Chapter_14

Chapter 14: Social Psychology Overview

• Core Concept: Social psychology studies how individuals think, feel, and behave in social contexts.

Key Topics to Analyze

• How we think in relation to other people

• The influence of others on our thoughts and actions

• Conformity

• Obedience

• Group behavior

• Prejudice

• Attraction

• Aggression

• Altruism

• Conflict and Peacemaking

Social Psychology Questions

• Example Question: Why do some students speak up in class while others hesitate?

• Approach to Answer: Examine emotions, cognitions, motivations, and situational factors.

  • Personality Psychology Perspective: Focus on individual traits leading to different behaviors in class.

  • Social Psychology Perspective: Assess the classroom environment's influence on individual decisions.

Social Thinking: Attribution

• Definition: Attribution is determining the cause of someone’s behavior.

• Attribution Theory: We generally make two types of attributions:

  • Situational Attribution: Factors outside the person, such as peer pressure.

  • Dispositional Attribution: Stable traits of the person, including personality and emotions.

• Fundamental Attribution Error: The tendency to overemphasize personality traits and underestimate situational influences when explaining others' behaviors.

Fundamental Attribution Error Examples

• Example Scenario: Observing someone stumbling and labeling them as clumsy without considering environmental factors.

• Key Insight: This error often leads to misjudgments about people based on superficial behaviors.

• Study Example: Williams College study with a woman acting friendly to some students and unfriendly to others; students attributed her behavior to disposition despite knowing she was instructed to act that way.

Self vs. Others: Shifting Attribution Perspective

• Your Behavior: Tends to blame situational factors for failures but takes credit for successes.

• Actor-Observer Effect: We are more likely to see our behavior as influenced by the situation rather than our personality traits.

Cultural Differences in Attribution

• Collectivist cultures attribute behavior more to situational factors.

• Credit for successes often goes to others, while failures tend to reflect the individual.

Emotional Effects of Attribution

• How We Interpret Behaviors: Interpretation influences our emotional reactions.

• Example Scenario: Reacting negatively when someone cuts in line; interpretations matter.

Political Effects of Attribution

• How we perceive others in need can shape our political views and solutions:

  • Negative Attribution: Assumes laziness or incompetence, leading to punitive solutions.

  • Empathetic Attribution: Assumes external hardships, suggesting support solutions.

Attitudes and Actions

• Definition of Attitude: A learned tendency to respond to something positively or negatively.

• Actions can influence attitudes, as well as attitudes influencing actions.

Pathways to Change Attitudes

• Central Route of Persuasion: Engaging the rational mind with evidence and logical arguments.

• Peripheral Route of Persuasion: Influencing attitudes through emotions or superficial cues (e.g., attractiveness, fears).

Attitude-Behavior Consistency

• Conditions Favoring Consistency:

  • Minimal external influences.

  • Stability of attitude.

  • Specificity of attitude to behavior.

  • Ease of recalling the attitude.

Action Influencing Attitude

• Mechanisms:

  • Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

  • Role Playing

  • Cognitive Dissonance Theory: Adjusting attitudes to align with actions taken due to dissonance.

Social Influence and Group Behavior

• Influences on Behavior:

  • Conformity

  • Obedience

  • Social Facilitation

  • Social Loafing

  • Group Polarization

  • Deindividuation

  • Groupthink

Conformity Overview

• Definition: Adjusting behavior/thoughts to fit in with group norms.

• Components:

  • Automatic Mimicry: Unconscious imitating of others.

  • Social Norms: Informal understandings governing the behavior of members of a society.

Normative and Informational Social Influence

• Normative Social Influence: Conforming due to the desire for approval.

• Informational Social Influence: Conforming due to the belief that others’ interpretations are correct.

Milgram's Obedience Study

• Objective: Studying obedience to authority figures.

• Method: Participants administered shocks to a “learner” under the direction of an authority figure, leading to high rates of compliance.

• Findings: Majority obeyed and continued to administer shocks despite the learner's distress, illustrating the power of situational factors.

Lessons on Conformity and Obedience

• Psychological phenomena can lead regular individuals to justify harmful actions due to situational pressures rather than personal traits.

Group Behavior Characteristics

• Social Facilitation: Performance improves on simple tasks when in the presence of others.

• Social Loafing: Individuals exert less effort in a group setting.

• Deindividuation: Loss of self-awareness leading to disinhibited behaviors in group contexts.

Prejudice and Discrimination

• Definitions:

  • Prejudice: Unjustified negative attitude toward a group.

  • Discrimination: Unjustified behavior towards a group.

  • Stereotype: Generalized belief applied to all members of a group.

• Components of Prejudice: Beliefs (stereotypes), predisposition to act (discrimination), emotions (fear, hostility).

The Roots of Prejudice

• Social inequality can foster prejudiced attitudes, leading individuals to feel contempt toward others based on their status.

Emotional and Cognitive Roots

• Scapegoat Theory: Underlying anger is directed toward an outgroup during times of stress.

• Cognitive Constructs: Stereotypes and biases formed from vivid cases that overshadow statistical reality, leading to discrimination.

Aggression Overview

• Definition: Intentional action aimed at causing harm. Can be physical or verbal, hostile or instrumental.

• Biological Influences: Genetics, neural mechanisms, and biochemical factors (e.g., testosterone, alcohol) play roles in aggression.

Factors Influencing Attraction

• Key Elements: Proximity, exposure, physical attractiveness, and the nature of potential relationships.

• Similarity: Attractiveness increases when parties share common traits, interests, or backgrounds.

Altruism and Helping Behavior

• Definition of Altruism: Helping others without expectation of personal gain.

• Bystander Intervention: Factors affecting willingness to help include perceived need, similarity, situational context, and personal mood.

• The Bystander Effect: The presence of others can lead to decreased likelihood of individual helping due to diffusion of responsibility.