Social Psychology Social Psychology The branch of psychology
Social Psychology
Social Psychology �The branch of psychology that studies the effects of social variables and cognitions on individual behavior and social interactions.
Social Context �The combination of people, the activities and interactions among people, the setting in which behavior occurs, and the expectations and social norms governing behavior in that setting.
Situationism �The view that environmental conditions influence people’s behavior as much as or more than their personal dispositions do.
Social Standards of Behavior �Social Roles – One of several socially defined patterns of behavior that are expected of persons in a given setting or group �Script – A cluster of knowledge about the sequences of events and actions expected to occur in a particular setting
Social Standards of Behavior �Social Norms – A group’s expectations regarding what is appropriate and acceptable for its members’ attitudes and behaviors.
Conformity �Conformity – The tendency for people to adopt the behaviors, attitudes, and opinions of other members of a group. �Asch Effect – A form of Conformity in which a group majority influences individual judgments. �Based on the findings of Solomon Asch
Group Characteristics that Produce Conformity �The size of the majority �The presence of a partner who disented from the majority �The size of the discrepancy
Conformity �Groupthink – Members of the group attempt to conform their opinions to what each believes to be the consensus of the group. �Conditions that influence groupthink: � Isolation of the group � High group cohesiveness � Directive leadership � Lack of norms requiring methodical procedures � Homogeneity of members’ social background and ideology � High stress from external threats with low hope of a better solution that of the group leader
The Stanford Prison Experiment �Explaining the power of social situations in controlling behavior!
Obedience to Authority �Milgram’s Obedience Experiment � 2/3 delivered the maximum shock of 450 volts!!! �Even though the participants verbally dissented, they continued giving the shocks… WHY? ? ?
Obedience to Authority �Conditions under which people tend to be obedient: �When a peer modeled obedience by complying to the authority figure’s commands �When the victim was remote from the “teacher” and could not be seen or heard �When the “teacher” was under direct surveillance of the authority figure so that he was aware of the authority figure’s presence �When a participant acted as an intermediary bystander, merely “assisting the one who was delivering the shock, rather than actually throwing the switches �When the authority figure had higher relative status (being billed as a “professor” or “doctor”
The Bystander Problem �Kitty Genovese incident: �Raped and stabbed to death in Queens, NY while 38 people watched from their windows. �Only one person called the police, after the incident was over.
The Bystander Problem �Diffusion of responsibility – Dilution or weakening of each group member’s obligation to act when responsibility is perceived to be shared with all group members.
Interpersonal Attraction �We usually prefer rewarding relationships �Reward Theory of Attraction – A social-learning view that says we like best those who give us maximum rewards at minimum cost.
Interpersonal Attraction �Proximity – Nearness. �Principle of Proximity – The notion that people at work will make more friends among those who are nearby – with whom they have the most contact.
Interpersonal Attraction �Similarity Principle – The notion that people are attracted to those who are most similar to themselves.
Interpersonal Attraction �Self-Disclosure – The more intimate details we share about our lives with someone, the more attracted we become to them. �Most people find self disclosure highly rewarding. �Builds trust, which leads to attraction.
Interpersonal Attraction �Physical Attraction �Although we may say it doesn’t matter, research shows that it actually does. �Matters in how people perceive us �Getting a job �Children �Physically attractive people are often seen as more poised, interesting, sociable, independent, exciting, sexual, intelligent, well-adjusted, and successful. � Also sometimes perceived as more vain and materialistic. �Same for opposite and same sex couples
Interpersonal Attraction �Expectations and the Influence of Self-Esteem �Matching Hypothesis – The prediction that most people will find friends and mates that are perceived to be of about their same level of attractiveness. �Expectancy-value Theory – A theory of social psychology that people decide whether to pursue a relationship by weighing the potential value of the relationship against their expectation of success in establishing the relationship.
Interpersonal Attraction �Attraction and Self-Justification �Cognitive Dissonance – A highly motivated state in which people have conflicting cognitions, especially when their voluntary actions conflict with their attitudes.
Making Cognitive Attributions �Fundamental Attribution Error – The tendency to emphasize internal causes and ignore external pressures. �FAE is more common in individualistic cultures than in collectivistic cultures.
Making Cognitive Attributions �Biased thinking about yourself �Self-serving bias – An attributional pattern in which one takes credit for success but denies responsibility for failure.
Prejudice and Discrimination �Prejudice – A negative attitude toward an individual based solely on his or her membership in a particular group.
Prejudice and Discrimination �Discrimination – A negative action taken against an individual as a result of his or her group membership.
Prejudice and Discrimination �Dissimilarity and Social Distance �In-group – The group with which an individual identifies. �Social Distance – The perceived difference or similarity between oneself and another person. �Out-group – Those outside the group with which an individual identifies.
Prejudice and Discrimination �Scapegoating – Blaming an innocent person or a group for one’s own troubles. �Example – Adolf Hitler used the Jews as a scapegoat for Germany’s problems following WWI.
Other Topics in Social Psychology �Social Facilitation – An increase in an individual’s performance because of being in a group. �Social Loafing – A decrease in performance because of being in a group. �Deindividuation – Occurs when group members lose their sense of personal identity and responsibility and the group “assumes” responsibility for their behavior.
Other Topics and Social Psychology �Group Polarization – When individuals in a group have similar, though not identical, views, their opinions become more extreme. �Groupthink – An excessive tendency to seek concurrence among group members.
Other Topics in Social Psychology �Loving relationships �Romantic Love – A temporary and highly emotional condition based on infatuation and sexual desire. �Triangular Theory of Love – A theory that describes various kinds of love in terms of three components: � Passion (erotic attraction) � Intimacy (sharing feelings and confidences) � Commitment (dedication to putting this relationship first in one’s life)
The Roots of Violence and Aggression �Violence and Aggression – Terms that refer to behavior that is intended to cause harm.
The Robbers Cave: An Experiment in Conflict �Cohesiveness – Solidarity, loyalty, and a sense of group membership. �Mutual Interdependence – A shared sense that individuals or groups need each other in order to achieve common goals. �How did this end?
Terrorism �The use of violent, unpredictable acts by a small group against a larger group for political, economic, or religious goals. �Very psychological in nature because in essence terrorism is an attempt to control the minds of their enemies by making them feel victimized and fearful.
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