1. Psychology: Brain, Mind, and Culture, 2e by Drew Westen Paul J. Wellman Texas A&M University John Wiley and Sons, Inc. PowerPoint  Presentation: Chapter 18 Interpersonal Processes

2. Lecture Outline n Interpersonal Attraction n Theories of Altruism n Aggression n Obedience and Conformity n Group Processes © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

3. Interpersonal Attraction n Factors that contribute to attraction:  Proximity: we like/love those who are physically close to us Classroom romances  Interpersonal rewards: we are rewarded in relationships by others (wit, charm, goods)  Similarity: “Birds of a feather flock together”: we spend time with those who share our attitudes, values, and interests  Physical Attractiveness: can be a potent factor; persons opt for persons at the same level of physical attractiveness © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

4. Psychological Views of Love n Walster and Walster (1978)  Love is either of two types: Passionate love: intensely emotional and physical Companionate love: deep affection, friendship, and emotional intimacy © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

5. Triangular Theory of Love © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. (Figure adapted from Sternberg, 1988, p. 122)

6. Sexual Strategies and Evolutionary Theory Males  Can have large number of offspring with many females  Males have 2 different strategies: Short-term: seek young fertile female Long-term: seek committed relationship with sexual access  Men will prefer young females © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. Females  Have few offspring with major investment in each  Females have a single strategy: Use short-term liaisons to assess and attract males  Women will prefer older males with resources

7. Maintaining Relationships n Relationships can form and dissolve over time n Maintaining a relationship requires:  Evaluation of the costs of staying in the relationship Investment and commitment  Overlooking your partners faults (and hoping that they reciprocate...)  Undervaluing the attractiveness of other potential partners © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

8. Altruism n Altruism refers to intentional behaviors that benefit another person n Theories of altruism:  Hedonism: acts of altruism are really selfish acts that benefit the actor Emotional satisfaction Reduction of negative feelings in the actor  Reciprocal altruism: natural selection favors animals that are altruistic if the benefit to each is greater than the cost of altruism © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

9. Model of Bystander Intervention © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc. (Figure adapted from Darley &Latane, 1968, pp. 70-71)

10. Aggression n Aggression refers to the intentional injury of another person  Aggression can occur in many different contexts Inter-male aggression: fighting between males Maternal aggression: directed towards strangers by mother Instrumental aggression: aggression that serves an end (e.g. dog trained to attack) Predation: violence designed to obtain food Sexual aggression: usually directed at females by a male © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

11. Theories of Aggression n Psychodynamic view:  Emphasizes the innate aspect of aggression  Aggression is seen as a drive that must be discharged (catharsis)  Shame is a primary trigger for an episode of aggression n Evolutionary view:  All animals display the capacity to harm or kill other members of their species  Aggression is a strategy evoked by stimuli that threaten reproductive success © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

12. Psychobiology of Aggression n Aggression is controlled by the brain  Can be evoked by electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus and the amygdala  Lesions of the amygdala produce a tame animal n Aggression is modulated by hormones  Seasonal variations in testosterone Deer fighting during mating season  Requires prenatal hormone exposure and brain organization © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

13. Neural Control of Aggression © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

14. Social Influence n The mere presence of others can alter human behavior  Social facilitation: the presence of others can facilitate performance (noted in rats, cockroaches, and humans) Amount of food consumed during a meal Winding a fishing reel © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

15. Obedience n Critical issue: Why do humans obey orders that cause injury or death to others?  Nazi Germany and My Lai, Vietnam  Obedience: compliance to the orders of authority n Milgram’s Obedience study:  Person is asked to deliver shocks to a learner when the learner makes mistakes in a test  Shocks range from 15-450 volts  The learner stops responding after 300 volts  66% of subjects went to 450 volts... © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

16. Factors that Influence Obedience n Proximity of the learner: subjects were less likely to use high levels of shock when the learner was in the same room n Proximity to the experimenter: subjects were more likely to disobey when the experimenter was remote n When other subjects dissented to give shock, subjects were more likely to refuse to shock the learner © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

17. Effect of Distance On Obedience (Figure adapted from Milgram, 1965, pp. 63)

18. Conformity n Conformity refers to a change in attitude or behavior in response to a group norm  Is distinct from compliance n Asch Studies:  Subjects were asked to judge line lengths while working in a group of subjects  As other subjects consistently gave wrong answers, the issue is whether subjects conformed (gave the same wrong answer)  Subjects often conformed to others © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

19. Group Processes n A group is a collection of persons whose actions influence other group members n Issues that influence group behavior:  Norms: refer to standards of behavior Can be explicit or implict  Status: reflects the power a person holds  Roles: reflect shared expectations about how group members are to behave Zimbardo prison study is an example of how persons take on roles (sometimes to an extreme) © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

20. Leadership n Leaders exert great influence over a group n Leaders have differing styles:  Autocratic: leader makes the decisions  Democratic: leader allows the group to make decisions but is also involved in the process  Laissez-faire: does not intervene in the group n Recent theory emphasizes 2 factors in leadership:  Task orientation: focus is on efficiency  Relationship orientation: focus is on employee feelings © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.

21. Copyright Copyright 1999 by John Wiley and Sons, New York, NY. All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. © 1999 John Wiley and Sons, Inc.