6/30/2011
The Social World
What is Social Psychology
„
An attempt to understand and explain how
the thoughts,
thoughts feelings,
feelings and behavior of
individuals are influenced by the actual,
imagined, or implied presence of others
– Gordon Allport
„
Two related questions
‰
‰
How are we influenced by others?
How do we perceive situations?
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6/30/2011
Lewin’s Magic Formula
Person
B = f (P,E)
Environment
Behavior
(or affect or cognition)
function
Board Game Study (Ross & Samuels, 1993)
„
„
„
„
Resident assistants in dorms nominated highly
competitive and highly cooperative residents
Invited to do a study on playing group games
All played same game
Only name was different--“Wall Street” or “Community”
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6/30/2011
The Fundamental Attribution Error
(FAE)
„
This is the tendency (that
(
many people have))
to make too many internal attributions for
other people’s behaviors.
Actor-Observer Difference
„
The tendency to see other people’s behavior
as dispositionally caused but focusing more
on the situation to explain our own behavior
‰
Example: Writers to advise columns attribute their
troubles overwhelmingly to the situation, but the
advice giver attributes the problem to the person
((Schoeneman & Rubanowitz, 1985))
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6/30/2011
Decreasing and Increasing the Bias
„
Video taped conversations
‰
„
Participants
P
ti i
t then
th see their
th i di
dispositions
iti
as
important
Factors that increase dispositional
interpretation
‰
Salience (spotlights, loud shirts, movement, color)
Conformity
„
A change in a person’s
person s behavior or opinions
as a result of real or imagined pressure from
a person or group of people
‰
‰
‰
Compliance: Conforming to an implied or explicit
request in public while privately disagreeing
Obedience: Conforming to an explicit request
Acceptance: Conforming that also involves a
change in belief
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6/30/2011
Norm Formation via
Informational Social Influence
„
Informational Social Influence:
‰
‰
The iinfluence
Th
fl
off other
th people
l th
thatt leads
l d us tto
conform because we see them as a source of
information
We believe others’ interpretation of an ambiguous
situation is more correct than ours
Milgram’s classic obedience study
(1963)
„
The design
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
Participants arrived at the lab, ostensibly, with another
participant (confederate; 47 yr. old, pleasant-looking,
somewhat overweight fellow)
Milgram wearing white lab coat
Told study was on effect of punishment on learning
Participants always assigned to be the teacher
Confederate was the learner (word pair task)
T
Teacher
h had
h d tto give
i escalating
l ti shocks
h k ffor iincorrectt
responses (start at 15 volts, increase by 15)
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6/30/2011
Increasing protests of learner
„
„
„
„
„
„
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15-60: no protests
75-135: “Ugh!”
150: “That’s
That s all,
all get me out of here
here. I told you I have heart
trouble…”
210: “Ugh! Experimenter! Get me out of here…I won’t be in the
experiment any more.
285: Agonized scream
315: Intensely agonized scream. “I told you I refuse to answer, I
am no longer a part of this experiment.
After 330 volts, no responses at all
What about not conforming?
„
How do we treat the nonconformist?
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
JJohnny
h
R
Rocco study
t d (S
(Schachter,
h ht 1951)
Deviant in group received most comments from
others to convince him, until the end
Ignored at the end, rejected
Nominated him to be kicked off the island
A i
Assigned
d hi
him meaningless
i l
ttasks
k
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6/30/2011
Presence of Others
„
Bystander effect (Darley & Latane)
‰
‰
‰
As the
A
th number
b off people
l iincreases, th
the chances
h
of any one person helping decreases
Diffusion of responsibility
Evaluation apprehension
Decision Making
Perceive a
Need:
Does
someone
need help?
No
There is
no
problem
Take
personal
p
responsibility:
Am I responsible?
Weighing
the Costs
and
Benefits:
Is helping
worth it?
No
It’s not my
responsibility
No
It’s too risky,
time consuming,
unpleasant, etc.
Deciding
how to
help:
What should I
do?
No
I can’t figure
out what to do
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6/30/2011
Perceiving a Need
„
„
Researchers staged a fight between a man and a
woman
“I don’t know why I married you!” vs. “I don’t know
you!”
Requests can increase personal
responsibility
•Girl
Girl on a beach with a radio – she goes for a
swim
•While she’s gone, a confederate steals the radio
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Step 3: Weighing Costs & Benefits
„
What are costs of helping?
‰
„
Costs of not helping?
‰
„
Ri k titime, effort,
Risk,
ff t conflict
fli t
Guilt, going against morals
Benefits to helping?
‰
Emotions,, greater
g
good
g
Step 4: Deciding How to Help &
Action
„
What do you do?
‰
„
A ti
Actions
can cause more h
harm th
than good
d
Bystanders may
‰
‰
Want to help but be unable to
May be caught in indecision
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6/30/2011
Lab Affiliation for Fear Reduction
„
Fear reduction (Schachter, 1959)
‰
‰
‰
Women invited
W
i it d tto llab
b
Told they would receive shocks
High Fear vs. Low Fear
We like similarity!
„
Rewarding
‰
‰
„
Everybody agrees
Share interests
Seek abstract ideals
‰
Deal with reality
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6/30/2011
When we don’t like similarity
„
Similarity as threat
‰
‰
„
Phantom-other
Ph
t
th technique
t h i
Emotionally disturbed or normal
Differences rewarding
‰
‰
‰
No clones
Requires safety
Allows experts
Sternberg’s Triangle
Intimacy
Romantic
Love
Companionate
Love
Consummate
Love
Attraction
Infatuation
Commitment
Empty
Relationship
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6/30/2011
Thoughts of Love
„
Attachment
‰
„
Caring
‰
‰
„
D
Dependence
d
on other
th
Promote other’s welfare
Responsive to other’s needs
Trust
‰
Self disclosure
Behaviors of Love
„
„
„
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Saying “I love you” and verbal affection
Ph i l expressions
Physical
i
off llove (h
(hugging)
i )
Verbal self-disclosure
Communicating nonverbally
Material signs of love (presents)
Nonmaterial love ((interest,, respect)
p )
Willingness to tolerate other and sacrifice for
relationship
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6/30/2011
Feelings of Love
„
How do people feel when in love?
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
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Sense off wellll b
S
being
i (79%)
Trouble concentrating (37%)
Floating on a cloud (29%)
Wanting to run, jump, scream (22%)
Feeling nervous before dates (22%)
Feeling giddy and carefree (20%)
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