1. Unit 3
Social Psychology

2. What are we talking about?
Social Psychology - psychology that studies the effects of social variables and cognitions on individual behavior and social interaction
Looks at how people’s thoughts, feelings, perceptions, motives and behavior are influenced by other people
Tries to understand behavior and mental processes within its social context
Social Context - includes the real, imagined, or symbolic presence of other people; the activities and interactions that take place among people; the settings in which behavior occurs; and the expectations and social norms governing behavior in a given setting

3. How do we look at social psychology?
SITUATIONISM (NURTURE) A view that says environmental conditions influence people’s behavior as much or more than their personal disposition does
DISPOSITIONISM (NATURE) A view that says internal factors (genes, traits, character qualities) influence our behavior more than the situation we are in

5. Person Perception – process of forming impressions of others People show ingenuity in piecing together clues about others’ characteristics
Impressions are often inaccurate because of the many biases and fallacies that occur in person perception

7. Stereotypes
Widely held beliefs that people have certain characteristics because of their membership in a particular group
The most common relater to gender, age, occupation, religion, ethnic groups
Saves energy…cost is accuracy

12. Let’s take a look

13. One word to describe them
What do you see?
What are their names?
Where do they live?
What do they do?
What do they like?
One word to describe them

19. Social Standards Social Roles
One of several socially defined patterns of behavior that are expected of persons in a given setting or group
Social Norms A group’s expectations regarding what is appropriate and acceptable for it’s members’ attitudes and behaviors in given situations.

20. Social Norms
Turn to the person next to you and come up with at least 3 social norms you see in our community:
Roosevelt High School
San Antonio (the city)
Texas

21. Social Pressure
Social pressure can create powerful psychological effects such as prejudice, discrimination, blind obedience, and violence
Social roles, rules, how we are dressed, competition, or the mere presence of others can profoundly influence how we behave and think
We usually adapt our behavior to the demands of the social situation, and in ambiguous situations, we take our cues from the behavior of others in that setting

22. A Class Divided

23. The need to classify WE MUST CLASSIFY
In group – Group that one identifies with and belongs to
Out Group – Group that one does NOT identify with or belong to
Evolutionary theorists claim that this behavior is attributed to our ancestors need to distinguish friend from foe as a matter of survival
WE MUST CLASSIFY

24. What groups do you belong to?
Gender
Age
Occupation
Family
Religion
Socio-Economic Status
Ethnicity
Athletics
Extra - Curriculars

25. Conformity
The tendency for people to adapt their behaviors, attitudes, and opinions to fit the actions of other members of a group
Conformity increases when…
You feel incompetent or insecure.
You are in a group of 3 or more.
You are impressed by the status of the group.
You have made no prior commitment to a response.
You are being observed by the others in the group.
Your culture strongly encourages respect for social standards.

26. The Asch Effect

27. The Asch Effect
Asch identified 3 factors that influence whether a person will yield to group pressure:
1. The size of the majority
2. The presence of a partner who dissented from the majority
3. The size of the discrepancy between the correct answer and the majority’s opinion
75% of those subjected to group pressure conformed to the false judgment of the group one or more times, while only 25% remained completely independent

29. Stanford Prison Experiment

30. Group Processes Group Think
People have a strong desire to maintain good relations within a group
Views of leader are determined early and no on dissents
Juries, cults, Ku Klux Klan

31. 3 Reasons people Socially Loaf
Group Processes
Social Loafing
Reduction of effort in individuals when hey work in groups versus when they work individually
3 Reasons people Socially Loaf
In a group people tend to feel less accountable
Group members may view their individual contributions as dispensable
Unless heavily invested, people will take a free ride

32. Group Processes Bystander Effect
People are not likely to help others unless they are alone with that person
If someone is in need of help and there are several people around, diffusion of responsibility often occurs

33. Group Biases Prejudice (Thoughts)
Having negative thoughts, emotions, attitudes or feelings towards an individual solely based on his membership in a particular group
Discrimination
(Actions)
A negative action taken against a person because of his membership in a group.

34. Biases
Cognitive Confirmation Bias – participants are more likely to search for information that confirms a previously learned bias than to seek information that contradicts it
You want to buy a sports car, therefore you will find supporting evidence to suggest that you need to buy one or that it would be good for you
Self-Full Filling Prophecy – positive or negative expectations affecting behaviors towards them in a manner that causes expectations to be fulfilled
Luke Skywalker was told he was a Jedi, he fulfilled his prophecy to do so. Had he never been told, he might not have been as successful.

35. Illusory Correlation
People estimate that they have encountered more confirmations of an association between social traits than they have actually seen
People underestimate the number of disconfirmations that they have encountered

36. Attribution Theories
Attributions Inferences that people draw about the causes of events, others’ behaviors, and their own behavior
4 Types of Attributions
Internal VS. External
Success and Failure
Bias Based
Defensive

37. Internal VS. External Internal Attributions External Attributions
Ascribe the causes of behavior to personal dispositions, traits, abilities, and feelings
I did this to myself
External Attributions
Ascribe the causes of behavior to situational dispositions, traits, abilities, and feelings
Someone else did this to me

38. Success VS. Failure Success Failure Got an A on a test
External – studied
Internal – very intelligent
Business succeeds
External – went to business school
Internal – motivated and driven
Failure
Teenager wrecked car
External – slippery roads
Internal – not paying attention
Business fails
External – economic factors
Internal – not business savvy

39. Biased Based Fundamental Attribution Theory
Tendency to believe that causes of behavior are internal not external
People do things because of who they are not what they are going through

40. Defensive Self-Serving Bias
We attribute causes of behavior to external if we fail and internal if we succeed
If we fail it’s someone else fault
If we succeed it’s because we’re awesome

41. Cognitive Dissonance
A highly motivating state in which people have conflicting cognitions (thoughts), especially when their voluntary actions conflict with their attitudes

42. Cognitive Dissonance Theory
When people’s cognitions and actions are in conflict (a state of dissonance) they often reduce the conflict by changing their thinking to fit their behavior
Working out is tough, I can’t do it
Pain is weakness leaving the body
Example: people who smoke
They know smoking is unhealthy but they want to live a long life
Their feelings are dissonant
They find a way to justify it. It makes me lose weight

43. It pays to be pretty!

44. Social Reality
An individual’s subjective interpretation of other people and of relationships with them
Determines who we find: attractive or threatening; who we are drawn to or avoid
The judgments we make about others depend on their behavior and our interpretations of their action

45. Attraction Theories
Reward theory of attraction: The theory that says we like those who give us maximum rewards or benefit at minimum costs
Matching Hypothesis: A prediction that most people will find friends and mates that are perceived to be about their same level of attractiveness
Expectancy-Value Theory: The theory that people decide to pursue a relationship by weighing the potential value of the relationship against their chances of succeeding in that relationship

46. Sources of Attraction PROXIMITY SIMILIARITY
The idea is that people will work harder to make friends with those to whom they are closest (physically)
The person sitting beside you in class
The person on your dance team
You cousin that lives next door
SIMILIARITY
People usually find it more rewarding to have a relationship with someone who shares the same attitudes, interests, values and experiences as they do
Birds of a feather flock together
Skater kids
Band kids

47. PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS
Sources of Attraction
SELF-DISCLOSURE
It takes time to develop the trust necessary to share intimate details about oneself
We like to spend time with people who really know us
Life is more comfortable that way
Most people don’t like hanging out with strangers
PHYSICAL ATTRACTIVENESS
Yes it is vain, but it is reality. People are generally attracted to those who are more physically attractive
We like pretty people, but not too pretty!
Attractive is approachable
Beautiful is UNapproachable