Social psych exam 3

What personality characteristics make people persuasive?

self-confidence, credibility and likability

What characteristics make verbal messages persuasive?

clarity, evidence, emotional appeal, repetition and call to action

When is a two-sided message the most persuasive?

by providing both sides and addressing the points that are inconsistent with your argument

How can someone resist persuasion?

being aware, generating counterarguments, attitude inoculation and critical thinking

The Sleeper Effect.

when persuasion isn’t effective at first but sinks in over time

Are emotional appeals typically long-lasting or not? Why?

no because once the emotion fades over time, people will forget the message or question their decision because it wasn’t based on fact or logic

When are fear messages successfully used in persuasion?

smoking campaigns

What is the outcome of a persuasive appeal from an admired person?

increased influence and greater attitude change

norm of reciprocity

gives the target a gift or does them a favor, then follows up with a request which will make the person motivated to reciprocate

Provide an example of how norm of reciprocity could be used to manipulate someone.

a friend helps you with studying for a test, so you should help them with homework or buy them food to say thank you

“Door in the Face” Technique

someone makes an unreasonable request but follows up with a reasonable request, this person is likely to accept the more reasonable request

Provide an example of how door in the face technique could be used to manipulate someone:

Friend “Can you lend me $100?” You: “Whoa, I can’t do that!” Friend: “Okay, no problem — could you at least lend me $10?”

“That’s Not All!” Technique

offering a price on a product, following up with something extra included to make it seem like the person is getting a deal

Provide an example of how the that’s not all technique could be used to manipulate someone

buying a new phone for $1000 but getting a free case and screen protector

“Foot in the Door” Technique

getting a small commitment then following up with a bigger commitment, which is likely to make a larger commitment after making the small one

Provide an example of how the foot in the door technique could be used to manipulate someone

someone selling a vacuum may ask the person to listen for a few mistunes, then after ask if they’re interested in purchasing the vacuum

“Throwing a Low-Ball” Technique

deciding on an exchange, follow up with something ‘unexpected’ and people are more likely to back out

Provide an example of how throwing a low ball technique could be used to manipulate someone.

low-balling the price of a used car, but adding fees that make the car more expensive than the original stated price

“Bait and Switch” Technique

make an attractive offer, following up with a less appealing alternative and people are unlikely to back out

Provide an example of how the bait and switch technique could be used to manipulate someone.

landlord post a beautiful apartment for cheap rent but when a person is interested suddenly the apartment is unavailable but a smaller apartment which is more expensive is available

Milgram’s shock experiment

showed how powerful authority is in getting people to

obey

when were teachers most likely to deliver maximum shock?

when the authority figure was in the same room in a lab coat and giving direct orders with a firm voice

who took full responsibility for consequences in the Milgrim shock experiment

the authority figure

why is it important who took full responsibility for consequences in the Milgrim shock experiment

shows that obedience increased when people feel less personally responsible for their actions - people are more likely to follow orders even if they hurt someone

Psychological reactance define

happens when people feel like their freedom to choose is being taken away so they do the opposite of what their being told to do

Forbidden toys experiment (Aronson and Carlsmith 1963):

children were shown toys and were told not to play with their second favorite

some children received a mild threat if they disobeyed “Please don't play with your second favorite toy while I'm gone"

some children received a severe threat if they disobeyed“ you better not play with your second favorite toy while I'm gone or else!”

Mild threat group: convinced them selves the toy wasn't so great

Severe threat group: desire remained high for the toy

how effective is the “enhanced interrogation techniques” and why:

it is largely ineffective because the limited effectiveness for gaining accurate information, psychological harm, moral and ethical issues. people understand intense pressure might provide false or incomplete information

how can negative moods make people vulnerable to influence?

desire for relief, reduced critical thinking and increased compliance

whats the most powerful mood?

fear

negative state relief hypothesis:

people are more likely to agree to a request with someone when they are in a negative mood if doing so will relieve their negative

feelings

aggression define:

any behavior intended to harm or cause injury to someone, physical or psychologically

4 types of aggressive behavior:

emotional direct, emotional indirect, instrumental

direct and instrumental indirect

emotional direct

a man punches a peer who insults him

emotional indirect

a man pours a soft drink on an enemy’s keyboard

instrumental direct

a man shoots a clerk while committing a robbery

instrumental indirect

a man posts intimate photos of his girlfriend on Facebook

to impress his friends

relationship between aggression and testosterone:

higher levels of testosterone can be found in aggressive boys and violent criminals

How does socioeconomic status impact the relationship between aggression and testosterone?

Low SES often increases the likelihood that high testosterone will lead to aggression, while high SES can buffer or redirect those tendencies into non- aggressive forms of competition.

How do females primarily demonstrate aggressive tendencies?

more covert and socially directed ‘relational aggression’

How do males primarily demonstrate aggressive tendencies?

physically

Robber’s Cave Study:

how competition creates intergroup hostility but cooperation toward shares goals can help overcome and foster positive relationships violence

relationship between aggression and the culture of honor:

aggression can be used as a tool to defend one’s reputation or social standing

are rural or urban areas more likely to respond with greater aggression to minor insults?

rural

how to violent video games impact violent behaviors and perception of violence?

normalizing violence and modeling aggression. can be associated with hitting other students, aggressive thoughts and feelings etc

correlation between a nation’s gun ownership rates and homicide rates:

the more people that have guns the more homicides there have been

kitty genovese - the case:

a young woman living in Queens, New York, was attacked and murdered outside her apartment building. Reports at the time claimed that dozens of 4 bystanders (later found to be exaggerated) saw or heard parts of the attack but failed to help or call the police.

whats the explanation for the inaction of bystanders during this case?

everyone assumed someone else would call the police, pluralistic ignorance, fear of judgement/ social influence

altruism

selfless concern for the weak-being of others - individual who helps someone else without expecting a reward or benefit

evolutionary basis for altruism:

increased the chances of passing on shared genes or

promoting mutual cooperation.

are individuals in urban or rural communities more or less likely to assist someone in need of assistance?

rural

why are individuals in rural communities more likely to assist someone in need of assistance?

tighter social networks, social norms and culture and fewer distractions.

evolutionary basis for group living:

survival in ancestral environment, collective action ,shared reality,

in computer simulations, how do group dynamics play out over time?

interactions between individuals can lead to changes in behaviors, cooperation and leadership overtime

minority groups are able to influence majority groups by

consistency, social validation, confidence & commitment, gradual change and social networks.

groupthink:

psychological phenomenon that occurs when a group of people makes faulty or irrational decisions because the desire for harmony or conformity within the group leads to an irrational consensus.

example of groupthink

the bay of pigs invasion 1961

characteristics that promote groupthink/group mind:

high group cohesion, insulation of the group, lack of impartial leadership etc

strategies that exist to reduce/prevent groupthink:

open debate and dissent, open communication, encourage independent thinking, subgroups etc

social facilitation:

people tend to perform better on tasks when they are in the

presence of others, especially if the task is simple or well-practiced.

example of social facilitation

example: basketball player practicing by himself vs with a crowd watching

deindividuation:

self-awareness resulting in decreased self-regulation and greater

conformity to surrounding group norms

examples of deindividualization

sporting events, concerts, war

why do highly competent groups make poor decisions?

overconfidence bias, groupthink, cognitive dissonance etc

Conformity - define:

act of changing one's behavior, beliefs, or attitudes to match those of a group, in response to real or perceived social pressure.

compliance

change in behavior or attitude due to a direct request from another person, usually without any form of authority.

obedience

form of social influence where an individual follows a direct order or command from an authority figure

difference between conformity and compliance

compliance doesn’t use authority to change a behavior or attitude while obedience does

Asch’s study on judging line lengths, and its surprising results:

showed how people tend to conform to the group even when the group's opinion is clearly wrong. This has major implications for understanding social behavior, peer pressure, and the dynamics of group influence.

individuals within a social network

nodes/vertices

social ties within a social network

connections/ relations

clique within a social network

cluster of densely interconnected individuals

bridge within a social network

individual who connects two parts of a network

number of connections within a social network

related to satisfaction from group membership

prejudice:

negative attitude or feeling toward a person or group based solely on their membership in a particular group (such as race, gender, religion, or age).

example of prejudice

manager at a store assumes older employees aren’t good with

technology

stereotypes

:beliefs about group members’ characteristics

example of stereotypes

all florida girls are blonde

discrimination

action or behavior that treats people unfairly depending on group

membership

example of discrimination

landlord refusing to rent an apartment to someone because of race even though they meet all the requirements

which personality traits are most commonly associated with prejudiced attitudes?

authoritarian personality, social dominance orientation, high conformity

level of action description (Maass et al 1996)

explains how people describe behaviors differently depending on their biases — especially toward in-groups (their own group) vs. out-groups (other groups).

how might a prejudiced person describe positive behavior by an out-group member?

use specific or temporary descriptions to downplay

example of how a prejudiced person would describe positive behavior by an out-group member?

Instead of saying “She is kind,” they might say “She helped that one person today.”

What about negative behavior by an out-group member?

use broad and permanent descriptions

Negative behavior by an out-group member example

Instead of saying “He got mad this time,” they might say “He is

violent.”

stereotype threat:

fear that you may confirm a stereotype about your own group

example of stereotype threat

A female student takes a math test after being told “girls usually don’t do as well in math.”

behavior confirmation:

prejudice being a self-fulfilling prophecy

behavior confirmation example

joe expects his co worker nancy to be more emotional so he talks to her in a soft condescending tone

sub typing:

people create a special "exception" category for someone who doesn’t fit their stereotype — instead of changing the stereotype itself.

example of sub typing

Oprah and Obama

out-group homogeneity:

the tendency to see members of other groups (out-groups) as all the same — while seeing members of your own group (in-group) as diverse and unique.

out-group homogeneity example

all kids in the rival school are rude and stuck-up

in-group heterogeneity:

the tendency to see people in your own group as very

different and unique — even if outsiders see you as all the same.

in-group heterogeneity example

we’re not the same, some of us like action games, some like puzzles and some are casual players

out-group derogation:

when people put down, dislike, or discriminate against people

from a different group (the out-group), often to boost their own group’s status.

factors that may contribute to increased out-group derogation:

competition for resources, threat to in-group identity, social comparison and stereotypes and prejudice

superordinate goals:

presenting a group with a task / challenge that can only be achieved if everyone works together

how superordinate goals operate to reduce bias:

encourages teamwork and positive contact

role of superordinate goals in the Robber’s Cave Study:

turned hostile groups into cooperative allies by creating a situation where working together was the only way to succeed, helping to reduce bias and hostility.