Chapter 15 Social Psychology

Attribution Theory The study of how people perceive the causes of behavior Trying to make sense of another's behavior, a person typically makes one of two inferences: –(1) the behavior was caused by the individual's personal thoughts (internal attributions) –(2) it was provoked by someone else (external attribution). Internal attribution of behavior refers to a person'a traits, abilities, and dispositions External attribution of behavior refers to perceived environment demands

Kelley's attribution theory This covariation model includes three types of information: –Consistency –Distinctiveness –Consensus Depending on how these three factors covary, Kelley's theory predicts people attribute a behavior to either internal or external causes.

The Fundamental Attribution Error Tendency to attribute the causes of another person's behavior to personal dispositions rather than the demands of a situation.

The Self-Serving Bias The tendency to attribute one's failures to the situation and one's successes to personal factors.

ABC Approach to Attitudes Social psycholgoists who have studied attitudes see them as complex mixtures of three different components: affective, behavioral, and cognitive.

Techniques of Persuasive Communication The five components of a persuasive message include the source of the message, the message, the channel over which the message is delivered, the receiver of the message, and target behavior.

Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive dissonance is an unpleasant psychological state caused by two contradictory thoughts about the same event. People usually reduce the dissonance by altering their thoughts and behavior.

Muzafer Sherif's (1939) Study of Social Influences on Apparent Movement The results of this study suggest that in ambiguous situations, individuals conform relatively quickly to a group standard.

Solomon Asch's Line Judgment Study on Conformity The results of this study suggest that individuals are susceptible to group standards even when the task is less ambiguous.

Stanley Milgram's Obedience Studies Milgram found that two out of every three teachers continued to shock the learners even at the highest voltage levels.

Group Influence on Personal Performance Social facilitation Social loafing Bystander effect

Gender Roles Men and women consistently see each other as behaving in gender-specific ways.

Passionate versus Companionate Love Passionate love involves intense emotions and sexual attraction, and companionate love is what most people would call friendship. In many relationships, the two overlap. companionate love passionate love

Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of Love Successful, long-lasting relationships between couples are characterized by passion, intimacy, and commitment.

Love Changes Over Time Sternberg proposes that passion, intimacy, and commitment are different aspects of a long-lasting relationship. Passion typically peaks during the early stages of a relationship, while intimacy and commitment grow slowly and can endure for a lifetime.

Prejudice and Stereotyping Stereotypical thinking often occurs unconsciously.

Causes of Aggression The sociobiological and evolutionary view - - genes interact with culture to produce unique instances of aggressive behavior. Sociocultural theories of aggressive behavior -- frustration-aggression hypothesis holds that a person is more likely to become aggressive when frustrated.