Myers-Chapter 18: Social Psychology
"We cannot live for
ourselves alone. Our lives
are connected by a thousand
invisible threads…”
~Herman Melville
What is social
psychology?

the scientific study of how we
think about, influence, and
relate to one another
attribution, actions and attitudes
How do we explain
others' behaviors?
Fritz Heider (1896-1988)

attribution theory- suggests how we
explain someone’s behavior, by crediting
either the situation or the person’s disposition

fundamental attribution error-tendency to
underestimate the impact of the situation and
overestimate personal disposition
How do you explain these situations?
The Fundamental Attribution Error
The observer:
The violently destructive
message that The Who and
other rock groups deliver
leaves me little surprised
that they attract a mob that
will trample human beings
to death to gain better
seats. Of greater concern is
a respected news
magazine’s adulation of this
sick phemomenon.
The actor:
While standing in the crowd
at Riverfront Coliseum, I
distinctly remember feeling
that I was being punished
for being a rock fan. My
sister and I joked about
this, unaware of the horror
happening around us. Later,
those jokeds came back to
us grimly as we watched
the news. How many lives
will be lost before the
punitive and inhuman policy
of festival seating at rock
concerts is outlawed?
Compared to people in Western
countries, those in East Asian cultures
are more sensitive to situational
influences on behavior.
TRUE
Who is to blame?
 Husband
 Wife
 Lover #1
 Lover #2
 Ferryboat Captain
 Highwayman
"Just-World Phenomenon"

tendency of people to believe the world is
just and that people therefore get what
they deserve and deserve what they get

attitude- feelings, often based on our
beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a
particular way to objects, people and
events
sometimes
lead
to
but, more commonly…
lead
to
In order to change people’s racist
behaviors, we first need to change
their racist attitudes.
FALSE
foot-in-the-door phenomenon

the tendency for people who have first
agreed to a small request to comply later
with a larger one
How does role-playing
affect attitudes?
Zimbardo’s Stanford
Prison Experiment
“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to
himself and another to the multitude without finally getting
bewildered as to which may be true.” Nathaniel Hawthorne
Why do we act this way?

cognitive dissonance theory- theory that
we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance)
we feel when two of our thoughts are
inconsistent
Prisoner's Dilemma
Two burglars, Bob and Al, are captured near the scene
of a burglary and are given the “third degree”
separately by the police. Each has to choose whether
or not to confess and implicate the other. If neither
man confesses, then both will serve one year on a
charge of carrying a concealed weapon. If each
confesses and implicates the other, both will go to
prison for 10 years. However, if one burglar confesses
and implicates the other, and the other burglar does
not confess, the one who has collaborated with the
police will go free, while the other burglar will go to
prison for 20 years on the maximum charge.
What should they do?
“Bonus Point Ballot”
•If less than 4 people select 15
bonus points, those people will
receive the 15 points and everyone
else will receive 5 points.
•If more than 4 people select 15
bonus points, no students will
receive bonus points.
•How many points would you like to
receive? Choose one.
15 points
5 points
conformity,obedience and
group influence
Behavior is contagious.

chameleon effect- we unconsciously
mimic others’ expressions, postures,
voice, tones, etc.; helps us feel what they
are feeling
Chimps are more likely to yawn after
observing another chimp yawn.
TRUE
Solomon Asch and Conformity

conformity- adjusting one’s behavior or
thinking to coincide with a group standard
What conditions
increase conformity?
one feels incompetent or insecure
group has at least 3 people
group is unanimous
one admires the status or attractiveness
of the group
 one has no prior commitment to a
response
 one‘s behavior is observed by others
 culture encourages respect for social
standards




Why do we conform?

to avoid rejection and/or to gain social
approval; to gain information
 normative social influence- influence resulting
from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid
disapproval
 informational social influence- influence
resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’
opinions about reality
Stanley Milgram and
Obedience to Authority
How do people respond to commands?
Stanley Milgram and
Obedience to Authority
Where would you stop?
Slight Shock
15,30,45,60
Moderate Shock
75,90,105,120
Strong Shock
135,150,165,180
Very Strong Shock
195,210,225,240
Intense Shock
255,270,285,300
Extreme Intensity Shock
315,330,345,360
Danger: Severe Shock
375,390,405,420
XXX
435,450
When was obedience the greatest?

the person giving the order was near in
proximity and seemed a legitimate authority

the person giving the order was affiliated with
a prestigious institution

the victim was far away or was
depersonalized

no other participants were seen disobeying
What can we learn from these studies?

The experiments of Asch and Milgram
were devised to force participants to
choose between following their own
beliefs/standards and being responsive to
the group.

Strong social influences can make people
conform.
Most people would refuse to obey an
authority figure who told them to hurt
an innocent person.
FALSE
How do groups influence our behavior?

social facilitation- stronger performance
on simple or well-learned tasks in the
presence of others

social loafing- tendency for people in a
group to exert less effort when pooling
their efforts toward attaining a common
goal than when individually accountable

deindividuation- loss of self-awareness
and self-restraint occurring in group
situations that foster arousal and
anonymity
Studies of college and professional
athletic events indicate that home
teams win about 6 in 10 games.
TRUE
Sport
Games Studied
Home Team
Winning %
baseball
23,034
53.5%
football
2,592
57.3%
ice hockey
4,322
61.1%
basketball
13,596
64.4%
soccer
37,202
69.0%
Individuals pull harder in a team tugof-war than when they pull in a oneon-one tug-of-war.
FALSE
How does interacting with
others effect our behavior?

group polarization- enhancement of a
group’s prevailing inclinations through
discussion within the group

groupthink- mode of thinking that occurs
when the desire for harmony in a
decision-making group overrides a
realistic appraisal of alternatives
The higher the morale and harmony of
a social group, the more likely are its
members to make a good decision.
FALSE
What can the individual do?

minority influence- power of one or two
individuals to sway majorities
 more likely when the minority opinion is held
strong
Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed citizens can
change the world. Indeed, it is the only
thing that ever has.
~Margaret Mead (1901-1978)
prejudice, aggression, conflict,
attraction, altruism, & peacemaking
Prejudice
"prejudgment"

unjustifiable (usually negative) attitude
toward a group or members; generally
involves stereotyped beliefs, negative
feelings, predisposition to discriminatory
action
 stereotype- generalized belief about a group of
people; sometimes accurate, but often
overgeneralized
Prejudice vs. Discrimination
prejudice is a negative attitude;
discrimination is a negative behavior
The how's and why's of prejudice…

it seems racial and gender attitudes have
changed

overt prejudice has disappeared, but
subtle prejudice remains

recent experiments show prejudice can be
automatic/unconscious
social, emotional and cognitive roots
of prejudice

Social:
 prejudice rationalizes social inequalities
 us and them: ingroup bias

Emotional:
 prejudice comes from “the passions of the heart”
 scapegoat theory: prejudice offers an outlet for
anger by providing someone to blame

Cognitive:
 categorization- a way to simplify the world
 just-world phenomenon and hindsight bias
 vivid cases stand out more readily
Vivid Cases
Islam
Terrorism
Aggression

any physical or verbal behavior
intended to hurt or destroy

biological influences:
 genetic, neural and biochemical

psychological influences:
 frustration-aggression principle, learning, observation

It is difficult to change established
aggressive behavior patterns.
Those who keep a gun in the
house are more likely to be
murdered.
TRUE
Conflict

perceived incompatibility of actions, goals,
and ideas

social traps- situation where conflicting
parties, by each pursuing their self-interest,
become caught in mutually destructive behaviors
 Prisoner’s Dilemma (individual self-interest vs.
communal well-being)

enemy perceptions
Attraction
Three ingredients:
1.
proximity
2.
physical attractiveness
3.
similarity
Proximity

geographic nearness

most powerful predictor of friendship

mere exposure effect
 repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases our
liking
Physical Attractiveness

this is what most affects first impressions

judgment of attraction is relative, but
some characteristics are universal

attraction also depends on how we feel
about a person
 “Do I love you because you’re beautiful, or are you
beautiful, because I love you?” (Cinderella)
 “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.”
(A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Which face do you find most
attractive?
D
B
A
C
Similarity
"Opposites attract."
“Birds of a feather, flock
together.”
2 types of love
1.
temporary passionate love
2.
more enduring companionate love
2 keys to a satisfying and
long-lasting relationship
equity and self-disclosure
Altruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

bystander effect- tendency for any
given bystander to be less likely to give
aid if other bystanders are present

Why do we help people?
 social-exchange theory
 reciprocity norm
 social-responsibility norm
Peacemaking

Peacemaking is helped by cooperation,
communication, and conciliation.