Ch 11 psyc

Chapter 11: Social Psychology

Overview

• Key Topics:

  • The Social Self

  • Attitudes & Behavior

  • Interpersonal Relations

  • Aggressive Behaviors

  • Prosocial Behavior

  • Group Influences

  • Stereotypes, Prejudice, & Discrimination

  • Conformity & Obedience

The Social Self

• Definition: Social Psychology studies the influence of social situations on thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

• Self-Concept: Our beliefs and knowledge about ourselves.

• Self-Esteem: Reflects our feelings and personal evaluation.

• Self-Presentation: Efforts to portray ourselves to others.

Social Cognition

• Definition: Analyzing and interpreting events, others, and oneself.

• Attributions: Explanations for behaviors—can be internal (personal) or external (situational).

  • Kelley’s Attribution Theory:

    • Consensus: Do others behave similarly?

    • Consistency: Is the behavior typical in this situation?

    • Distinctiveness: Is the behavior consistent across different situations?

Attribution Errors

• Self-Serving Bias: Credit successes to oneself, blame failures on others.

• Fundamental Attribution Error: Overestimate internal factors for others’ behaviors, underestimate situational ones.

• Actor-Observer Effect: Project internal factors on others while attributing own behavior to external factors.

• Cultural Influence: Internal attributions are more common in individualistic cultures.

Attitudes and Behavior

• Attitudes: Patterns of feelings and beliefs influencing behavior.

  • Three ABCs of Attitudes:

    • Affect: Emotions linked to attitudes.

    • Behavior: Actions influenced by attitudes.

    • Cognition: Thoughts about the subject.

• Types of Attitudes: Explicit (conscious) vs. Implicit (unconscious, can affect behavior).

Factors Affecting Attitudes-Behavior Link

• Accessibility: Ease of attitude activation can influence behavior.

• Specificity: General attitudes are less likely to predict specific behaviors.

• Social Norms: Standards within groups impacting individual behavior.

Behavior Influencing Attitudes

• Self-Perception Theory: We determine attitudes by observing our behaviors.

• Cognitive Dissonance Theory: Discomfort from mismatched attitudes and behaviors leads to attitude change.

Persuasion and Attitude Change

• Persuasion Components (Hovland’s Research):

  • Source: Credibility, expertise.

  • Communication: Clarity, organization, emotional appeal.

  • Medium: Face-to-face vs. mass media.

  • Audience: Openness to change, demographics.

• Elaboration Likelihood Model:

  • Central Route: Thoughtful consideration of arguments.

  • Peripheral Route: Evaluation based on superficial cues.

Interpersonal Relations

• Attraction Factors:

  • Similarity, proximity, physical attractiveness, relationship rewards.

• Sternberg’s Love Components:

  • Intimacy, passion, commitment.

  • Different combinations result in various love forms.

  • Evolutionary psychology and changing cultural preferences in mate selection.

Aggressive Behaviors

• Definition: Any behavior intended to harm others.

• Biological Theories:

  • Instinct for aggression, genetic influences (e.g., MAOA-L gene).

• Environmental Influences: Hormonal factors, exposure conditions.

Psychological Theories of Aggression

• Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis: Aggression stems from goal impediments.

• Cognitive Views: Hostile perceptions lead to aggression; influenced by learned behaviors.

• Learning Theories: Aggressive behaviors are conditioned and learned (referencing Bandura’s work).

Gender and Aggression

• Men are typically more physically aggressive; women often engage in relational aggression.

• Observed across cultures, though situationally influenced.

Reducing Aggression

• Strategies include limiting exposure to violence, enhancing social skills, and fostering prosocial behavior.

Prosocial Behavior

• Definition: Actions benefiting others or society; altruism includes self-cost aiding.

• Bystander Effect: Less likelihood of help when others are present.

• Latane & Darley’s Research: Components influencing public helping behavior.

  • Emergency Evaluation

  • Responsibility

  • Competence

Group Influences

• Definition: Groups involve shared purpose and interdependence.

• Impact on Behavior: Group membership can shape identity and behavior performance.

Social Influence Theories

• Social Facilitation: Enhanced or impaired performance based on task difficulty and presence of others.

• Social Loafing: Reduced individual effort in group tasks.

• Groupthink: Prioritizing consensus over critical evaluation; often seen in cohesive groups.

• Group Polarization: Extremity in opinions post-discussion.

• Deindividuation: Loss of self-awareness in groups, leading to atypical behaviors.

Stereotypes, Prejudice, & Discrimination

• Stereotypes: Overly simplified ideas about groups, leading to ingroup vs. outgroup biases.

• Prejudice vs. Discrimination: Prejudice involves attitudes; discrimination involves actions driven by these attitudes.

Theories on Prejudice

• Explored through various lenses including evolutionary, personality psychology, and social learning.

• Methods for reduction: inclusive social policies, equal status contact, cooperative learning.

Conformity & Obedience

• Compliance Techniques: Strategies to influence agreement and behavior (e.g., foot-in-the-door).

• Conformity: Aligning attitudes with group norms; influenced by group size and cultural factors.

• Obedience: Following authority instructions, as demonstrated in Milgram’s study, raising ethical concerns.