Social
Psychology
Subtitle
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Sign up for 14 questions.
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You may choose 14 consecutive questions or 14 in different
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Presentations will be completed in class on the following
days:
Tuesday, April 21
Wednesday, April 22
Thursday, April 23
Friday, April 24
Emily
Tessa
Bobby
Carl
Morgan
Siobhan
Elena
Katy
Ian
Megan
Sam
Hailey
Vanessa
Tahtiana
Janine
Savannah
Ryahn
Hannah
Jirea
Nate
Tiahna
Charlie
Greg
Kaitlyn
Cameron
Ravin
Aaron
Logan
Social Psychology
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The study of situations and the social influences
that explain why the same person will act
differently in different situations
Consider Me…which of the following
characteristics do you think I have?
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Extraverted
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Judgmental
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Type A or Type B
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Quick tempered
Now consider yourself…
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Extraverted
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Judgmental
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Type A or Type B
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Quick tempered
Attribution Theory
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The theory that we explain someone’s
behavior by crediting either the situation or
the person’s disposition
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Fundamental Attribution Error: the tendency
for observers, when analyzing other’s
behavior, to underestimate the impact of
the situation and overestimate the impact
of the personal disposition
Fundamental Attribution Error
Participants Told that the Participants Told that the
Woman’s Behavior would Woman was Instructed to
be Spontaneous
Act a Specific Way
Woman Acted Friendly
Woman Acted Friendly
Woman Acted Unfriendly Woman Acted Unfriendly
Fundamental Attribution Error
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We are more likely to explain our own behavior by the
situational context
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We are more likely to commit fundamental attribution error
when a stranger acts badly
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In individualistic western cultures, we are more likely to
attribute behavior to personal traits (more likely to fall into
the fundamental attribution error
Attitudes and Behaviors
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Attitudes are feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that
predispose our reactions to objects, people, and events
Attitudes Affect Behaviors
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Attitudes can be influenced by persuasion:
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Peripheral route persuasion- occurs when people are
influenced by incidental cues, not facts and does not
involve systematic thinking
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Central Route Persuasion- offers evidence and arguments
that aim to trigger favorable thoughts; requires logical
thought on the part of the individual being persuaded
Behaviors Affect Attitude
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Foot-in-the-Door Phenomena
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Adapting to Roles
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Cognitive Dissonance Theory- making your attitudes and
beliefs match your actions
Automatic Mimicry
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Also known as the chameleon effect
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We tend to copy the actions, mannerisms, tones, and
grammar of those around us
Conformity
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Adjusting our behavior or thinking toward some group
thinking
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More likely to occur when
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We feel insecure
Are in a group with at least 3 people
In a group where everyone else agrees
Have not made a prior commitment to any response
Know that we are being watched by others in a group
Social Norms
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Understood rules for accepted and expected behavior
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Social Norms can influence our behavior
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Normative Social Influence- results from a
person’s desire to gain approval or avoid
disapproval
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Informative Social Influence-results from one’s
willingness to accept others’ opinions of reality
Obedience
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Millgram’s Experiment
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Obedience is highest when
• The person giving the orders was close or was
perceived to be a legitimate authority figure
• The authority figure is supported by a prestigious
institution
• The victim was depersonalized
• There were no role modes for defiance
Group Behaviors
How is individual behavior effected by a
group in each of the following situations?
Social Facilitation
Social Loafing
Deindividualization
Group Polarization
Culture
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What is culture?
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How can culture affect the behavior of an
individual?
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Give and example of culture changing over time.
Prejudice
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What is the difference between prejudice and
discrimination?
Roots of Prejudice
Social Roots
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Just World Phenomena
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Ingorups and Outgroups
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Ingroup Bias
Emotional Roots
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Scaepgoat Theory
Cognitive Roots
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What race is Barack Obama?
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we learn to categorize images to organize our world at a young
age
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our selective attention is naturally drawn to distinctive features of
the less-familiar race
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Other Race Effect- the ability to distinguish individuals of your
own race more easily (3-9 months of age)
Aggression
Biological Influences:
Genetic influences
Biochemical influences (testosterone and
alcohol)
Neural influences (trauma to the …)
Aggression
Psychological
Influences
SocialCultural
Influences
Psychological Influences:
Dominate behavior (boosts testosterone in the
blood)
Believing that alcohol has been consumed
Frustration
Aggressive role models
Rewards for aggressive behavior
Low self-control
SocialCultural
Influences
Aggression
Biological
Influences
Socio-Cultural Influences:
Deindividualization
Challenging environment (heat, direct
provocation, crowing)
Parental models of aggression
Rejection fro ma group
Exposure to violent media
Biological
Influences
Aggression
Psychological
Influences
The Psychology of Attraction
Mere Exposure Effect
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Proximity leads to initial attractiveness- we form relationships with
those in close proximity to ourselves
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Mere Exposure Effect- the phenomenon that repeated exposure
to a novel stimulus increases liking of the stimulus
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We also tend to be attracted to individuals whose faces share
similarities with our own
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How could all of these points be explained in terms of
evolutionary psychology?
Physical Attractiveness
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We perceive physically attractive individuals as
healthier, happier, more sensitive, more successful,
and socially skilled
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Some aspects of what determines physical
attractiveness is highly influenced by culture
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However…
Darwin says…Christian Grey Likes Big
Butts and He Cannot Lie
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Some are constant and likely the result of
evolution:
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Men prefer youthful, fertile appearance suggested by a
low waist to hip ratio
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Women prefer mature, dominant, masculine and
affluent men
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Average facial features are preferred to extremes
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Symmetry in face and body are judged as more attractive
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Personality characteristics also determine physical
attractiveness
Similarity
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Opposites may attract but they do not as often lead to
lasting relationships
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Beliefs, interest, and attitudes are more likely to be shared
among close friends and couples
Passionate vs. Compassionate Love
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Passionate Love- an aroused state of intense positive
absorption in another individually usually present at the
beginning of a relationship
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Compassionate Love- the deep affectionate attachment
that we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined
Altruism
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an unselfish concern for the welfare of others
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helping others when they are in need no matter the cost to
our own well being
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the collective good
Bystander Effect
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the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to
give aid if other bystanders are present
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We are more likely to help when:
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the person appears to need and deserves help
the person is similar to us in someway
the person is a woman
we have observed someone else being helpful
we are not in a hurry
we are in a more rural area
we are feeling guilty
we are in a good mood
we are not preoccupied with our own concerns
The Norms of Helping
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Social Exchange Theory
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social behavior is an exchange process the aim of
which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs
what's in it form me? what's it going to cost?
Reciprocity Norm
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expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who
have helped them
The Norms of Helping
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Social Responsibility Norm
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we should help those who need our help (young
children, old people, etc) that cannot give back even if
it has a high cost
Conflict and Social Traps
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Conflict- perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or
ideas
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Social Trap- a situation in which conflicting parties serve
their own self interest rather than the good of the group
leading to destructive behaviors for both parties
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
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a belief that leads to its own fulfillment