1. Aim: How do social psychologists study interaction between people?
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HW:
FRQs and vocab flashcards due on Thursday
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2. Social Psychologists
The scientific study of how we think about, influence and relate to one another

3. Norms: rules about how we are supposed to act
Roles: positions in society, regulated by norms that dictate how people should behave
Culture: shared rules for behavior in society

4. Attribution Theory
Looks at how we explain our behavior and the behavior of others
1. Dispositional Attributions: personality
2. Situational Attributions: context/environment

5. Fundamental Attribution Error
We tend to ignore the situation (context) and overestimate someone’s disposition (personality) when we explain other people’s behavior. The opposite is true when we explain our own behavior.

6. What molds our attitudes and actions. Do attitudes guide our actions
What molds our attitudes and actions? Do attitudes guide our actions? Do actions guide our attitudes?
Attitude: relatively stable set of beliefs and feelings that guide how we behave
Central route persuasion: persuaded by the arguments or the content of the message. For example, after hearing a political debate you may decide to vote for a candidate because you found the candidates views and argument more convincing
Peripheral route persuasion: persuaded in a manner that is not based on the arguments or the message content. For example, after reading a political debate you may decide to vote for a candidate because you like the sound of their voice, or the person went to the same school as you.

7. Actions influence attitudes
Foot in the door phenomenon: the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request

8. Why is it so easy to change our attitudes?
Two possible reasons
1. Cognitive dissonance theory (Leon Festinger): Thinking theory-there is tension when our attitudes and actions are not the same and we relieve this tension by changing our attitudes
2. Social Influences- social pressure to conform- more empathic people are more popular

9. Conformity
When we adjust behaviors and bring them in line with the group standard
Increases when
You feel insecure about your beliefs or the situation
You are in a group of three or more
You admire the group and want to fit in

10. Reasons
1. Normative Social Influence: we are sensitive to social norms and tend to comply so we don’t stand out

11. 2. Informational Social Influence: we tend to accept others opinions, especially when we admire them

12. Obedience
Stanley Milgram: study concerned with the effect of punishment on learning
The strongest conformity happened when
The person giving orders was close and perceived as an authority figure
The victim was not visible

13. Solomon Asch Conformity Experiment
While most subjects answered correctly, many showed extreme discomfort and a high proportion (32%) conformed to the erroneous majority view of the others in the room when there were at least three confederates present
More likely to conform when
We are made to feel incompetent or insecure
Are in a group with at least three people
Are in a group in which everyone else agrees
Know that others in the group will observe our behavior

14. Group influence and behavior
Social facilitation: performance on easy tasks is stronger when in the presence of others

15. Social Loafing: people tend to take a free ride when working in a group

16. Deindividualization: we tend to abandon normal restraint when in a group
This happens at almost every sporting event when you dress up in team gear, wear face paint etc, you lose your sense of self and become part of a greater identity

17. Group interaction and attitudes
Group polarization: people tend to seek out friends with similar attitudes

18. Group think: group decisions based only on the lack of opposition

19. Why should we care about groupthink?
Issues

20. The power of the individual
Self-fulfilling prophecy: reinforcing someone’s behavior by treating them how we expect them to act

21. The power of the individual
Minority influence: individuals committed to their beliefs who have made a difference

22. Prejudice: means “prejudgment”-it is an unjustifiable attitude towards a group which leads to a stereotype, a generalized belief about a group
Prejudice: negative attitude
Discriminate: negative behavior

23. How do we justify these attitudes?
Fundamental attribution error: people who have a good lifestyle tend to justify why others do not as due to their dispositions
Blame the victim: the belief that the victim deserves what has happened to them

24. In group bias: we tend to favor our own group and think it is better than another group
Vivid cases: we often generalize from a few memorable cases

25. Scapegoat theory: not blaming ourselves for the things that happen, finding someone else to blame
Categorization-cognitive roots of prejudice theory: we simplify the world by putting it into categories and in doing this, stereotypes occur.

26. Just world phenomenon: we tend to blame victims because we assume the world is a fair place

27. Aggression
Any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

28. The biology of aggression
Genetic influences: unknown, but, animals have been bred to be aggressive
Neural influences: no violence brain center but we can produce aggressive behavior by stimulating certain neural centers
Biochemical influences: testosterone-when reduced, aggression is reduced, and when increased, aggression is increased

29. Frustration-Aggression Principle
Frustration creates anger and anger creates aggression

30. Aggression can be learned
From observation and direct rewards
1. Modeling: children imitate what they see
2. Rewards: giving in to temper tantrums or tears

31. The violence effect Is the strongest when,
1. Arousal: from the specific event
2. Idea of violence: is strengthened by witnessing it
3. Erosion: of inhibitions
4. Imitation: of what has been witnessed

32. Social Influences
Social Traps: individualistic thinking. “It’s OK if I do it, there is only one of me”
When you act in a way to obtain short term individual gains, which in the long run leads to a loss for the group as a whole.

33. Enemy perceptions: also called mirror image perception
When we are in conflict we tend to form distorted evil images of the enemy

34. Attraction What binds people together?
1. Proximity: Geographical nearness
Mere exposure effect: just by being repeatedly exposed to people we become fond of them.

35. 2. Physical Attractiveness: we perceive attractive people as healthier, happier, more sensitive, more successful and more socially skilled

36. 3. Similarity: people who share common beliefs, interests etc
3. Similarity: people who share common beliefs, interests etc. are attracted to one another

37. LOVE
Passionate Love: a period of intense arousal and complete absorption in the other person

38. Companionate Love: deep affectionate attraction.
What keeps people together?
Equality: the give and take is equal
Self-disclosure: sharing

39. Altruism: unselfish regard for others

40. We help when
1. We interpret the situation as an emergency and assume responsibility
When we think that we are the only ones able to help
Bystander effect: we are less likely to give aide with others present

42. The social exchange theory: we are more likely to help if the rewards exceed the costs

43. The social responsibility norm: we help because socially we are expected to even if the costs outweigh the benefits