Week 9 - Social Psychology

Social Psychology

Deals with human interactions and how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by social situations.

Intrapersonal Aspects

Emotions, attitudes, self-perception, and social cognition.

Interpersonal Aspects

Relationships, communication, helping behavior, aggression, prejudice, discrimination, and group processes.

Conformity

Changing one's behavior to match others, even if one does not agree with the group.

Normative Social Influence

The need to act in ways that let us be liked and accepted by others.

Informational Social Influence

Taking behavioral cues from other people in unclear or ambiguous situations.

Asch Effect

The influence of the group majority on an individual's judgment.

Factors Increasing Conformity

Larger majority size, public responses, and the lack of a dissenter.

Effect of a Dissenter on Conformity

Causes conformity rates to drop to near zero.

Groupthink

Placing more importance on group cohesiveness than on accurately assessing problem facts.

Groupthink: Invulnerability & Rationalization

Invulnerability means members feel they cannot fail; rationalization involves explaining away warning signs.

Groupthink: Introspection & Stereotyping

Lack of ethical introspection and stereotyping enemies as weak, stupid, or unreasonable.

Groupthink: Pressure & Disagreement

Members pressure each other not to question opinions and fail to express differing views.

Groupthink: Self-Deception & Insularity

Shared illusion of universal agreement and preventing the group from hearing outside useful information.

Social Facilitation

Performing better on a skilled or easy task when an audience is watching.

Social Impairment

The presence of others negatively impacts performance on a difficult or nervous task.

Social Loafing

Putting less effort into a simple task when working with others in individualistic cultures.

Compliance

Changing one's behavior as a result of others directing or asking for the change.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Asking for a small commitment first, and then asking for a bigger commitment.

Door-in-the-Face Technique

Asking for a large commitment, being refused, and then asking for a smaller commitment.

Lowball Technique

Getting a commitment from a person and then raising the cost of that commitment.

Obedience

Changing one's behavior at the command of an authority figure.

Milgram's Obedience Experiment

Participants administered apparent shocks to a learner, with 65% continuing to the maximum level.