Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Social Psychology Social Psychology PSY 100 PSY 100 Rick Grieve, Ph.D. Rick Grieve, Ph.D. Western Kentucky University Western Kentucky University
Chapter 16Chapter 16Social PsychologySocial Psychology
PSY 100PSY 100Rick Grieve, Ph.D.Rick Grieve, Ph.D.
Western Kentucky UniversityWestern Kentucky University
AttitudesAttitudesWhat are attitudes?What are attitudes?
Attitudes are beliefs or opinions about Attitudes are beliefs or opinions about people, object, and ideaspeople, object, and ideas
AttitudesAttitudesFootFoot--inin--thethe--door strategydoor strategy
Individual presents a weaker Individual presents a weaker request first, saving the request first, saving the strongest demand until the endstrongest demand until the end
DoorDoor--inin--thethe--face strategyface strategyIndividual makes the strongest Individual makes the strongest demand first, then presents a demand first, then presents a more reasonable offermore reasonable offer
AttitudesAttitudesCognitive dissonanceCognitive dissonance
Individual’s motivation to reduce the Individual’s motivation to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) caused by discomfort (dissonance) caused by two inconsistent thoughtstwo inconsistent thoughts
SelfSelf--perception theoryperception theoryIndividuals make inferences about Individuals make inferences about their attitudes by perceiving and their attitudes by perceiving and examining their behaviorexamining their behavior
AttitudesAttitudes
Cognitive dissonancetheory
Self-perceptiontheory
“I hate my job. I needto develop a betterattitude toward it, orI could quit and be abeach bum.”
“I am spending allof my time thinkingabout how much I hate my job. I really must not likeit.
Social ThinkingSocial ThinkingAttribution theoryAttribution theory
People are motivated to discover the People are motivated to discover the underlying causes of behavior as part underlying causes of behavior as part of their effort to make sense of the of their effort to make sense of the behaviorbehavior
AttributionAttributionDimension of causalityDimension of causality
Internal/external causesInternal/external causes•• Internal attributions: personality traits, Internal attributions: personality traits,
intelligence, models, attitudes, and intelligence, models, attitudes, and healthhealth
•• External attributions: social pressure, External attributions: social pressure, aspects of the social situations, money, aspects of the social situations, money, weather, and luckweather, and luck
Stable/unstable causesStable/unstable causesControllable/uncontrollable causesControllable/uncontrollable causes
Attributional Attributional ErrorsErrorsFundamental attribution errorFundamental attribution error
Observers overestimate the Observers overestimate the importance of traits and importance of traits and underestimate the importance of underestimate the importance of situations when they seek situations when they seek explanations of an actor’s behaviorexplanations of an actor’s behavior
Attributional Attributional ErrorsErrorsFundamental attribution errorFundamental attribution error
Actor
More likely to giveexternal, situationalexplanations of ownbehavior
Observer
More likely to giveinternal, traitexplanations of actor’sbehavior
Attributional Attributional ErrorsErrorsSelfSelf--serving biasserving bias
Attributing explanations for one’s Attributing explanations for one’s successes to internal factors and successes to internal factors and explanations for one’s failures to explanations for one’s failures to external factorsexternal factors
Attributional Attributional ErrorsErrorsSelfSelf--serving biasserving bias
Failure
More likely to giveexternal explanations
Success
More likely to giveinternal explanations
Social InfluenceSocial InfluenceConformityConformity
Involves a change in a person’s Involves a change in a person’s behavior to coincide more with a behavior to coincide more with a group standardgroup standard
Asch’sAsch’s Conformity ExperimentConformity Experiment
ConformityConformityNormative social influenceNormative social influence
The influence that other people have The influence that other people have on us because we seek their approval on us because we seek their approval or avoid their disapprovalor avoid their disapproval
Informational social influenceInformational social influenceThe influence other people have on us The influence other people have on us because we want to be rightbecause we want to be right
ObedienceObedienceObedienceObedience
Behavior that complies with the Behavior that complies with the explicit demands of the individual in explicit demands of the individual in authorityauthority
Milgram’s Milgram’s obedience studyobedience study
Group InfluenceGroup InfluenceNormsNorms
Rules that apply to all members of a Rules that apply to all members of a groupgroup
RolesRolesRules and expectations that govern Rules and expectations that govern certain positions in the groupcertain positions in the group
Group InfluenceGroup InfluenceStanford Prison StudyStanford Prison Study
Group PerformanceGroup PerformanceSocial facilitationSocial facilitation
Occurs when an individual’s performance Occurs when an individual’s performance improves because of the presence of othersimproves because of the presence of others
Social loafingSocial loafingThe tendency to exert less effort in a group The tendency to exert less effort in a group because of reduced monitoringbecause of reduced monitoring
DeindividuationDeindividuationOccurs when the presence of a group results Occurs when the presence of a group results in the loss of personal identityin the loss of personal identity
Group Interaction Group Interaction The risky shiftThe risky shift
The tendency for a group decision to The tendency for a group decision to be riskier than the average decision be riskier than the average decision made by individual group membersmade by individual group members
Group polarization effectGroup polarization effectThe solidification and further The solidification and further strengthening of a position as a strengthening of a position as a consequence of group discussionconsequence of group discussion
Group Interaction Group Interaction GroupthinkGroupthink
Impaired decision making and Impaired decision making and avoidance of realistic appraisal to avoidance of realistic appraisal to maintain group harmonymaintain group harmony
AggressionAggression
Biological influencesBiological influencesEnvironmental and psychological Environmental and psychological influencesinfluences
FrustrationFrustration--aggression hypothesisaggression hypothesis•• Frustration always leads to aggressionFrustration always leads to aggression
Observational learningObservational learningReinforcementReinforcement
AltruismAltruismWhat is altruism?What is altruism?
Altruism is an unselfish interest in helping Altruism is an unselfish interest in helping someone elsesomeone else
EgoismEgoismgiving to another person to ensure giving to another person to ensure reciprocityreciprocity
The bystander effectThe bystander effectIndividuals who observe an emergency help Individuals who observe an emergency help less when someone else is present than less when someone else is present than when they are alonewhen they are alone
Attraction, Love, & Attraction, Love, & RelationshipsRelationships
What attracts us to others and What attracts us to others and motivates us to spend more time with motivates us to spend more time with them?them?Does just being around someone Does just being around someone increase the likelihood a relationship increase the likelihood a relationship will develop?will develop?Do birds of a feather flock together?Do birds of a feather flock together?How important is physical attraction in How important is physical attraction in a relationship?a relationship?
Attraction, Love, & Attraction, Love, & RelationshipsRelationships
Consensual validationConsensual validationOur own attitudes and behavior are Our own attitudes and behavior are supported when someone else’s attitudes supported when someone else’s attitudes and behavior are similar to oursand behavior are similar to ours
Matching hypothesisMatching hypothesisWhile we prefer a more attractive person in While we prefer a more attractive person in the abstract, in the real world we end up the abstract, in the real world we end up choosing someone who is close to our own choosing someone who is close to our own level of attractivenesslevel of attractiveness
Types of LoveTypes of LoveRomantic loveRomantic love
Has strong components of sexuality Has strong components of sexuality and infatuation, and it often and infatuation, and it often predominates in the early part of a predominates in the early part of a love relationshiplove relationship
Affectionate loveAffectionate loveOccurs when individuals desire to Occurs when individuals desire to have the other person near and have have the other person near and have a deep, caring affection for the persona deep, caring affection for the person
Triangular Theory of LoveTriangular Theory of Love
ReferencesReferences
NairneNairne, J. S. (1999). , J. S. (1999). Psychology: The adaptive mindPsychology: The adaptive mind (2nd Ed.). Albany, NY: (2nd Ed.). Albany, NY: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
SantrockSantrock, J. W. (2002). , J. W. (2002). Psychology Psychology (6(6thth Edition). Boston, MA: McGrawEdition). Boston, MA: McGraw--Hill.Hill.
Wells, M. (2002). BBC halts Wells, M. (2002). BBC halts ‘‘prison experiment.prison experiment.’’ The GuardianThe Guardian. [Online] Retrieved . [Online] Retrieved January 25, 2002, from the World Wide Web: January 25, 2002, from the World Wide Web: http://www.guardian.co.http://www.guardian.co.ukuk//ukuk_news/story/0,3604,638243,00.html_news/story/0,3604,638243,00.html