Psych 204 — Introduction to Social Psychology: Bystander Effect, Methods, and Context

Psych 204: Introduction to Social Psychology — Bystander Effect, Methods, and Context

• Purpose of this session:

  • Introduce Psych 204 and the instructor team (Brian Dawn as lecturer for this section; course coordinator Chris Sibley; head tutor Eden Clark; other lecturers include Nikola Overall and Shiloh).
  • Jump straight into content to illustrate what social psychology is about, then cover administration later.

• Core theme of the opening video: The Bystander Effect and diffusion of responsibility

  • Key questions to guide thinking while watching:
  • Why did people help or not help?
  • What factors made people more or less likely to help?
  • What would you do in this situation?
  • Diffusion of responsibility in crowds: as group size increases, the likelihood of any one person intervening tends to drop.
  • Experimental setup shown in video:
  • Location: Liverpool Street Station, London (busy commuter corridor).
  • Peter (actor) pretends to be ill; observers with no intervention for extended periods.
  • Time to help varies across scenarios; initial passersby may pass without intervention.
  • In one sequence, Ruth replaces Peter; 34 people pass without helping over about 4 minutes.
  • A switch in the social script occurs when another bystander helps; a new group forms with a different rule (start helping when others do).
  • Dramatic moment: when Peter is dressed as a respectable gentleman (appearance aligns with bystander norms), help arrives more quickly (e.g., 6 seconds after initial observation in one sequence).
  • Takeaway: Helping behavior is influenced by the presence of others, perceived norms, and how people interpret the situation, not just personal disposition.
  • Observed illusions/pitfalls:
  • People often feel pressure to conform to others’ inaction (social conformity) or to ‘pass the buck’ to someone else.
  • When a single person starts to help, others are more likely to join in; social proof emerges.

• Concepts introduced from the video and class discussion

  • Diffusion of responsibility: as the number of potential helpers increases, the sense of individual responsibility decreases.
  • Social influence and social norms: what others do in a crowd changes an individual’s behavior.
  • Appearance and context effects: how a person is dressed and perceived by others can influence intervention likelihood.
  • The difference between real presence and imagined presence of others (in social psychology, consequences can arise even when others are not physically present but are imagined in the social context).

• Core definitions and aims of social psychology (from the lecture)

  • Social psychology is the scientific study of how people think, feel, and behave depending on the presence of real or imagined other people.
  • Key components:
  • Cognitions (thoughts)
  • Emotions (feelings)
  • Behaviors (actions)
  • The “social” in social psychology covers real interaction and imagined presence of others (e.g., attachment, peer influence, social norms).
  • Important examples discussed:
  • Attachment styles formed in childhood influence relationships across the lifespan, even when the parent is no longer physically present.
  • Social influence from peers and cultural expectations shapes how we dress, behave, and interact.

• The scientific method in social psychology

  • Social psychology relies on the scientific method: systematic manipulation, observation, and measurement.
  • Video example illustrates manipulation of a variable (e.g., appearance) and the effect on helping behavior.
  • Through controlled-like demonstrations, researchers test theories about how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors change across social contexts.
  • Conceptual equation: the likelihood of helping can be viewed as a function of group size and contextual cues:
    P( ext{help}) ext{ decreases as } N ext{ (number of bystanders) increases}
  • Broader course aim: cover a wide range of topics from attraction to intimacy, while emphasizing how the social context shapes outcomes.

• Culture and context: WEIRD Phenomenon

  • Much of psychology has relied on WEIRD samples: Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic contexts.
  • Rationale for cross-cultural work: different cultures shape cognition, behavior, values, and social expectations.
  • Implication for interpretation of classic studies: findings may not generalize globally; need for diverse samples and cross-cultural replication.

• Distinctions among related fields

  • Sociology vs. Social Psychology:
  • Sociology tends to emphasize groups, institutions, social structures, and broad societal patterns (e.g., countries, religions, demographics).
  • Social psychology focuses on individuals and how social factors influence thoughts, feelings, and behaviors at the individual level.
  • Both share concerns about social influence and aggression, but the level of analysis differs.
  • Clinical Psychology vs. Social Psychology:
  • Clinical psychology studies mental health challenges, psychopathology, and interventions for clinical populations.
  • Social psychology studies universal aspects of human behavior in the general population; clinical topics can be informed by social processes but are not the primary focus.
  • Intersections exist (e.g., emotions relevant to both fields).

• Practical class culture and expectations

  • Active participation encouraged; discussions with neighboring students.
  • Use of technology should be non-disruptive and respectful to instructors and classmates.
  • Punctuality is valued to maintain a conducive learning environment.
  • Each lecture starts with learning outcomes to guide study for quizzes.

• Learning outcomes for this lecture

  • Define social psychology and differentiate it from related fields (e.g., sociology).
  • Explain why social psychology emphasizes the distinction between social psychology findings and common sense.
  • Understand the role of real vs. imagined others in shaping thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
  • Recognize how the scientific method is applied in social psychology (manipulation, observation, measurement).
  • Appreciate the influence of social context on various phenomena (e.g., bystander intervention, group dynamics).

• Classic study examples introduced in the session

  • Reagan-Mondale debate study (North American context) with three conditions:
  • Condition 1: Unedited debate (jokes and audience reaction included).
  • Condition 2: Jokes included, audience reaction edited out.
  • Condition 3: No jokes and no audience reaction.
  • Dependent variable: ext{DV} = ext{rating of Reagan} (how much participants liked Reagan).
  • Findings (interpretation): audience reaction influenced ratings; social context alters interpretation of speaker performance; presence of jokes alone with no audience reaction reduces perceived likability; removal of both jokes and audience reaction yields a rating not dramatically different from some other conditions (the key takeaway is that social context changes perception).
  • STEM chilly climate and belonging intervention (Canada):
  • Participants: first-year engineering students.
  • Intervention: belonging reaffirmation and resilience-building designed to increase sense of belonging, particularly for women in STEM.
  • Measures: GPA (on a scale out of 100) and self-esteem/coping metrics.
  • Findings (illustrative):
    • Men: little to no change in GPA with belonging intervention (likely because baseline belonging was already high).
    • Women: significant improvement in GPA in the intervention condition vs. no intervention; improvements observed in self-esteem and coping as well.
  • Conclusion: belonging interventions can affect academic performance and psychological well-being, especially for women in STEM fields. GPA scale is reported as 0–100.
  • Broader implications:
  • Belonging and social context can influence educational outcomes.
  • The importance of creating inclusive environments to support students’ performance and well-being.

• Practical implications and real-world relevance

  • Understanding the diffusion of responsibility helps explain crowd dynamics in emergencies and informs bystander training programs.
  • Interventions to improve belonging can be applied in universities, workplaces, and other institutions to enhance engagement and achievement.
  • Cross-cultural awareness is essential for applying social psychology findings globally.
  • Distinctions between individual-level (psychology) vs group-level (sociology) analyses guide how we design studies and interpret results.

• Ethical and practical considerations (as discussed in class)

  • The classroom emphasizes a respectful, non-disruptive environment when using technology and during participation.
  • Social psychology research often involves manipulation of social contexts; ethical considerations include informed consent, debriefing, and minimizing potential harm.
  • Cross-cultural research highlights the importance of contextually appropriate interpretations and avoiding over-generalization from WEIRD samples.

• Connections to future topics and real-world relevance

  • The course promises exploration of attraction, intimacy, and self-expansion in relationships, with later sections by Nicola Overall and Shiloh, and connections to broader social processes.
  • The instructor notes that belonging and social context will be central to understanding academic belonging and success at the University of Auckland and beyond.
  • The session hints at ongoing discussions about how clinical and social psychology intersect, with Thursday’s class to revisit these connections.

• Quick recap of key terms to remember

  • Diffusion of responsibility: P( ext{help}) ext{ decreases as } N ext{ (number of bystanders) increases}
  • Social psychology: the scientific study of how people think, feel, and behave in the presence (real or imagined) of others
  • WEIRD: Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic contexts
  • Belonging intervention: programs designed to increase students’ sense of belonging, with potential downstream effects on performance
  • Chilly climate: a sense of being unwelcome or not belonging in a particular field (e.g., STEM for women)
  • Distinctions: Psychology (individual-level focus) vs Sociology (group-level focus) vs Clinical Psychology (clinical populations)

• Final note for students

  • Expect a mix of content delivery, class discussions, and short interactive tasks to reinforce learning outcomes.
  • Prepare for quizzes by focusing on the definitions of social psychology, the role of real vs imagined others, the scientific method in social psychology, and key findings from the bystander and belonging studies.