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.