1 Social Psychology: Social Thinking Module 55
2 Focuses in Social Psychology Social psychology scientifically studies how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.
3 “The Lunch Date” 1990 While you watch this film, jot down on your notes what you are thinking about the social interactions taking place.
4 Social Psychology Social Thinking Attribution Attitudes and Action Compliance Cognative Dissonance
5 Social Thinking Social thinking involves thinking about others, especially when they engage in doing things that are unexpected. 1.Does his absenteeism signify illness, laziness, a stressful work atmosphere? 2.Was the horror of 9/11 the work of crazed evil people or ordinary people corrupted by life events.
6 Attribution Theory Fritz Heider (1958) behavior can be explained by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition Fritz Heider
7 Fundamental Attribution Error The tendency to overestimate the impact of personal disposition and underestimate the impact of the situations in analyzing the behaviors of others.
8 Effects of Attribution How we explain someone’s behavior affects how we react to it.
9 Attitude Belief and feeling that predisposes one to respond in a particular way to objects, people and events. If we believe a person is mean, we may feel dislike for the person and act unfriendly.
10 Attitudes Can Affect Action Attitudes can predict behavior, if the circumstances are right
11 Attitudes Can Affect Action Under certain conditions, behavior precedes and fosters attitudes. Cooperative actions can lead to mutual liking (beliefs).
12 Two Ways to Change Attitudes Role Playing: tendency for people who are “playing” roles to, after time, become the role they are playing. Cognitive Dissonance: We act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent.
13 Role Playing Affects Attitudes Zimbardo (1972) assigned the role of guards and prisoners to random students and found that guards and prisoners developed role appropriate attitudes.
14 Cognitive Dissonance You're walking down a busy street deep in your own private thoughts. All of a sudden a smiling woman jumps out of somewhere, stands in front of you, and puts a flower in your hand. "Hello dear... isn't it a wonderful day today? I want you to have this flower!," she says. Now you have a beautiful flower in your hand. It's a nice gift and she seems friendly. She begins to walk with you, telling you that you have nice, kind eyes. She says she noticed right away that you were special and so wanted to meet you. You forget your previous thoughts about work, bills or your own life. Suddenly you feel good... appreciated... uplifted. Then, in the same friendly voice and bright smile, she says, "I know you are a good person and you can help me by giving me a something for the beautiful flower -- right?"
15 Cognitive Dissonance Theory
16 Cognitive Dissonance