4.2.25 - Social psychology

Introduction to Social Psychology

Social psychology focuses on understanding interactions between individuals and their environment. The learning outcomes for this course include identifying key theories in social psychology and describing concepts related to Speech and Language Therapy.

What is Social Psychology?

Social psychology is the study of how individuals perceive, interact, and behave in social contexts. Key concepts include Social Perception, Attribution Theory, and Attitudes.

Social Perception

The Stereotype Content Model (SCM) identifies two dimensions predicting stereotypes: warmth and competence. Warmth relates to perceived friendliness and trustworthiness, while competence pertains to perceived capability and assertion. Understanding stereotypes is crucial as they help predict social outcomes and interactions. The perception of warmth and competence can significantly shape emotional responses. Different combinations of these dimensions lead to various stereotypes: high warmth and high competence elicit positive emotions like pride and admiration; high warmth and low competence generate feelings of pity and sympathy; low warmth and high competence can provoke envy and jealousy; whereas low warmth and low competence often result in disgust and contempt.

Attribution Theory

Attribution Theory is focused on understanding behavior by inferring personality traits. The Correspondent Inference Theory suggests that behavior corresponds with personality. Several factors are considered, including choice, where voluntary actions reveal more about personality; expectedness, where common behaviors are less informative; and intended effects, where positive outcomes complicate inference. Examples scenarios help illustrate how we make attributions based on behavior.

Kelley’s Models of Attribution

Kelley’s models, including the Covariation Model and the Configuration Model, help attribute causes to behavior. The Covariation Model focuses on behavioral patterns over time, while the Configuration Model is used when behavioral information is limited, leading to causal schemas and quick conclusions. Key causal determinants include consensus, which examines how others behave in similar situations; distinctiveness, reflecting an individual's behavior towards specific stimuli; and consistency, the stability of behavior over time.

The Role of Attitudes

Attitudes are defined as a mental state ready to influence responses towards objects or situations. The Three Component Model of Attitudes outlines affect (emotional response), cognition (beliefs that influence responses), and behavior (actual responses shaped by internal and social contexts). Attitudes serve several functions, including the knowledge function, which helps in organizing experiences; the adjustive function, which influences responses positively or negatively; the value-expressive function, reflecting personal values; and the ego-defensive function, which protects self-esteem and internal coherence.

Theories of Attitude Change

Theories of attitude change are grounded in cognitive consistency, suggesting that individuals strive for coherence among their thoughts and behaviors. Cognitive Dissonance Theory explains the psychological discomfort experienced when actions contradict beliefs, while Self-Perception Theory posits that individuals infer their attitudes from their actions.

Conformity and Obedience

Conformity refers to the change in beliefs or behaviors due to perceived group pressure without direct requests, influenced by factors such as group size, unanimity, task difficulty, and privacy. In contrast, obedience is the compliance with an authority figure’s directives, where compliance is explicit and differs from implicit conformity.

Key Studies on Obedience and Conformity

Notable studies:

Milgram's Obedience Study (1961)

Psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment to investigate how far people would go in obeying an authority figure, even when asked to perform actions that conflicted with their personal conscience. In the study, participants were assigned the role of "teacher" and were instructed to administer increasingly severe electric shocks to a "learner" (actually an actor) for incorrect answers. Despite the learner's apparent discomfort and pleas, many participants continued to administer shocks when urged by the experimenter (authority figure) in a lab coat.

The results were striking—about 65% of participants obeyed fully, delivering the maximum shock level. Milgram concluded that people are likely to obey authority figures even when it means causing harm to others, showing the powerful influence of authority on human behavior.

The Stanford Prison Experiment (1971)

Psychologist Philip Zimbardo conducted an experiment to study the psychological effects of perceived power. Volunteers were randomly assigned to be either guards or prisoners in a simulated prison environment set up in the basement of Stanford's psychology department. The study was supposed to last two weeks but was terminated after only six days due to the extreme and disturbing behavior exhibited by both the guards and the prisoners.

Guards became increasingly abusive, while prisoners showed signs of severe stress and helplessness. Zimbardo concluded that situational factors and assigned roles can lead to dehumanizing behavior, highlighting how power dynamics and the environment can have a profound impact on individual actions.

Both studies have been critiqued for ethical reasons, but they provide important insights into human behavior, authority, and power.