Ch 12 Social Psychology Day 2
Chapter 12: Social Psychology
Overview
What is Social Psychology?
Key Topics:
Person Perception: Forming Impressions of Other People
Attribution: Explaining Behavior
The Social Psychology of Attitudes
Understanding Prejudice
Conformity: Following the Crowd
Obedience: Just Following Orders
Altruism and Aggression: Helping and Hurting Behavior
The Influence of Groups on Individual Behavior
Important Dates
Exam 2: Tuesday, March 11th
Format:
88 pts -- 44 Multiple Choice questions (2 pts each)
12 pts via written questions (fill in the blank, short answers)
Total: 100 points
Review Session: March 10th, 5:30-6:30 PM, PY 228
Understanding Attitudes
Definition: A learned tendency to evaluate an object, person, or issue positively, negatively, or ambivalently.
**Components of Attitudes:
Cognitive:** Thoughts and beliefs about the subject.
Affective: Feelings or emotions regarding the subject.
Behavioral: Actions taken in relation to the subject.
The Effect of Attitudes on Behavior
Likely to behave in accordance with attitudes when:
Anticipate favorable outcomes.
Attitudes are extreme or frequently expressed.
Formed through direct experience.
Knowledgeable about the subject.
Have a vested interest in the topic.
Cognitive Dissonance
Definition: An unpleasant state of psychological tension arising from conflicting thoughts or perceptions.
Results from the awareness of the inconsistency between attitudes and behavior.
Ways to Reduce Dissonance:
Rationalizing behavior to alleviate conflict.
Changing attitudes to align with behavior.
Emphasizing negative aspects of the rejected choice or positive aspects of the chosen one.
Social Groups
Social Identity: A person's sense of self derived from group memberships.
In-group vs. Out-group:
In-group: "Us" - groups you belong to.
Out-group: "Them" - those not in your social group.
Prejudice and Stereotypes
Prejudice: Negative attitudes towards individuals based on group membership (e.g., race, gender, religion).
Intersectionality: Recognizes the multiple group identities individuals may hold.
Stereotypes: Generalized beliefs about traits associated with all members of a specific group.
Distinction: Prejudice vs. Discrimination vs. Stereotypes:
Prejudice: Feelings.
Discrimination: Actions.
Stereotypes: Thoughts and beliefs.
Characteristics of Stereotypes
Cognitive process that simplifies social information.
Based on assumptions about membership leading to certain characteristics.
Problems with Stereotypes
Can inhibit accurate understanding of individuals.
Stereotype threat leads to anxiety and performance issues.
Reinforces narrow expectations from group members, creating mental sub-groups.
In-group and Out-group Dynamics
In-group Bias: Favorable attributions towards members of one’s own group.
Out-group Homogeneity Effect: Tendency to see out-group members as more similar than they are.
Emotions and Prejudice
Prejudice intensifies with competition for resources or during social change.
Implicit Attitudes
Definition: Unintentional, automatic evaluations that differ from explicit attitudes.
Microaggressions: Small, often unintentional slights against a group.Measurement using the Implicit Association Test (IAT) is common; critiques exist concerning cultural bias versus personal bias.
Overcoming Prejudice
Results from the Robbers Cave Experiment: Inter-group hostility diminished when groups collaborated towards a common goal.
Conformity in Social Contexts
Definition: Adjustment of opinions/behaviors to align with group norms.
Asch Experiment Findings:
76% conformed to at least one incorrect answer.
37% of critical trials ended in conformity.
Factors Influencing Conformity:
Size of the majority group, presence of allies, individual commitments.
Ambiguity of tasks and self-doubt also contribute.
Cultural Perspectives on Conformity
Individualistic Cultures: Preference for independence; conformity viewed negatively.
Collectivistic Cultures: Greater social acceptance of conformity, seen as tact and sensitivity.