Social Influence Part 2

Cohen et al. date

1981

Cohen et al. aim

To study how existing schema affects the way we process and remember details

Cohen et al. IV

Occupation of woman: Waitress or librarian

Cohen et al. procedure

2 groups of participants watched a video of a woman celebrating her birthday with her husband (video contains equal amount of stereotypical details)

Cohen et al. results

Participants were more likely to remember schema-consistent information based on the profession they were told the woman had

What did participants tend to remember about the waitress? (Cohen et al.)

She ate a burger, drank beer, listened to pop music

What did participants tend to remember about the Librarian? (Cohen et al.)

She reads books and drank wine

Stone et al. date

2012

Stone et al. aim

To study the effect of existing stereotypes (in American culture about athletes) on memory processing

Stone et al. procedure

Participants listened to the recording of a basketball game and then asked to judge the athlete's performance

Stone et al. IV

Race of the athlete (White/black)

Stone et al. results

Black: More athletic and played a better game

White: Basketball intelligence/strategy and hustle

Bransford and Johnson date

1972

Bransford and Johnson aim

To study the effect of schema activation on information comprehension and recall

Bransford and Johnson conditions

Title before, Title after, No title

Bransford and Johnson procedure

Participants read an ambiguous passage of text (actually about doing laundry) Rated their own comprehension and recall as much details as possible

Bransford and Johnson results

Averages amount of details recalled:

Title before: 5.8 details

Title after: 2.6 details

No title: 2.8 details

Rationalization

To adapt or omit information to make it more consistent with existing schema

Bartlett date

1932

Bartlett aim

To study how memory recall is affected by existing schema

Bartlett procedure

British participants Told a Native American folk tale "War of the ghosts" (used because it had many elements that are uncommon in English storytelling)

Bartlett results

The story got shorter, and the participants changed parts of the story (e.g. supernatural elements disappeared)

Misinformation effect

Having incorrect information become part of someone's memory of an event

Confabulation

Remembering a false memory/something that never actually happened

Loftus and Palmer date

1974

Loftus and Palmer aim

To study reconstructive memory through leading questions

Loftus and Palmer procedure

Participants watched clips of car accidents then answered questions about what they saw

Critical question: How fast were the cars going when they _______ each other?

What were the 5 verbs used in Loftus and Palmer

Smashed, hit, bumped, contacted, collided

Loftus and Palmer results (1)

smashed = fastest speed estimates, contacted = slowest speed estimates

Loftus and Palmer 2nd experiment

Added question: Did you see broken glass?

Loftus and Palmer results (2)

32% of smashed condition saw broken glass, control 12%

The bystander effect

Not helping in a situation that requires action

Informational social influence

When an individual's behavior changes because they look to other people for guidance on the "right" way to behave

Darley and Latane date

1968

Darley and Latane aim

To study the effect of informational social influence on the bystander effect

Darley and Latane procedure

• Control group: Alone in the room

• Experiment group: Participants filled out a questionnaire in a room with confederates

• Room started filling with smoke, confederates instructed not to react

Darley and Latane results

Control: 75% of participants went to look for help within 6 minutes Experiment: Only 10% sought help within 6 minutes

Diffusion of responsibility

An individual's feeling of obligation to act is reduced from being in a group

Levine et al. date

2001

Prosocial behavior

Acting in a way that benefits others

Levine et al. aim

To study the effect of economic productivity and cultural values on prosocial behavior

Levine et al. procedure

• Confederates pretend to need help (e.g. dropping an item, pretending to be a blind/injured person)

• Measured economic productivity through GDP

• Measured relative individualism/collectivism

Levine et al. results

Strong negative correlation between economic productivity and helping behavior

Weak correlation between collectivism and less helping behavior

Altruism

To do something for others without expecting self-benefit

Empathy-altruism hypothesis

When you experience empathy for someone else, you are more likely to act altruistically and help them

Batson et al. date

1981

Batson et al. aim

To investigate the empathy-altruism hypothesis

Batson et al. Procedure

• Participant + confederate "Elaine" Filled out questionnaire

• Either told they were similar or different -> high/low empathy

• Elaine as worker, participant as observer

• Told that Elaine would receive electric shocks

• Participant can choose to replace Elaine or not

Batson et al. conditions

• High empathy/ease of escape

• Low empathy/ease of escape

• High empathy/difficult escape

• Low empathy/difficult escape

Batson et al. results

Percentage that chose to replace Elaine:

• High empathy/ease of escape (91%)

• Low empathy/ease of escape (18%)

• High empathy/difficult escape (82%)

• Low empathy/difficult escape (62%)