1. Social Behavior

2. Group Behavior Social facilitation – people perform better when they are being watched rather than when they are alone The presence of others encourages us to increase our performance Evaluation Apprehension – the concern about other people’s opinions Can motivate us to try harder so others will think more highly of us

3. Social Loafing People may slack off and not try as hard when they are part of a group with a common goal This happens because of diffusion of responsibility – people feel less responsible for accomplishing the task when the effort is shared

4. Risky Shift People tend to take greater risks when they are part of a group because the responsibility is shared People may feel more powerful

5. Group Decision Making Schemes Majority wins – group agrees to a decision that was supported by a majority of group members Truth wins – members come to realize one option is better than the others as they learn more about the available choices 2/3 majority – two-thirds of the group agree to a decision First-shift – used when a group is deadlocked, group makes a decision based the first swing toward a decision or opinion

6. Polarization Shared attitudes among members of a group tend to grow stronger Happens as people discuss and act upon their beliefs Can be positive or negative (can either reduce or increase prejudice, for example)

7. Group Leadership Leaders help group members identify the group’s beliefs and goals, and establish plans for reaching them May be appointed by outsiders, or chosen by a vote of group members Informal groups may not have a chosen leader, but some people have more influence than others

8. Types of Leaders Authoritarian – have total control over all decisions for the group Democratic – encourage group members to discuss ideas and make their own decisions Laissez-faire leaders – take a step back from the group and let embers make all decisions, even if the choices are not good ones

9. Conformity Modifying behaviors, attitudes and beliefs to match those of other people

10. Importance of Groups People want to belong to groups because the groups satisfy many needs Belonging, affection, attention, support

11. Social Norms Standards of behavior people share, serve as guidelines for what people should and should not do in a given situation Explicit norms – rules that are spoken or written down Implicit norms – unspoken, unwritten rules Norms can be both good and bad, depending on the rule

12. Asch’s Conformity Study Participants were told to study a diagram with three lines of varying length and indicate which one matched the “standard line,” a model to the side of the diagram Participants were tested in a group of other people (all in on the experiment) who purposely gave the wrong answer on some of the tests 75% of participants conformed to the group and gave the wrong answer – they later admitted they purposely gave the wrong answer so they wouldn’t appear different from the others

13. Why do People Conform? Cultural influences – some cultures place more emphasis on the group, not the individual Need for acceptance – people want to be liked and accepted by others, and they depend on their approval People are more likely to conform when all other members are unanimous in their beliefs and actions If even one person disagrees, the group is less likely to conform

14. Obedience Obeying orders

15. The Milgram Experiment Milgram got 40 volunteers (from different social and economic backgrounds) to participate in “a study about the effects of punishment on memory” Participants were told they would read pairs of words to “learners” in another room – after they read the entire list, the learners would be quizzed on the word pairs If the learner did not correctly respond to a word pair, the participant was supposed to deliver an electric shock as punishment

16. Milgram (cont.) The shock would get progressively more powerful as the learners missed more word pairs The participants pressed buttons to administer the shock – buttons were labeled with the voltage and a scale from “slight” to “severe” They were given a sample shock to feel the power of the shocks While they were told they could quit at any time, if the participants hesitated to deliver a shock to the learner, they were urged to continue When the shocks reached 300 volts, learners would scream in pain and pound on the wall and table Despite hearing the learner’s painful shouts, 35 out of 40 participants continued with the experiment

17. Results The learners were actually in on the experiment and were not shocked at all When Milgram repeated his experiment with different groups of people and different settings, he found that at least half of all participants continued with the experiment Many showed signs of discomfort and distress, but did not stop

18. Why do People Obey? Socialization – we are socialized from childhood to obey authority figures Foot-in-door effect – people are more willing to give in to major demands if they have already given into minor ones Confusion about attitudes – when in a state of distress people become less certain about their beliefs Buffers – people are more likely to follow orders when they don’t have to see the consequences of their actions

19. Aggression Words or actions meant to hurt people

20. Aggression and Biology Many animals have instinctive responses to aggressive behavior –When the brain detects aggressive behavior, it stimulates the production of certain hormones that excite the nervous system –More aggressive animals are more likely to survive and produce offspring –Humans rely on aggression and intelligence for survival, setting us apart from other animals

21. Psychoanalysis Psychoanalysts believe aggression is an unavoidable reaction to the stresses of daily life People tend to repress many of their aggressive urges, but they are expressed indirectly – instead of hitting someone you’re mad at, you destroy their car Catharsis – venting aggressive urges through less aggressive activities, like watching aggressive sports

22. Aggression and Cognitive Psychology Aggressive behavior is caused by people’s values, the way they perceive events, and the choices they make People act aggressively because they think it’s justified

23. Learning and Aggression People learn to behave through reinforcements When aggression is reinforced, it is repeated and learned People can also learn aggressive behavior by watching others

24. Sociocultural View of Aggression Some cultures encourage competitiveness and individualism, and thereby promote aggression Cultures that emphasize the group over the individual tend to be less aggressive

25. Altruism The unselfish concern for the welfare of others

26. What Causes Altruism? Having a good state of mind and being in a good mood makes people more likely to help others People who have problems and are sensitive to the problems of others are also likely to act unselfishly – walk in another person’s shoes Feeling competent to help others (trained professionals)

27. What Inhibits Altruism? People may not be aware another person is in trouble People think there is nothing they can do to help People don’t want to injure themselves in the process

28. The Bystander Effect People are less likely to give aid when other bystanders are present Kitty Genovese case Darley and Latane experiment