Social Thinking RG 14a

Social Psychology scientific study of how we think about, influence and relate to one another BIG emphasis of social psychology is social cognition (mental processes associated with the ways in which people perceive and react to others) Through social cognition, each person creates a unique perception of reality Believe that we all have a different sense of “reality” – Why could this be true?

to Attribute What definitions did you come up with? What does this word mean? Feel free to add to your definition as we share out.

Attribution process of explaining the causes of people’s behavior, including ones own, either by crediting: the external situation (external factors)   OR the person’s internal disposition (personality) *You just got a 98% on a test!!! Woo hoo, go you! Under your definition of Attribution: 1. Attribute an external factor to this good grade. 2. Attribute an internal factor to this good grade.

Simulation Close your eyes How do you react? I.e. what do you scream at the other driver? Why did this person do this to you? Is your explanation based on an unanticipated emergency (situation attribution) or his/her selfishness or inconsiderateness (a dispositional attribution)?

Attribution activity Finish each sentence Highlight the “I” statements (it’s about you) and leave “they” statements (it’s about someone else) alone Rate each statement. If it is a Dispositional cause of behavior (a personality trait), put a “D” on the line before the question number Situational cause of behavior (an external factor), put a “S” on the line before the question number

Attribution activity Count the following…total on back “I” statements that have a dispositional cause “I” statements that have a situational cause “they” statements that have a dispositional cause “they” statements that have a situational cause How many of you have more “I”/S statements than “I”/D statements? More “they”/D than “they”/S statements? \

Fundamental Attribution Error tendency to overattribute the behavior of others to internal factors, such as personal disposition (personality traits) When it comes to our own behavior, we are much more aware and sensitive to how our behavior changes with the different situations we encounter, rather than our personality traits alone

Fundamental Attribution Error Self-serving bias (tendency to attribute one’s successes to internal factors and one’s failures to external factors) often comes into play when one commits the fundamental attribution error If you get an “A” on a test, it is due to how smart you are If you get a “F” on a test, it is due to how hard the test was, how unfair and unreasonable the teacher is, how hot/cold the room was, your pencil was too short, your shirt was itchy that day, etc.

Attitudes beliefs and feelings that predispose our reactions to objects, people and events Social psychologists believe that attitudes are made up of three components: Cognitive – set of beliefs about the attributes of an object Affective – feelings about the object Behavioral – way people act toward the object If someone is nice, we may feel kindness toward them and act in a friendly manner

Attitudes Do you believe your attitudes determine your decisions and actions? For instance, if you do not like asparagus, do you believe that attitude will influence your decision/action to not eat asparagus?

Attitudes influencing actions… Central route persuasion (direct) Attitudes change when interested people focus on the scientific evidence/arguments and respond with favorable thoughts Peripheral route persuasion (indirect) Attitudes change when people make snap judgments based on incidental cues, like the attractiveness of a speaker

Attitudes influence actions… You are a salesperson for Apple Girls: come up with a peripheral route of persuasion technique to sell this product Boys: come up with a central route of persuasion technique to sell this product Share

Attitudes influence actions… Which one is it??? Central OR Peripheral

Attitudes will also influence actions if… Outside influences on what we say and do are minimal. As long as there are no outside pressures, we generally follow our attitudes. The attitude is specifically relevant to the behavior. The more specific the attitude is to the action, the more likely the two are to be in harmony Your attitudes about running a mile a day will help predict whether you will run when you are exercising We are keenly aware of our attitudes. When we know and are conscious of what we believe, we are more true to ourselves

Attitudes We've established that our attitudes influence our actions.... But, do you believe your actions can influence your attitude?

Attitudes FOLLOW behaviors… Foot-in-the-door phenomenon: tendency for people who agree to a small request to comply with a large one To get people to agree to something, you start small and build EXAMPLE from your own lives??? Hitler used it in Germany…did he begin his plan to exterminate all of the Jewish people by actually killing them? No…he started small and worked his way up to extermination People find it hard to say no, when they have already agreed to a few “smaller” steps…

Attitudes FOLLOW behaviors… Door-in-the-face phenomenon: asking first for a big favor (or one that is likely to be denied), then after being turned down, the askee agrees that request was excessive and asks for something less…something that the person really wanted in the first place Because the person appears willing to compromise and because the request seems modest in comparison with the 1st one, it is more likely to be granted than if it had been made at the outset EXAMPLE from your own lives?

Welcome! As you come in… Pick up piece of computer paper- fold in thirds like a letter (three equal parts) Be ready for stamp On Social Thinking Notes, respond to this prompt: Yesterday we talked about ways our attitudes influence our behavior. Name some vocab terms that support this. Do you believe our behavior/actions can influence our attitudes? Explain.

Attitudes FOLLOW behaviors… Cognitive dissonance theory: when people become aware of the inconsistencies (dissonance) between their attitudes and behavior, they become anxious and are motivated to make them consistent Developed by Leon Festinger EXAMPLE… someone who believes that “smoking is unhealthy” but who also must acknowledge that “I smoke” would be motivated to reduce the dissonance in their attitude and actions Because behavior is difficult to change, people usually reduce the dissonance by changing the inconsistent attitudes

Attitudes FOLLOW behaviors… Role playing affects attitudes Zimbardo’s (Stanford) Prison Experiment College students were randomly assigned to the roles of prisoners or guards for the scheduled two week experiment No further instructions were given on how to behave