1. Unit 12: Social Psychology
WHS AP Psychology
Unit 12: Social Psychology
Essential Task 12-5:
Describe processes that contribute to differential treatment of group members with specific attention to attraction, altruism, aggression, in-group/out-group dynamics, ethnocentrism, prejudice.
Logo Green is R=8 G=138 B= Blue is R= 0 G=110 B=184
Border Grey is R=74 G=69 B=64

2. Social Psychology Conformity Compliance Schema Attraction
Unit 12:
Social Psychology
Attribution
Attitudes and Persuasion
Impact of Others on You
Group Behavior
Fundamental Attribution Error
Self-Serving Bias
Just-World Hypothesis
Individualistic vs. Collectivistic Culture
Schema
Conformity
Compliance
Group Polarization
Group Think
In-Group/Out-Group
Attraction
Cognitive Dissonance
Routes to Persuasion
We are here

3. Essential Task 12-5: Outline In group bias Treatment of Group Members
Attraction
Out group bias
Altruism
Ethnocentrism
Proximity
Exchange
Similarity
Physical Attractiveness
Intimacy

4. Interpersonal Attraction
Attraction is closely linked to
Proximity
Physical attractiveness
Similarity
Exchange
Intimacy

5. Psychology of Attraction
Proximity: Geographic nearness is a powerful predictor of friendship. Repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases their attraction (mere exposure effect).
OBJECTIVE 23| Describe the influence of proximity, physical attractiveness, and similarity on interpersonal attractions.
A rare white penguin born in a zoo was accepted after 3 weeks by other penguins just due to proximity.
Rex USA

6. Proximity leads to liking
Moreland & Beach, 1992
IV: Four female confederates attended large class 0, 5, 10, or 15 times
DV: How much liked slides of confederate at end of semester
Results: The more times confederate attended the class, the more she was liked.

7. Proximity leads to liking

8. Psychology of Attraction
Physical Attractiveness: Once proximity affords contact, the next most important thing in attraction is physical appearance.
Hatfield et al. (1966)
Couples randomly paired at “computer dance”
Assessed personality, aptitude, physical attractiveness
Results: Only physical attractiveness predicted liking and wanting to see the person again. (True for men and women.)

9. Physical attractiveness
Bias to like children who are attractive
Dion (1972)
IV: mild vs. severe misbehavior
IV: attractive or unattractive photo of child
DV: Rate typicality of behavior
Results: Severe misbehavior rated more typical when performed by an ___________child than an __________child.

11. Is attractiveness objective?
Arguments for Objective Standard
High consensus across countries, race/ethnicities
Agree on attractiveness of faces and body types (F: hourglass; M: v-shaped)
Particular features are associated with attractiveness
F: large eyes, prominent cheekbones, small nose, wide smile
M: broad jaw, large eyes, prominent cheekbones, wide smile
Babies look longer at faces rated as attractive by adults. (less likely to be affected by cultural standards

12. Is attractiveness subjective?
Arguments for Subjective Standard
Cross-cultural differences in ways to look beautiful
Face painting, plastic surgery, scarring, piercings, etc.
Variations in preference for female body size

13. Subjective? Standards of beauty within a culture change over time
Marilyn Monroe versus Gwenyth Paltrow

14. Attractiveness Standards
Probably both universal and variable components of attractiveness
Overall, physical attractiveness predicts more positive evaluations (true in childhood and later in life)

15. Psychology of Attraction
Similarity: Similar views among individuals causes the bond of attraction to strengthen.
Finding others who agree with us strengthens our convictions and boosts our self-esteem
Opposites don’t attract – they don’t even meet
Complementary Traits – you complete me

16. Psychology of Attraction
4. Exchange: The give and take of a relationship.
Social Exchange theory explains how we feel about a relationship with another person as depending on our perceptions of:
The balance between what we put into the relationship and what we get out of it.
The kind of relationship we deserve.
Contrast Effect – seeing something ‘better’ makes us temporarily devalue what we’ve got

17. Psychology of Attraction
5. Intimacy: closeness and trust achieved through communication
Must be mutual
Can’t be too much too soon

18. Pairing Game Matching Hypothesis or Similarity Principle
Contrast Effect
Social Exchange Theory
Commitment can override the preference for alternatives.

19. Matching in physical attractiveness
People tend to pair with partners who are about as physically attractive as they are.
Predicts success of relationship (more similar in attractiveness, more likely to stay together)
However, women who marry less attractive men are shown to rate their marriage as more satisfying.

20. In-group bias
In Group bias is a simple, but powerful concept. It is the tendency to favor one’s own group. Not one particular group, but whatever group you are associated with at that particular time.
If we believe someone else is in the same group to which we belong, we will have positive views of them.
We build our self esteem through belonging, and the presence of someone from the same group reminds of us belonging.
Ex: You side with the sports team that you like.
Outline

21. Out-group bias
When we categorize people as being part of our own group, they are part of our "in-group"; while others are part of the "out-group“.
We view members of the out-group as less similar causing us to have biases against them. Therefore, the out-group bias includes negative views about people that aren't in our in-group.
Example: Celtics fans hate Lebron, because he is not on the Celtics.

22. Altruism:
Altruism is the unselfish behaviors or actions done for someone else.
Example: if you volunteer at a nursing home, you are helping someone else without receiving any benefits.

23. Ethnocentrism
Ethnocentrism is a belief that your society, group, or culture is superior to others.
This can mean that differences in groups are seen as somehow bad.
Example: ‘Merica
Mexican Border

24. Prejudice
Simply called “prejudgment,” a prejudice is an unjustifiable (usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. Prejudice is often directed towards different cultural, ethnic, or gender groups.
Components of Prejudice
OBJECTIVE 13| Identify three components of prejudice.
Beliefs (stereotypes)
Emotions (hostility, envy, fear)
Predisposition to act (discrimination)

25. Reign of Prejudice
Prejudice works at the conscious and [more at] the unconscious level. Therefore, prejudice is more like a knee-jerk response than a conscious decision.

26. How Prejudiced are People?
Over the duration of time many prejudices against interracial marriage, gender, homosexuality, and minorities have decreased.
OBJECTIVE 14| Contrast overt and subtle forms of prejudice, and give examples of each.

27. Racial & Gender Prejudice
Americans today express much less racial and gender prejudice, but prejudices still exist.

28. Race
Nine out of ten white respondents were slow when responding to words like “peace” or “paradise” when they saw a black individual’s photo compared to a white individual’s photo (Hugenberg & Bodenhausen, 2003).

29. Social Roots of Prejudice
Why does prejudice arise?
Social Inequalities
Social Divisions
Emotional Scapegoating
Need to categorize
OBJECTIVE 15| Discuss the social factors that contribute to prejudice.

30. Social Inequality
Prejudice develops when people have money, power, and prestige, and others do not. Social inequality increases prejudice.

31. Social Divisions
Ingroup: People with whom one shares a common identity. Outgroup: Those perceived as different from one’s ingroup. Ingroup Bias: The tendency to favor one’s own group.
Mike Hewitt/ Getty Images
Scotland’s famed “Tartan Army” fans.

32. Emotional Roots of Prejudice
Prejudice provides an outlet for anger [emotion] by providing someone to blame. After 9/11 many people lashed out against innocent Arab-Americans.
OBJECTIVE 16| Explain how Scapegoating illustrates the emotional component of prejudice.

33. Cognitive Roots of Prejudice
One way we simplify our world is to categorize. We categorize people into groups by stereotyping them.
OBJECTIVE 17| Cite four ways that cognitive processes help create and maintain prejudice.
Michael S. Yamashita/ Woodfin Camp Associates
Foreign sunbathers may think Balinese look alike.

34. Cognitive Roots of Prejudice
In vivid cases such as the 9/11 attacks, terrorists can feed stereotypes or prejudices (terrorism). Most terrorists are non-Muslims.

35. Sources of Prejudice Frustration-aggression theory
People who are frustrated in their goals may turn their anger away from the proper target toward another, less powerful target. (Scapegoat)
Authoritarian personality
Personality pattern characterized by rigid conventionality, exaggerated respect for authority, and hostility toward those who defy social norms
Racism
Prejudice and discrimination directed at particular racial group

36. We shall overcome
Recategorize – expand a schema to see how it relates to others. Not protestant vs. Catholic but instead both under Christianity.
Controlled Processing – purposefully putting on their shoes. Method to learn tolerance
Increase contact between groups.
Equal status
One-on-one contact
Come together to cooperate, not compete
Should not be contrived