In-Depth Notes on Social Psychology Concepts

What is Social Psychology?

• Study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.
• Intrapersonal: Focuses on individuals (emotions, attitudes, social cognition).
• Interpersonal: Concerns interactions between two or more people (aggression, prejudice, attraction, relationships).
• Examines the influence of interpersonal and group relationships on behavior.
• Highlights the power of the situation and interpretation of situations on thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Key Concepts in Social Psychology

• Dispositionism: Emphasis on individual traits as explanations for behavior.
• Situationism: Focus on situational factors impacting behavior.

Individualistic vs. Collectivist Cultures

Individualistic Cultures

• Focus on personal achievement, autonomy, and independence.
• Examples: United States, Canada, United Kingdom.
• Tend to emphasize dispositional explanations for behavior.
• Characterized by:
  • Achievement-oriented attitudes
  • Independent thinking styles
  • Analytic thinking approach.

Collectivist Cultures

• Focus on communal relationships and the good of the group.
• Examples: East Asian, Latin American, African cultures.
• Consider situational factors when assessing behavior.
• Characterized by:
  • Relationship-oriented attitudes
  • Interdependent thinking styles
  • Holistic thinking approach.

Fundamental Attribution Error

• Tendency to overemphasize internal characteristics when explaining others' behavior.
• Often leads to the assumption that behavior reflects permanent traits rather than situational influences.
• More pronounced in individualistic cultures than collectivist ones.

Self-Serving Bias

• Tendency to perceive oneself more favorably than is accurate.
• Successes attributed to internal factors (e.g., ability, effort).
• Failures attributed to external factors (e.g., unfair tests).
• Examples:
  • Scoring high on a test: "I studied really hard."
  • Failing a test: "The teacher was unfair."

Belief in a Just World

• The tendency to believe that the world is fair and people get what they deserve.
• Can result in blaming victims for their misfortunes (e.g., poverty, sexual assault).
• This perspective overlooks situational factors like socioeconomic conditions and systemic issues.

Social Roles, Norms, and Scripts

• Social Role: Expected pattern of behavior in specific settings.
  • Examples: roles of professor, student.
• Social Norm: Group’s expectations for acceptable behavior and thought.
• Script: Knowledge of expected sequences of events in a setting (e.g., dining at a restaurant).

Stanford Prison Experiment

• Demonstrated the impact of social roles and situational factors on behavior.
• Conducted with 24 male college students assigned roles of guards and prisoners.
• Originally planned for several weeks but terminated after six days due to ethical concerns and the extreme behavior exhibited.

Attitudes and Behavior

• Attitude: Evaluation of a person, idea, or object which can influence behavior.
• Behavioral changes can also alter attitudes.

Cognitive Dissonance

• Psychological discomfort experienced when behavior conflicts with self-perception or beliefs.
• Drives motivation to reconcile conflicting attitudes and behaviors.
• Strategies for reducing dissonance include changing beliefs or justifying behaviors.

Persuasion

• Process of influencing attitudes through communication.
• Often involves external influences or convincing arguments.

Conformity, Compliance, and Obedience

Conformity

• Changing behavior or beliefs due to group pressure.
• Example: Following fashion trends despite personal disagreement.

Compliance

• Agreeing to an explicit request from another person.
• Example: Doing a favor for someone.

Obedience

• Following directives from an authority figure, often in unequal power situations.
• Example: Following orders from a police officer.

Factors Influencing Conformity

• Group Size: Larger groups increase conformity.
• Group Unanimity: Consensus among group members enhances conformity.
• Presence of Allies: A dissenting voice reduces conformity likelihood.
• Anonymity: Reduces pressure to conform.

Reasons for Conformity

• Informational Social Influence: Believing the group has accurate information.
• Normative Social Influence: The desire to fit in and be accepted by the group.

Milgram Experiment on Obedience

• Investigated obedience to authority through an experiment where participants were instructed to administer electric shocks to others for wrong answers (only simulated).
• Results showed a high compliance rate (62.5% went to maximum voltage) despite apparent distress caused.

Groupthink

• Tendency for group members to align their opinions with perceived group consensus, sometimes leading to poor decision-making.
• Factors contributing to groupthink:
  • Group cohesiveness prioritized over sound decision-making.
  • Directive leadership discouraging dissent.
  • Isolation from alternative viewpoints.
• Prevention strategies:
  • Seeking external opinions.
  • Private voting to ensure all voices are heard.

Group Polarization

• A process where discussion within a group leads to stronger endorsement of an initial viewpoint.
• Common in political settings, often amplified through media.

Social Loafing

• The tendency for individuals to put in less effort when working in groups compared to when working alone.
• Raises questions about roles within group projects and individual contributions.