Social Psychology
Ch. 18 and 19
McElhaney
“Humans are social Animals”
The Study of Human interaction
 Branch
of Psych that analyzes how
behavior is influenced by presence of
others
 Studies
how we behave, think, feel in
Social Situations.
 Based
on the concept of an Attribute: the
cause of behavior
Groups Influence our Behavior
 Culture
= ongoing pattern of life that is
passed from one generation to another.
 Components

of Culture include:
Language, marriage customs, concepts of
ownership, sex roles
Roles

We all hold social roles
– Positions in the structure of
a group
– Patterns of behavior
expected of persons in
various social positions
Roles:
Mother
Boss
Roles are Ascribedassigned to a person
 not under a person’s
control

Student
Each has different
expectations or
sets of behavior.
Achieved Roles= the opposite of
assigned roles
 Voluntary
roles
 Attained by special effort
– Spouse
– Teacher
– Scientist
Zimbardo Study



Stanford University
Impact on social roles
Inmates + guards
Males in a simulated prison
Prisoner roles
Dejected
Traumatized
Passive
Dehumanized
Depressed
Guard roles
Commanding
Insulting
demeaning



Found destructive
roles- cause role
behaviors
They had assigned
social roles“In only a few days, our
guards became sadistic
and our prisoners
became depressed and
showed signs of
extreme stress.”
Zimbardo Results
 Many
destructive relationships have a
source in Learned Roles.
Role Conflicts
 Two
or more roles make conflicting
demands
 Coach and parent
 Clashing demands for work, family,
school
Group Structure and Cohesion

Factors to
Cohesion=closeness
 Degree of attraction
among group
members
 Commitment to
remaining in group






Cohesive groups:
Sit/sand together
Pay attention to one
another
Mutual Affection
Behavior is coordinated
Work better together
Status
 A person’s
social position in a group
determines his or her status- or level of
social power & importance.
 Higher
status = privileges
 Higher status people are treated betterWell dressed
Norms
 Unspoken
rules or guidelines
 Are an accepted standard for appropriate
behavior for a specific group
 Lax
norms cause lax behavior
Social Influence
A
person’s behavior influences
another.
 A convergence of beliefs, attitudes =
change in behavior
What motivates us to join a group?
 “Desires



for
Self-evaluation
Self-protection
Self-enhancement
 Influence
Are motives for
associating with
others
which group we join.
Affiliation-basic principle
 Basic
human trait
 A desire to associate with other people
 Connected to needs of:

Approval, support, friendship, information
 Helps
 We
alleviate – fear and anxiety
prefer to be with people in similar
circumstances
Behavior of Groups:
Group Membership




Festinger said group
membership fills need for:
Social Comparison- standard
to judge yourself
Comparing your own
actions, feelings, opinions,
abilities…
Must be compared to people
of similar background,
abilities, circumstances

Downward Comparison:



Comparison- for selfenhancement- self
protection
Comparing to someone
who ranks lower
Upward Comparison:

Comparison with people of
higher status- for self
improvement
Social Relationships
 Interpersonal Attraction=
affinity to another
person

Is the basis for most voluntary social
relationships
Factors that Influence Attraction

Physical proximity
 Physical attractiveness

Halo Effect- tendency to generalize favorable
impression to personal characteristics
• Attractive people have perceived likeable characteristics


Beauty vs. Personality = Which works best?
(page 675)

Competence- we are attracted to talented
people

Similarity-age, sex, race, background, interests,
attitudes, beliefs
Relationships
 Self-Disclosure Over
Disclosure Reciprocity Gendered
Friendships
Personal Space and Proxemics
 Too
close = discomfort
Social Perception and Attribution
 Attribution=
is a cause for behavior
 Attribute- (verb) place cause

through observation of others
Inferences/judgments about causes of
behavior
Attributional Theory
 We
tend to ascribe or attribute causes of
behavior to:


External causes: outside a person
Internal causes: inside a person
What should one consider when
making attributions?
Factors of Attribution
Actor: Who is it?
Object: What is action
directed towards?
Setting: Social or
physical environment
Consistency: little
changes on multiple
occasions
Distinctiveness:
Behavior that occurs
under specific
circumstances.
Factor of Attribution:
Situational Demands

SD = pressures to behave in certain ways in
particular settings and social situations
 The “situation demands certain behavior”

Discount: Downgrade or disregard internal
causation when specific External causes are
clear…
 Consensus- agreement, when an attribution is
associated to many
 people- external causes
Errors in Attribution
 Fundamental Attribution



Error:
to wrongly attribute actions of others to
internal causes
We have a tendency to think actions of others
are caused by internal forces
Actor-Observer Bias:



(I vs. They)
As actors- we find external explanations for
our own behavior.
As observers- we attribute behavior of others’
wants, motives and personality traits
Social Exchange Theory
“How profitable is the relationship?”
 Exchanges
of attention, info, affection,
favors
 Says: we all consciously weigh social
rewards and costs
 Relationships must be profitable to
participants:
 Rewards vs costs
 Fun
vs Self Esteem
Love and Liking Factors
 Romantic Attraction:

Interpersonal attraction + emotional arousal
 Love

= combinations
Intimacy, passion, commitment and sexual
desire
 Lovers
 Helps
see partners in idealized ways
create the relationship they wish for.
Love and Attachment
 Child
care-giving attachments have impact
on adult attachments
 We use early attachments as mental
models (We become what we learn)
 Secure Avoidant Ambivalent-
Attachments

Secure Attachment (59%) = friendly, good
natured, likeable



See others as well intentioned, reliable, trustworthy
Generally not worried about being abandoned
Avoidant Attachment (25%):





Fear of intimacy, tend to resist commitment
Pull back when things don’t go well
Suspicious, aloof, skeptical
Have difficulty trusting
Get nervous when people get too close emotionally
Ambivalent Attachment

Mixed emotions and Conflicting feelings



Affection, anger, emotional turmoil, physical attraction,
doubt
Self regard- misunderstood, unappreciated
See others- unreliable, unable or unwilling to
commit to lasting relationships
 Worry- partners don’t really love them or may
leave, they want to be close but have doubts
Evolution and Mate Selection:
Men
 Evolutionary
psych= study of evolutionary
origins of behavior or patterns
 Patterns:




Men are interested in casual sex
Men prefer younger, more physically attractive
partners
Men are jealous over real or imagined
infidelity
Men look for reproductive capabilities, youth,
health, beauty
Evolution and Mate Selection:
Women
 Prefer
slightly older partners
 Industrious, high status, economic
success
 Become upset by emotional infidelity more
than sexual unfaithfulness
 Evolved

Nurturing of young
Interest in longevity of relationships
Social Influences
 “Changes
in behavior are induced by
action of others.”
 Types of Social Influence:
– Suggestion
– Intensive Indoctrination
– Group Pressure= Conformity
– Obedience
Group Pressure= Conformity

People become aware of differences between
themselves and actions, norms or values of
others in group.

Conformity= pressure for uniformity of members
 “Brings one’s own behavior into agreement with
norms or the behavior of others”

Norms= unspoken rules of conduct, normal or
acceptable behavior
Conformity
 Conformist-
to not be considered strange
or frightening
 Conformity refers to an individual’s
behavior that adheres to the behavior
pattern of a particular group- that a person
belongs to.
 Non-conformist- independent thinking
Who Conforms?
 People
with high needs for structure
 Anxious
 Low self esteem and low self confidence
 Concerned with approval
 Culture that emphasizes group
cooperation
Solomon Asch
 Studied
conformity- found that people
conform to the will of the group-
“The Power of Conformity”
Asch (1955) Social Pressure
Summarize the Theoretical propositions
Describe the method
Summarize the results
Significance of Study
Factors that impact Conforming Behavior
1.
2.
3.
4.

A.
B.
C.
D.
Social Support
Attraction
Size of Group
SEX
Group Factors in Conformity
 To
enforce conformity= group sanctions
 Negative= ridicule, laughing, staring,
social disapproval, rejection/exclusion
 Sanctions
work only if the subject wants to
be part of the group.
Social Support- for
Non-conformists

Support for non-conformists- When someone agrees with non-

conformist
It encourages- resistance to conformity

Attraction: More attraction to the group (Reference Group) -> the more
likely you are to conform to behavior and attitudes of group.


Size of the Group:
The tendency to conform increases as the size of the group
increases (6-7)

Sex/Gender

There is some evidence to suggest women are more
likely to conform


People conform when appropriate behavior is unclear.
Culture impacts conformity

Collectivist Countries: Goals of the group in relation to goals of the
individual.
What is Group Think?
 Phenomenon
of group behavior:
 People want to maintain approvaleven if decisions are bad.
 Authority-
group members hesitate
to question authority
 They
think as a group instead of
thinking about outcomes
independently
To Prevent Group Think:
Define group roles
 Critical
evaluator
 Stick to the facts-avoid bias
 Include “devils advocate”
 Group accountability
 Search for alternative solutions
 Re-evaluate important decisions
When is it appropriate to resist
authority?: Obedience

Milgram Study: Obedience Study
(1963)
 Yale
University,
 “Obey at Any Cost” Subjects “gave”
electric shocks to “learners” giving
shocks.
Milgram’s Ideas
 The
tendency to obey is deeply ingrained.
 It cancels out a person’s ability to behave
morally, ethically, and sympathetically.
 People have a tendency to obey people of
authority- even if they violate their own
codes of behavior.
 They would inflict pain on people if
ordered to do so.
Milgram Findings and Implications

Distance to subject being shocked was a factor


Closer to victim= less obedience
Distance of Authority figure = direct relationship
to obedience
Farther away = less obedience

When orders come from authority figurespeople rationalize that they are not responsible.

**A personal act of courage or moral fortitude by one or
two members of a group may free others to obey- unjust
authority.
Compliance One
person bends to the authority of
another person who has little authority
 Pressure
people
to comply- affects everyday
Compliance and Sales Pressure
 Foot
in the Door: a person who first agrees
to a small request- will more likely comply
with a larger demand
 Door in the face: With the idea of refusing
a large request is a tendency to comply
with a smaller request.
 Low Ball: get the person to commit to an
act, then make terms of acting less
desirable
Passive Compliance
 Quietly
bending to unreasonable demands
or unacceptable conditions
 People
have a tendency to avoid
confrontation
 Ignore- personal insults, rebuffs, sacrifices
of dignity
“Not Practicing What you Preach”
By LaPiere (1934) on Attitudes
1.
2.
3.
4.

Summarize the Theoretical propositions
Describe the method
Summarize the results
Significance of Study
Factors impacting consistency between attitudes and
behavior
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Strength of Attitude
Stability of attitude
Relevance of attitude
Salience of attitude
Situational pressures
LaPiereAttitude Thought and Action

Factors impacting consistency between attitudes and
behavior
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Strength of AttitudeStability of attitude
Relevance of attitude
Salience of attitude
Situational pressures
Social Pressures

We are constantly under pressure to conform,
obey, comply-

We need to recognize and resist these pressures.
Assertiveness
Aggression
Victimization
Bystander Interaction
“To Help or Not to Help”
Darley and Latane (1968)
 Kitty
Genovese Murder1. Summarize the Theoretical propositions
2. Describe the method
3. Summarize the results
4. Significance of Study
Darley and Lantane:
Kitty Genovese Murder

Why didn’t more people help Kitty
Genovese?









Factors in Bystander Interaction
Diffusion of Responsibility
Social Influence
Personal Responsibility
Evaluation apprehension
Fives Steps of Action
Social Comparison
Acquaintances and Bystander Effect
Knowledge of Bystander Effect
Darley and Lantane:
Five Steps to Decision
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Notice
Need
Personal Responsibility,
Decision-cost benefit analysisTake action