Social Behavior Psychology (Ch. 4,6,8)

Do expressed attitudes always predict behavior?

No, they hardly predict varying behaviors.

What is attitude?

Feelings that predispose us to respond to objects, people, and events.

Is there a relation between student attitudes toward cheating and their likelihood of cheating?

No, there is little relation.

Are attitudes toward the church strongly linked with weekly worship attendance?

No, they are only modestly linked.

Do self-described racial attitudes provide a clue to behaviors in actual situations?

No, they provide little clue.

When do attitudes predict behavior?

When other influences are minimal, attitude is specific to the behavior, and attitude is potent.

Are expressed attitudes subject to outside influences?

Yes, they are subject to outside influences.

What is the Implicit Association Test (IAT)?

A computer-driven assessment that measures how quickly people associate concepts.

What do millions of IAT assessments show?

Implicit biases are pervasive, people differ in implicit bias, and people are often unaware of their implicit biases.

What combination of measures predicts behavior best?

A combination of implicit and explicit (self-report) measures.

Are personal attitudes the only determinant of behavior?

No, the situation also matters.

Can situational influences make people violate their deepest convictions?

Yes, situational influences can induce people to violate their deepest convictions.

What gives a better assessment of the relationship between attitudes and behavior?

Taking an aggregate or average over time of one's behavior.

Do specific, relevant attitudes predict intended and actual behavior?

Yes, they do.

What is necessary to change habits through persuasion?

Altering people's attitudes toward specific practices.

Do attitudes toward the environment at large predict recycling behavior?

No, attitudes toward recycling specifically predict recycling behavior.

What is the role of attitude in predicting behavior?

Attitude predicts behavior better when it is potent.

How do attitudes become potent?

Attitudes become potent if we think about them.

What promotes consistency between words and deeds?

Self-awareness promotes consistency between words and deeds.

What kind of attitudes best predict behavior?

Attitudes that are stable, forged by experience, and more likely to guide actions.

Can attitudes follow behavior?

Yes, attitudes can also follow behavior.

What happens when we stand up for something?

We come to believe in what we stand up for.

What are mental aftereffects of behavior called?

Mental aftereffects of behavior are called self-persuasion.

What is a role?

A role is a set of norms that defines how people in a given social position ought to behave.

How do people initially feel when stepping into a new role?

People may at first feel phony when stepping into a new role.

What happened in Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment?

In the experiment, students designated as guards and prisoners quickly got caught up in the situation.

Why was the Stanford Prison Experiment ended?

The experiment was ended after 6 days due to ethical concerns.

What is the effect of roles and situations in the Stanford Prison Experiment?

Roles and situations were more potent than anticipated in the experiment.

What do people often do to please their listeners?

People often adapt what they say to please their listeners.

What happens when there is no external explanation for one's words?

Saying becomes believing when there is no external explanation for one's words.

What can result from gradually escalating commitments?

Evil can sometimes result from gradually escalating commitments.

How does one small evil act affect moral sensitivity?

One small evil act erodes one's moral sensitivity, making it easier to perform a worse act.

What is an example of a small evil act?

An example of a small evil act is a 'white lie'.

How do soldiers ordered to kill initially react?

Soldiers ordered to kill may initially react with revulsion, but not for long.

What tends to happen to enemies in wartime?

People tend to dehumanize their enemies in wartime.

What is an example of dehumanization in peacetime?

An example of dehumanization in peacetime is when a group holds another in slavery.

What does our character reflect?

Our character is reflected in what we do when we think no one is looking.

How does moral action affect moral thinking?

Moral action, especially when chosen rather than coerced, affects moral thinking.

What is an example of positive behavior fostering liking?

Children and a battery-controlled robot toy is an example of positive behavior fostering liking.

What are the three possible reasons for why behavior affects attitude?

The three possible reasons are self-presentation theory, self-perception theory, and cognitive dissonance theory.

What is cognitive dissonance theory?

Tension arising from inconsistent cognitions.

What is self-perception theory?

Inferring attitudes by observing our own behavior.

What does self-presentation theory assume?

Expressing attitudes to appear consistent.

What is selective exposure?

Seeking information that agrees with our views.

What is insufficient justification?

Internally justifying behavior when external justification is lacking.

What happens when people make a decision between two equally attractive choices?

They become aware of dissonant cognitions.

What is the choices-influence-preferences effect?

Upgrading chosen alternative and downgrading unchosen option.

What is the facial feedback effect?

Facial expressions triggering corresponding feelings.

How does Botox affect emotions?

Interferes with reading own and others' emotions.

What is the overjustification effect?

Bribing people to do what they already like doing.

Can unanticipated rewards increase intrinsic motivation?

Yes, they can.

Do many behaviors offer both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards?

Yes, they do.

What is self-presentation theory?

Explains why actions seem to affect attitudes.

What are the assumptions of dissonance theory?

Justifying behavior to reduce discomfort.

What are the assumptions of self-perception theory?

Observing behavior to infer attitudes.

What is the apparent contradiction between dissonance theory and self-perception theory?

Illustrates the human element in scientific theorizing.

What is dissonance-related arousal?

Detectable as increased perspiration and heart rate.

What is self-affirmation theory?

Compensating for self-image threat by affirming another aspect of self.

What is the overjustification effect?

Dissonance theory cannot explain it.

What does self-perception theory explain?

Attitude formation through action and reflection.

What is conformity?

Change in behavior or belief due to group pressure.

What are the three varieties of conformity?

Acceptance, compliance, and obedience.

What is acceptance in conformity?

Acting and believing in accord with social pressure.

What is compliance in conformity?

Publicly acting in accord with a request while privately disagreeing.

What is obedience in conformity?

Acting in accord with a direct order.

What are examples of conformity?

College attendance, getting a COVID vaccine.

How do researchers study conformity?

Using laboratory studies that simulate everyday influences.

What do classic studies demonstrate?

Methods for studying conformity.

What did Muzafer Sherif study?

Norm formation

What did Solomon Asch study?

Group pressure

What did Stanley Milgram study?

Obedience

What was Sherif's experiment about?

Determining how people come to agree on something

What were some examples of suggestibility?

Contagious yawning, comedy-show laugh tracks, mood linkage, chameleon effect, mass hysteria

What did Asch's experiment involve?

Comparisons with incorrect answers from confederates

What percentage of responses were conforming in Asch's experiment?

37%

What percentage of responses did not conform in Asch's experiment?

63%

Did fewer students conform in similar experiments over the decades?

Yes

What were some everyday situations explored in conformity experiments?

Dental flossing, cancer screening, eating

What did Milgram's studies test?

The clash between authority and conscience

What did participants have to do in Milgram's experiment?

Teach word pairs and deliver shocks for errors

What were the four prompts given to participants in Milgram's experiment?

Please continue, The experiment requires that you continue, It is absolutely essential that you continue, You have no other choice; you must go on

What percentage of participants continued the shocks to the highest voltage?

65%

What are the four features of Milgram's study that increase compliance and obedience?

Slippery slope, framing of shock-giving as a social norm, opportunity to deny responsibility, limited time to reflect on the decision

What are some criticisms of Milgram's experiment?

Stressed participants against their will, unethical deception, potential alteration of participants' self-concepts

What factors determined obedience in Milgram's experiment?

Victim's emotional distance, closeness and legitimacy of authority, institutional authority, liberating effects of group influence

How are Milgram's results commonly compared to wartime contexts?

Scientific contexts differ, war/genocide involves indoctrination

What are the four similarities between the Asch and Milgram studies?

Compliance over moral sense, pressuring against consciences, sensitizing to moral conflicts, behavior-attitude link and power of situation/social norms

What factors contribute to the growth of conformity?

Difficulty of judgments and feelings of incompetence.

How does insecurity affect conformity?

Insecurity increases susceptibility to influence.

What group attributes influence conformity?

Size and status of the group.

When is conformity highest?

When the response is public and made without prior commitment.

How does group size affect conformity?

Groups of 3 to 5 elicit more conformity than groups of 1 or 2.

What is the significance of group unanimity?

Group unanimity increases conformity.

How does observing dissent affect conformity?

Observing dissent, even when wrong, can increase independence.

What is cohesiveness in a group?

Cohesiveness is the extent to which group members are bound together.

Who has more impact in a group?

Higher status people have more impact.

How does public response affect conformity?

People conform more when responding in front of others.

What effect does prior commitment have on conformity?

Having made a public commitment increases conformity.

What is normative influence?

Conformity based on a desire to fulfill others' expectations.

What is informational influence?

Conformity based on accepting evidence provided by others.