situations, one may develop the confidence to behave more effectively in other situations Explanatory style therapy Reversing one’s negative beliefs about oneself and the future
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Can Social Justice Improve Health?
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What Are Some Social-Psychological Approaches to Treatment?
Maintaining Change through Internal Attributions for Success Once improvement is achieved, it endures best if one attributes it to factors under his own control Using Therapy as Social Influence One person affecting another
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How Do Social Relationships Support Health and Well-Being?
Close Relationships and Health One who enjoys close relationships with friends or family are less likely to die prematurely Married people tend to live healthier, longer lives than unmarried people
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How Do Social Relationships Support Health and Well-Being?
Close Relationships and Health Confiding and health Experiments confirm the benefits of engaging with others rather than suppressing stressful experiences Poverty, inequality, and health Reduced access to quality health care Unhealthier lifestyles Smoking Increased stress
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How Do Social Relationships Support Health and Well-Being?
Close Relationships and Happiness Friendships and happiness Friendships foster self-esteem and well-being Marital attachment and happiness Less risk for depression
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Enhancing Happiness Realize that enduring happiness doesn’t come from “making it” Take control of your time Act happy to be happy Seek work and leisure that engage your skills Join the “movement” movement Exercise! Give your body the sleep it wants vs. needs Give priority to close relationships Focus beyond the self Keep a gratitude journal Nurture your spiritual self
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In-Class Discussion Think of a time when you really depended on your social network (friends, family, co-workers, etc.) during a particularly difficult time in your life. On balance, do you think this social network helped or harmed you more during this time? Please explain your answer.
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