Social
Psychology
The Individual within the Social
Context
IMPRESSION FORMATION
Social Psychology is…
the scientific study of how people's
thoughts, feelings, beliefs, intentions
and goals are constructed within a
social context by the actual or
imagined interactions with others
GROUP INFLUENCE
Impression
Formation
Stereotypes
Prejudice
Discrimination
Stereotypes, Prejudice, Discrimination
 Stereotypes are beliefs about a person just because
TERMS
of their belonging to a certain group: like a racial
group, a certain gender, age category, etc. It’s an
easy way to group people and make assumptions
about them. Unfortunately, these assumptions are
often WRONG!
 Prejudice is a negative attitude, or stereotype, about
a person of a specific group. It is ostensibly a
NEGATIVE STEREOTYPE.
 Discrimination is acting on the prejudice—a negative
behavior toward a person just because he or she
belongs to a certain group. THIS IS NEGATIVE
BEHAVIOR THAT FOLLOWS PREJUDICE.
Check out the link to brown eyes/blue eyes for an eyeopening example of prejudice and discrimination.
 http://www.janeelliott.com/
Attributions
Attributions are explanations we give for
behaviors, both our own and those of others.
This is a natural tendency of humans to try
and explain why people act as they do.
Situational
Dispositional
Explain behavior due to circumstances
Explain behavior due to one’s personality
Which
Person
Would
You
Hire?
Tendencies and Biases in
Attributions
Halo effect
Confirmation
bias
Fundamental
attribution
error
ActorObserver
Effect
Self-serving
bias
Self-fulfilling
prophecy
Group Influence
Asch’s Work
Compliance
Conformity
Obedience
Milgram’s Work
GROUP
POLARIZATION
GROUPTHINK
SOCIAL LOAFING
Aggression and
Deindividuation
Bystander Effect
Case of
Kitty Genovese
Zimbardo’s
Study
WHICH GROUP HAD FUN?
Which Group
Had Fun?
Cognitive
Dissonance
Final Thoughts
 The effects of society on us are
strong. We are really social
creatures who, in general, want to
fit in. This motivates MUCH of our
behavior—probably more than we
think.
 Remember Maslow’s Hierarchy:
Social Needs—to belong and
achieve—are on the middle tiers!
So What Are YOU?