Psc tues 2/25 lecture
Introduction to Social Psychology
Social psychology is the study of how individuals think, feel, and behave in social contexts.
Central concept: Humans are inherently social animals who have a fundamental need to socialize and connect with others.
Key Concepts of Social Psychology
Social Animals and the Need to Socialize
Humans need to socialize for psychological well-being and survival.
Example: A group of citizens and soldiers working together to retrieve a vehicle from a ravine illustrates the power of collaboration regardless of differences.
Social psychologists explore why human interactions are significant and how individual actions impact others.
Social Norms and Rules
Social Norms: Implicit expectations that guide behavior within a group.
Example: It’s understood that sleeping in a classroom hall is inappropriate, even without explicit rules.
Social Rules: Explicit guidelines provided for behavior in specific settings.
Example: Permission to leave the classroom when indicated by a signal at the end of the session.
Variability across cultures; norms differently perceived based on societal context.
Individualistic vs. Collectivist Cultures
Individualistic Cultures:
Characteristics: Value independence, success, and self-reliance.
Example: The U.S. promotes achievement and personal success.
Collectivist Cultures:
Characteristics: Value interdependence, relationships, and group harmony.
Example: Countries like China and Mexico prioritize community and familial connections.
Theories of Social Interaction
Social Exchange Theory
Suggests social behavior is a process of exchange where individuals aim to maximize benefits while minimizing costs.
Utilizes a rational approach to evaluate decisions based on expected rewards (social approval, benefits) and costs (time, effort).
Indicates people may act selfishly unless guided by established moral standards.
Humanism
Emphasizes the innate goodness within individuals and the inherent desire to help others without expecting anything in return.
Altruism is explored as a motivation grounded in empathy.
Social Identity Theory
Highlights the importance of group membership in shaping social behavior and identity.
Group affiliations influence actions, interactions, and perceptions of self and others.
Altruism and Helping Behavior
Altruism Defined: Selfless concern for others without expectation of return; motivating factors include empathy and social norms.
Example: Helping a friend move with the underlying expectation of reciprocation later.
Empathy-Altruism Model: Understanding another's feelings leads to a genuine desire to help, based on emotional connection.
Factors Affecting Helping Behavior
Bystander Effect and Diffusion of Responsibility
People are less likely to help in emergencies when in a group; the more bystanders present, the less individual responsibility felt.
Knowledge of others present can influence personal willingness to help due to societal and moral implications.
Aggression in Social Psychology
Defined as behavior intended to harm another person.
Motivations behind aggression are diverse and encompass interpersonal and group dynamics.
Love and Relationships
Explores different aspects of love, including emotional attachment and social bonding.
Triangle Theory of Love: Proposes components of intimacy, passion, and commitment define relationships.
Social Influence
Types of Influence
Conformity: Changing behavior to align with group norms; driven by peer pressure.
Example: Asch's conformity experiments highlight how individuals may go against their better judgment to fit in.
Obedience: Compliance with authority figures, even when actions conflict with personal morals; illustrated by Milgram's shocking experiments.
Group Dynamics
Groupthink: The desire for harmony in decision-making leads to poor choices as dissenting views are suppressed.
Example: During team evaluations, members may agree with majority opinions despite differing beliefs.
Attribution and Cognition in Social Experiences
Fundamental Attribution Error: Tendency to overemphasize personal traits and underestimate situational factors in others' behaviors.
Self-Serving Bias: Attributing successes to internal factors and failures to external circumstances.
Just World Hypothesis: Belief that the world is fundamentally fair; can lead to victim-blaming.
Conclusion
Social cognition plays a crucial role in shaping individual interactions, perceptions, and behaviors.
Understanding attitudes and cognitive biases is essential in social psychology to predict how individuals will act within varying contexts.