Social Psychology

exam 4

Situationism

the view that our behavior and actions are determined by our environment and immediate surroundings

• used by social psychologists

Dispositionism

the view that our behavior is determined by internal factors

• favored in the US

• Used by personality psychologists

Fundamental Attribution Error

tendency to overemphasize internal factors as attributions for behavior and underestimate the power of the situation

Self-Serving Bias

tendency to explain our successes as due to dispositional characteristics, but to explain our failures as due to situational factors

Social Norms

a group’s expectations of what is appropriate and acceptable for its members

script

a person’s knowledge about the sequence of events that are expected in a specific setting

Stanford Prison Experiment

• demonstrated power of social roles, norms, and scripts

  • norms: required guards to be authoritarian and prisoners to be submissive

  • scripts: influenced the way guards degraded prisoners by making them do pushups and removing privacy

• mock prison with male college students

  • randomly selected to be guard or prisoner

• 2 week study ended in 6 days due to sadistic harassment of prisoners

  • methodological and ethical issues with experiment

Stanley Milgram Experiment

• showed surprising degree to which people will follow authority

• Participants were told to shock the learner for wrong answer to test items

• Participants believed they were giving the learners shocks, which increased up to 450 volts

• 2/3 (65%) of participants continued to administer shocks to an unresponsive learner

Foot In the door technique

get a person to agree to a small favor, only to ask for a big one later

Elaboration Likelihood Model

Persuasive message has 2 routes

1. central: motivated and analytical, high effort; evaluate message, lasting change in attitude

2. peripheral: not motivated nor analytical, persuaded by cues outside of message, temporary change in attitude

Asch Effect

the influence of the group majority on an individual’s judgement

Normative social influence

conformity to a group norm to fit in, feel good, and be accepted by the group

informational social influence

conformity to a group norm because of the belief that the group is competent and has the correct information

Prejudice

a negative attitude and feeling toward an individual based solely on one's membership in a particular social group

Discrimination

a negative action toward an individual based solely on their membership in a particular group

Stereotype

a specific belief or assumption about individuals based solely on their membership in a group

Bystander Effect

phenomenon in which a witness/bystander does not volunteer to help a victim or person in distress

diffusion of responsibility

• tendency for no one in a group to help because the responsibility to help to help is spread throughout the group

• Assumption that someone else is going to help

proximity

the people with whom you have the most contact

Similarity

people who are similar to us in background, attitudes, and lifestyle

homophily

tendency to form social networks with people who are similar

reciprocity

the give and take in relationships. We contribute to relationships, but expect benefits in return

Self-Disclosure

• the sharing of personal info

  • Leads to more intimate connections

Social Exchange Theory

• people may keep track of the costs and benefits of forming and maintaining a relationship

  • Typically only those relationship in which the benefits outweigh the costs will be maintained