Chapter 1
Introduction to
Social Psychology
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Chapter Outline
 Introduction
 What Is Social Psychology?
 Theory
 Big Bang Theory
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCJzcS1BugQ
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Finding Answers
 Scientific method
 Systematic observations
 Formulate theories
 Test theories
 Monty Python
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2MhMsLn9B0&feature=relate
d
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Social Psychology
 Systematic study of
 The Nature and
 Causes of
 Human behavior
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Social Psychology: Four Core Concerns
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Sociological Social Psychology
 Focus on relationships between
individuals and within groups
 How people’s:
 Perceptions
 Beliefs
 Morality
 Identities
 Behaviors
 Influenced by social context
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Psychological Social
Psychology
 Psychological Social psychologists
 Social and mental processes
 Emphasize:
 Thought processes
 Cognition
 Perception
 Personality characteristics
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What is a Theory?
 A theory is testable
 Not merely a guess
 A theory is a based on a hypothesis and
backed by evidence
 Provides models for understanding human
thoughts, emotions and behaviors
 Examples of Everyday Theories???
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Middle-range Theories
 Focus on specific social behavior
 Attitude change
 Stereotyping
 Helping behavior
 Attraction
Formulated in terms of cause and
effect
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Theoretical Perspectives
 General explanations for a wide
variety of social behaviors
 For interpreting and comparing a
wide range of social situations and
behaviors
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5 Theoretical Perspectives
1. Role theory
2. Reinforcement theory
3. Cognitive theory
4. Symbolic interaction theory
5. Evolutionary theory
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1. Role Theory
 Actors performing on a stage
 To change an actor’s behavior,
redefine his or her role
(i.e., revise the script)
 Robin Williams
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRie_cRxFfY&fe
ature=related
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Propositions in Role Theory
1. People live in groups &
organizations
2. People occupy positions
3. Each position (status) entails a role
 A set of functions performed by
the person for the group
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Propositions in Role Theory
4. Norms: Rules specifying how a
person should behave
5. Individuals usually follow the
norms
6. Group members monitor role
performances to determine
conformity to group norms
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Conformity to Group Norms
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2. Reinforcement Theory
 Reinforcement
 Process of strengthening a
measurable aspect of behavior
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Reinforcement Theory
 Central proposition:
 People more likely to perform
behavior
 Followed by something pleasurable
 Removal of something aversive
 People refrain from behavior
 Followed by something aversive
 Removal of something pleasant
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Reinforcement Theory
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Conditioning
 Relationship between response
and reinforcement
 If a person responds and the
response is reinforced
 Connection between response
and reinforcement is
strengthened
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Reinforcement Theories
 Social Learning Theory
 Social Exchange Theory
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Social Learning Theory
 Acquire new responses through
conditioning and imitation.
 Observing the behavior of another
person.
 Learner neither performs a response
nor receives reinforcement
 Whether the learner will perform
behaviors may depend on whether they
receive reinforcement.
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Social Exchange Theory
 Reinforcement to explain stability and
change in relationships.
 Assumes:
 Freedom of choice
 Can choose among alternative actions
 Action provide rewards and costs.
 Individuals choose to maximize rewards and
minimize costs
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Equity
 Participants feel their rewards are
proportional to their costs
 If inequitable, potentially unstable
 Try to modify an inequitable
relationship.
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3. Cognitive Theory
 Mental activities (cognitive processes)
 Cognitive processes include:
 Perception,
 Memory,
 Judgment,
 Problem solving,
 Decision making
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Cognitive Theory
 An individual’s cognitive
processes intervene between
 External stimuli and
 Behavioral responses
 (Not just stimulus-response)
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Cognitive Theory
Schemas
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Cognitive Structure & Schemas
 Cognitive structure
 Organization among cognitions
(concepts and beliefs)
 Cognitive structure called schemas
 Complex information about other
people, groups, and situations.
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Cognitive Consistency
 Individuals try to hold ideas that
are consistent with one another
 If a person holds several ideas that
are incongruous or inconsistent,
then he/she experiences internal
conflict
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4. Symbolic Interaction Theory
 Human nature and social order are
products of symbolic
communication among people.
 A person’s behavior is constructed
through a give and take during his
or her interaction with others.
SI the movie
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql0XPwtfFGY&feat
ure=related
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**Symbolic Interaction Theory
 “Self” has central place in symbolic
interaction theory
 Self—Who am I?
 Self-control important for social order
 Continually engaging in role taking
 See themselves from the viewpoint of others
 Significant others: People whose
opinions are most important
 Control rewards or
 Occupy key positions in groups.
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Discussion Questions
 Who are you?
 How did you develop your concept
of self?
 Are you the same “self” today as
you were when you were a young
teenager (13-14)?
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5. Evolutionary Theory
 Extend evolutionary ideas to explain
social behavior
 Predisposition toward certain behaviors
is encoded in our genetic material
 Passed on through reproduction
 Characteristics that enable the
individual to survive and pass on its
genetic code
 Occur more frequently
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Comparison Of Theoretical Perspectives
Dimension
Central concepts
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Role theory
Role
Reinforcement
theory
Stimulusresponse;
reinforcement
Primary behavior
explained
Behavior in
role
Learning of new
responses
Assumptions
about human
nature
People are
conformist
People are
hedonistic
Factors changing Shift in role
behavior
expectations
Change in
reinforcement
Comparison of Theoretical Perspectives
Dimension
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Cognitive
theory
Symbolic
interaction
theory
Central concepts
Cognitions;
Self; role taking
cognitive structure
Primary behavior
explained
Formation of
beliefs
Assumptions
about human
nature
People act on their People are selfcognitions
monitoring actors.
Factors changing
behavior
Cognitive
inconsistency
Sequences of acts
during interaction
Shift in others’
standards.
Assumptions of Scientific Fields
 External world exists independently
 Cause and effect
 Knowledge of external world is
objective
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Characteristics of Science
1. Observation of facts
2. Formal methodology
3. Accumulation of facts and
generalizations
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Characteristics of Science
4. Theory
5. Prediction and control
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