1. Social Psychology
Study social influences that help explain why people behave the way they do in various situations
How do we explain other people’s behavior?
How come we conform?
How do people get us to do things?

2. How do we explain behavior?
Internal (dispositional) vs external (situational) explanation
Stable vs unstable explanations
Fundamental Attribution Error = focusing on dispositional characteristics and disregarding situational characteristics when we explain others behavior

3. Do attributions matter?
External
Internal
Stable
Lucky
Smart
Unstable
Easy test
Hard
Worker
Does this effect how we explain mental illness? Poverty? Success?
How do we explain high performance?
Gender bias

4. What comes first our attitude or our behavior?
Attitudes = beliefs and feelings that predispose our reactions to people, objects and events
Sometimes behavior predicts our attitudes
Example: parents and allowing kids to watch tv
Foot in the door-once someone agrees to something small will more likely comply with a bigger request!
First ask someone to donate a small amount and then follow it up with a larger request

5. Why do we sometimes change our attitude to match our behavior?
We may feel motivated to justify our actions!
Cognitive dissonance theory says
we want to relieve the tension that we feel
bring attitudes in line with actions
Research indicates that if you get someone to do something (with little external justification) they will tell you they like it more)

6. Asch’s Conformity Experiments

7. Social Influence
Behavior is contagious- we have a tendency to follow norms, copy others, and change our behavior
Asch’s classic study on conformity
Had to identify correct line (from 3 other lines)
Less than 1% were wrong when alone
About 1/3 conformed when in group situation

8. Why do we conform?
Normative reasons: sensitivity to social norms; we want to be accepted
Informational social influences: we look to others for the correct answer when we are not sure

10. Obedience Classic Milgram studies on obedience
Confederate and participant told they were participating in a learning experiment
Participant had to “shock” the learner every time a wrong answer was given
If they resisted, were told they had to go on
Complaints from “learner”
At 120, shouts were heard
at 150 learner shouted, “get me out of here”
At 330, learner refused to answer
How long would you keep going?

11. Milgram’s Obedience Experiment

12. What did we learn from obedience studies?
People are more likely to conform when
Authority figure is close by
Victim was depersonalized
No other dissenters were present
Authority figure was “prestigious”
People who do undesirable (even “evil”) things are not necessarily evil!
Situations are extremely influential

13. Altruistic Behavior
Altruism = unselfish regard for the welfare of others
Bystander intervention effects
Research demonstrates, we are more likely to help:
Notice the incident
Interpret it as emergency
Assume responsibility

14. Responses to a Simulated Physical Emergency

15. Social Psychology has taught us…
Sometimes our behavior influences our attitudes!
People do conform!
Social situations are powerful- we are influenced by norms and expectations
We can transform situations-enemies can become friends, etc.