1. Social Psychology
The scientific study of how we think about, influence and relate to one another

2. Heider and Attribution Theory
How do we explain OTHER people’s behaviour
Heider proposed that we attribute others’ behaviour to their internal dispositions or to their external situations
E.g., A teacher may wonder whether a child’s hostility reflects an aggressive personality or a reaction to stress or abuse
Sometimes we get it wrong (fundamental attribution error)
FAE – underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition. So we disregard the situation and leap to conclusions about their personalities. Car example  Say you are driving your car and you see someone swerve WAY over the line. If you thought maybe the driver was sick, that is situational. IF you think the driver is crazy, then that is dispositional

3. Attitude
Attitudes are feelings, based on our beliefs, that predispose our reactions to objects, people and event.
Role playing affects attitudes
When you adopt a new role (college student, marriage, new job) you want to fit in. This may lead you to feel as though you are “acting”. However, the acting may soon lead to reality

4. Zimbardo and the Stanford Prison Experiment (1972)
Male college students volunteered to spend time in a simulated prison.
Zimbardo (experimenter) randomly designated some men as guards, and gave them uniforms, billy clubs and whistles. They were instructed to enforce the rules
The rest of the men became prisoners. They were locked in cells, and forced to wear humiliating outfits
After a day or two, the “acting” became real
Guards were became, mean, and devised cruel and degrading routines
Prisoners broke down or rebelled. Some had to leave the experiment
Zimbardo had to call off the study after only six days.

5. Asch: Conformity and Obedience
People volunteer for an experiment in visual judgement – which line is longer type of thing
The others in the group are actually the experimenters – testing your response to peer pressure and the need to conform
8 people at a table – only one is the real subject
Participants individually give answers, sometimes correct, sometimes incorrect
Control group (no peer pressure): gave right answers most of the time
Other groups: over one-third gave incorrect answers
Effect: one person disagreeing made no difference, but influence increased when two or three people disagreed
Asked why they went along – subjects stated they did not want to risk ridicule even though they knew the answers were wrong

7. Milgram