AP Psychology
Unit XIV – Social Psychology
Social Psychology
The arena of psychology that focuses
on how individuals perceive,
influence, and relate to others.
F.A.E. = Fundamental Attribution Error
 Attribution Theory: the tendency to explain the cause(s) of others’
behavior
 DISPOSITIONAL ATTRIBUTION: to identify behavior as a result of a
person’s trait(s)
 SITUATIONAL ATTRIBUTION: to identify a behavior as a result of a
particular situation
 Fundamental Attribution Error: to make the assumption that a person’s
trait is the cause of a behavior in a way that underestimates the possibility
of other factors
 Example: Sam usually walks in his neighborhood. Josie sees Sam
walking quickly by her house for the second time within 5 minutes,
shrugs, and assumes that Sam decided to take 2 laps down her street,
and goes back into her house. However, Sam is being followed by a
rabid dog that is just 12 feet behind him!
Video Clip:
“Fundamental Attribution Error”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scTBLOl6tD0
Attitudes
Emotions based upon one’s beliefs, experiences, and/or perceptions
Attitudes Affect Actions
Central Route Persuasion
 Offers facts and
persuasive debates that
aim to win over
individuals
Peripheral Route Persuasion
 Promotes participation
by injection of cues
(celebrities, objects,
enticing odors and sights)
 Appeals those who are
naturally analytical or
previously interested in
the topic
 Does not encourage
systematic or analytical
thinking
 SOLIDIFIES one’s
judgment!
 SPUR OF THE MOMENT
judgments!
Actions Affect Attitudes
 Foot-in-the-door phenomenon
 Technique designed to successfully get someone to comply with a
relatively large request by FIRST getting them to comply with a
smaller request
Video Clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKm24MjSuBs
 Door-in-the-face phenomenon
 Technique designed to successfully get someone to comply with
the desired request by requesting something outrageously out-ofthe-question first
Video Clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIwJBsncssE
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Premise: One’s behaviors must be in
alignment with one’s beliefs/value system
If the beliefs/value system shifts, one’s
behavior must shift as well and vice versa
Pair Partner Discussion
 Do you have an attitude or tendency you would like to change?
 Using the attitudes-follow-behavior principle, how might you go
about changing that attitude?
Scenario:
Driving to school one snowy day, Marco narrowly misses a car that slides through a red
light. “Slow down! What a terrible driver,” he thinks to himself. Moments later, Marco
himself slips through an intersection and yelps, “Wow! These roads are awful. The city
plows need to get out here.” What social psychology principle has Marco just
demonstrated? Explain.
Conformity, Norms, and Social Norms
 Conformity: shifting our outward behavior to be in alignment with the
outward behavior of another or group of people
 Norm: any thing that is a pattern of expected behavior for one or more
person(s); may be positive/negative, legal/illegal
 Social Norms: pattern of expected behavior within any given social group
 Example: At Sandy’s house, no one is to begin eating dinner unless
everyone has washed their hands, are seated in their assigned seat at the
table, grace is said, and the patriarch of the family lifts his fork.
 Example: At Central High School, all students stand, throw their arms
around their neighbor’s shoulders, and sway while singing the school’s
alma mater at the top of their lungs.
Normative vs. Informational
Normative Social Influence
Informational Social Influence
 Appeals to one’s emotion
 Appeals to one’s logic/reasoning
 Trust is based upon the person’s
relationship or social status
 Trust is based upon factual
information that is written or visual
evidence
 You conform because you need to
avoid rejection or to gain social
approval
 Example: Your adorable 2 year old
nephew walks up to you and hands
you a flyer that is inviting you to a
Toddler Fashion Show. You decide
to attend because your nephew is
participating and you don’t want to
hurt your sister’s feelings.
 You conform because you need to
be accurate
 Example: You listen to both sides of
the debate on whether or not
school districts should provide
nutritional lunches so you know how
to communicate your views with
your US Senator.
Pair Partner Discussion
Is CONFORMITY a positive or negative force?
Use real-life scenarios to support your position.
Solomon Asch’s Experiment of
Conformity
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyDDyT1lDhA
Stanley Milgram’s Experiment of
Obedience to Authority
(See documentary video)
Reflective Writing
Define conformity and obedience.
Then, provide an example of each.
Stanley Milgram’s research on
obedience triggered a debate over
ethics. Explain the concern and what
might Milgram’s defense have been.
Group Activity:
“Group Behavior”
Tasks:
 Discuss your group’s topic
 Plan a group skit that demonstrates your topic “crystal clear” for your classmates
 Perform your skit
Group #s & Topics:
 Group 1: social facilitation
 Group 2: social loafing
 Group 3: deindividuation
 Group 4: group polarization
 Group 5: groupthink
 Group 6: norms
Group Behavior
Social Facilitation
 The tendency to amp up one’s performance when one is aware that others are present.
Example:
 When Tedrick plays solo Ping Pong in his garage he is relaxed. He may miss some
volleys, but he picks up and begin ahead, casually. When he sees the cute girl from
two houses down the street passing by his open garage door, his muscles becomes
tense, he concentrates, and begins zinging the ping pong ball against the wall like a
professional player. When he sees that she has passed by, he relaxes once again
and casually volleys the ball.
 It is possible to perform worse on a difficult task when others are present.
Example:
 Charlotte is taking a Unit Test for her AP Physics class. Since this is a challenging class
for her, she studies 3 extra hours than usual for this test so that she feels prepared.
During the test, Charlotte’s teacher walks around the room and stands near
Charlotte’s desk for several minutes, causing Charlotte to tense up and draw a blank
while reading her test questions. When her graded unit test is returned, she sees that
she missed all 4 questions that she answered while the teacher stood near her desk.
Social Loafing
 The decision consciously or subconsciously made when working
within a group to not put forth as much effort as when
working/performing individually because one assumes that others
will share the responsibility of the outcome.
1. Less accountability; easy to hide one’s uncertainty or
weaknesses
2. Individual contributions are dispensable
3. Equal benefits leads to a free ride on others’ efforts
4. Leaders that emerge in these situations tend to benefit in
later individual tasks; Social loafers tend to suffer in later
individual tasks
Deindividuation
 Aka “Mob Mentality”
 Arouses strong emotion (i.e. fear, anger, frustration, excitement) and increases a
sense of anonymity
 Video Clip: Rodney King – L.A. Riot in 1992
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9C51OawLFA
 Examples:
 The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina  frustration, hunger, desperation led to massive crowds
looting stores, gas stations, etc.
 During a rock concert, a small group near the stage breaks through the barriers and soon
the majority of the crowd storms the musicians and singers on the stage.
 During WWII, 10 Nazi soldiers are told to taunt the Jews loading the trains to the ghettos,
within minutes hundreds of German citizens gather on the sidewalk to join the taunting of
their Jewish neighbors, landlords, businessmen, and former friends.
Group Polarization & Groupthink
 Group Polarization
 Group begins discussion with opposing viewpoints. As the discussion continues the opposing
viewpoints becomes more pronounced, instead to compromising or coming to a consensus
 Groupthink
 An assumption made by the leaders in a group that the members have agreed to a
consensus/idea, when the group members simply suppressed their opposition during the decision
making process.
 False sense of group unity
 Causes:
 Members fear opposing the ideas of the leader(s)
 Members are considering the feelings of those who submit ideas
 Members are unsure of how their ideas will be received by others
 Passive aggressiveness
Social Power
 Social control  the power of the situation
 Example: Susan was excited because she landed a job, bought a new home, and earned a salary
where she could afford to join the local Country Club and play golf there. However, because of the
Country Club’s stringent rules about home ownership, Susan was not able to join. Susan now has to
commute 15 miles to the west of town to play golf.
 Personal control  the power of the individual
 Example: Susan thought the rules of the local Country Club are simply outrageous and advocated
for her Homeowner’s Association to create an expansive golf club on the edge of her new
neighborhood. Six months later, because of Susan proactive efforts, her neighborhood opened a
new golf club that was the envy of the town.
 Minority control  the power of a few individuals to persuade the majority
 Example: Susan felt that she was not taken seriously at the local Country Club when appealing her
membership at their golf course because most of the members were men. Therefore, she joined
forces with three other women in her new neighborhood who were also avid golfers who wanted
membership. After petitioning for Country Club/golf course membership allowance for women in
her new neighborhood for 8 months, Susan and the other three women were granted membership
and the Country Club amended their rules.
Culture & Norms
CULTURES
The behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and
transmitted from one generation to the next.
 Preservation of innovation
 Language
 Food/Eating Rituals
 Division of labor
 Monetary systems
 Sports
 Food/Drink
 Ceremonies/Rites of Passage
NORMS
 Rules for accepted and expected behavior
Prejudice & Discrimination
Prejudice (LITERALLY means “pre-judgment”): typically an unjustifiable
and usually negative attitude toward any particular group (i.e. gender,
ethnic, religious, cultural group)
Components of Prejudice:
Beliefs (Stereotypes)
Emotions (Usually  Anger, Fear, Frustration)
Predispositions to Action (Likely to Discriminate)
So….how prejudiced are people?
 OVERT (obvious acts) prejudice is decreasing
 Examples: “We
refuse to serve you here!”
“You are not welcomed here.”
 SUBTLE (not-so-obvious/hard to prove) prejudice is increasing
 Examples: “I’m sorry, but we just hired someone for that position…” (but the help wanted
sign remains in the window even weeks later)
What Would You Do? – Racial Profiling - Video Clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxNH_qCrT1s
 Other-race effect: the tendency to recognize face details of one’s own race while
dismissing the details of another race (“They-all-look-alike-to-me Mentality”)
 Ingroup vs. Outgroup
 Ingroup bias: the likelihood to esteem someone from within your group over someone else who is
not in your group.
Scapegoat Theory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f1zJFYY0Ek
Finding someone to blame to divert attention in order to provide a
target for action
 Levels of incidences in populations increases among
economically frustrated people who are dealing with new,
temporary frustrations
 Negative emotions feeds prejudice.
 Ingroup bias intensifies during times of frustration.
 Negative emotions may escalate to incidences of threats and
acts of terror
Exit Ticket:
What are some examples of ingroup bias
in your community?
What is the difference between prejudice
and discrimination?
Aggression
Physical or verbal behavior intended to physically,
psychologically, or socially hurt or destroy another
person or animal (or thing).
• Can be done out of overt anger or slow, methodical
calculations as a means to an end
Biopsychosocial Influences on Aggression
 Genetic/Biogical Influences
 genetic predisposition to quick temper (personality trait passed down)
 amygdala (controls temper) malfunctions;
 malfunctions of the frontal lobes of the brain (controls social inhibitions)
 High levels of testosterone (in men and women)
 Some drugs (i.e. alcohol reduces social inhibitions)
 Psychological Influences
 Frustration-aggression principle: extended periods of frustration increases likelihood of aggressive
acts
 Baseball has lost 3 consecutive games due to perceived unfair penalties by the referees  fight breaks out in
the 9th inning when a member of the opposing team makes a surly comment to a team member who strikes
out
 Social Influences
 Social scripts: mental files for acceptable behavior in certain scenarios
 Reality shows lead to a society believing that it is expected to sabotage the efforts of others when they seem
to be succeeding with a goal
Attraction
Companionate vs Passionate LOVE
Components of Attraction:
1. Proximity
Mere exposure effect – the more often you are likely to see an individual, the more likely you are
likely to find a person attractive and seek to develop a relationship
2. Physical Attractiveness
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” ~Anonymous
Social Darwin Theory – Survivor of the Fittest (Charles Darwin)  certain traits are considered
advantageous within a culture in attracting a mate.
Pair Partner Discussion
Create a list of 5 positive physical traits for men and 5 positive physical traits that might be
considered advantageous in attracting others in our society.
3. Similarity
Need for similar value system to establishing a lasting relationship
ROMANTIC LOVE
Passionate Love
Companionate Love
 Involves physical/sexual arousal
 A deep, affectionate attachment
 Involves cognitive appraisal
 Involves deeper levels or respect,
trust, and admiration
 Pleasant visual arousal  positive
cognitive appraisal  emotional
attachment
 Involves adrenaline/epinephrine
rush; can only be sustained for a
relatively short period of time
 “friendship”
 Sustains a romantic relationship
beyond the confines of
passionate love
Ingredients for Sustaining a Romantic
Relationship
1. Commonality - values, goals, and beliefs
2. Equity of effort – both persons need to receive a balanced proportion to what they
give
3. Intimacy
Self-disclosure – the willingness to reveal intimate details about ourselves
 Likes/dislikes
 Dreams/worries
 Strengths/weaknesses
 Achievements/failures
 Fears
Altruism, Conflict, and
Peacemaking
Altruism:
the unselfish regard for the welfare of others
Terrorism at Boston Marathon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnn3Cf1Uhh0
Pair Partner Activity:
What factors might influence an individual to suddenly
behave in a manner that is in disregard for their own
personal welfare or safety?
Bystander Effect: the tendency for a person to
hesitate to give help with others or nearby
 Likelihood to help in emergency situations increases when:
 The person appears to need and deserve help. (Just-world phenomenon)
 The person is in some way similar to us. (Relatability/Empathy)
 The person is female. (Social Role)
 Someone else has begun to help. (social facilitation)
 We are not in a hurry.
 We are in a small town or rural area. (decrease in likelihood of other possible help)
 We are feeling guilty. (Cognitive Dissonance)
 We are focused on others and not preoccupied.
 We are in a good mood.
Social Exchange Theory
Belief that our social behavior is an exchange
process
Cost-Benefit Analysis
What are the benefits?
What are the rewards?
 Example: Should you donate blood for the Community Blood Drive?
Time, Discomfort, Anxiety versus Reduced Guilt, Social Approval, Good Feelings
Reciprocity Norm
This is the social expectation that we should return help, not
harm, to those who have helped us.
“Don’t bite the hand that feeds you!”
Show gratitude for gifts by giving thank you notes OR
offering a gift in exchange
Giving a reward of $150 to someone who returns your
“iPhone 6” and your wallet with $500 in cash inside.
Conflict
 A perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas
Pair Partner Activity:
Identify a conflict…
a) …with your parents
b) …with your friends
c) …with an authority figure
d) …within the government
e) ….on the international scene
…then identify any and all commonalities within these conflicts.
…with what methods/techniques might the conflicts be resolved?
Social Traps
When all parties involved are more focused
on their personal goals and interests rather
than reaching a consensus/compromise
STALEMATE --No One Wins!!!
Enemy Perceptions
 Mirror-Image Perceptions: both parties see each other as “evil”
and “untrustworthy, but see themselves as “peace-loving” and
“reasonable”
Whole Class Discussion:
Why was the Cold War an example of Mirror-image perceptions?
What might the consequences be of such perceptions?
 Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: a belief that subconsciously causes its
own fulfillment
Methods to Promote Peace
1. Close Contact
2. Cooperation – mutual willingness to work together
3. Open Communication – transparency and clear statement of intention (i.e. “thinking and
communicating with clarity and precision”)
4. Conciliation – mutual willingness to compromise
*GRIT – Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction
1. Statement of Mutual Interest and Intention to Reduce Tension (Conference/Summit Meeting
between 2 or more Political Leaders)
2. Small Acts of Kindness and Good Intention (State Dinner/Gift of Statue/Reduction of
International Trading Taxes/More Trading Opportunities)
3. Reciprocity by the Other Party (State Dinner/Official Visit/ Reduction of International Trading
Taxes/More Trading Opportunities)