Social Psychology Psychology 1107

Introduction When we talked about personality we talked about similarities in behaviour between and within individuals When we talked about personality we talked about similarities in behaviour between and within individuals Most social psychologists don’t dispute these individual differences but they realize the importance of the situation Most social psychologists don’t dispute these individual differences but they realize the importance of the situation

Introduction Social psychologists are concerned with how we explains others’ behaviour and how others’ behaviour affects us Social psychologists are concerned with how we explains others’ behaviour and how others’ behaviour affects us May be as important as the individual May be as important as the individual

Attribution Theory Hieder (1958) Hieder (1958) People attribute others’ behaviour to their dispositions People attribute others’ behaviour to their dispositions Personality Personality Sometimes this is over course true, we do have personalities after all Sometimes this is over course true, we do have personalities after all We overestimate the importance of personality in others’ behaviour We overestimate the importance of personality in others’ behaviour

Attribution Theory We tend to do the other with us, so when we do something we blame the situation We tend to do the other with us, so when we do something we blame the situation The fundamental attribution error The fundamental attribution error We have more data in essenceWe have more data in essence Attributions have big effects Attributions have big effects Do you blame the person or the situation, and then do you generalize….Do you blame the person or the situation, and then do you generalize….

Attitudes Attributions can affect, and are affected by attributions Attributions can affect, and are affected by attributions Attitudes are behaviours and feelings that predispose us to react in a certain way to Attitudes are behaviours and feelings that predispose us to react in a certain way to ObjectsObjects EventsEvents peoplepeople

Attitude change Do we change the way people think? Do we change the way people think? Not necessarily Not necessarily Attitudes guide actions if Attitudes guide actions if Outside influences are minimalOutside influences are minimal Attitude is specifically related to the behaviourAttitude is specifically related to the behaviour Awareness of attitudes is importantAwareness of attitudes is important Counter intuitive Counter intuitive

Might be better to change the behaviour The foot in the door phenomenon The foot in the door phenomenon How ‘brainwashing’ worked during the Korean War How ‘brainwashing’ worked during the Korean War Drive Carefully (Freedman and Frasier, 1966) Drive Carefully (Freedman and Frasier, 1966) 17 % put up big ugly sign 17 % put up big ugly sign All did if they put up a little sign first All did if they put up a little sign first

Role Playing Actually works Actually works Zimbardo (1972) Zimbardo (1972) Prison experiment Prison experiment Got really scary Got really scary Had to stop the experiment Had to stop the experiment

Cognitive Dissonance If I did it it must be right If I did it it must be right Festinger Festinger Rationalize our behaviour Rationalize our behaviour Peter Darke’s research on consumer beahviour Peter Darke’s research on consumer beahviour I really needed a MacBook Pro…. I really needed a MacBook Pro….

Social Influence Funny how we do stuff if other people are eh? Funny how we do stuff if other people are eh? UFOs UFOs Political ideas Political ideas Social ideas Social ideas How does this happen? How does this happen?

Conformity and Obedience Phillips’ odd data Phillips’ odd data Suicides go up after suicides are publishedSuicides go up after suicides are published So do car crashesSo do car crashes Airplane crashesAirplane crashes Ash’s classic line length experiments Ash’s classic line length experiments About 1/3 of people give the wrong answerAbout 1/3 of people give the wrong answer

Factors that affect conformity Made to feel incompetent Made to feel incompetent At least three people At least three people High status group High status group Unanimity Unanimity No prior commitment No prior commitment Our behaviour is in the open Our behaviour is in the open Cultural effects Cultural effects

Social Influence Normative social influence Normative social influence When it is clear what the norm isWhen it is clear what the norm is Informational social influence Informational social influence When we are not sure about what to do, but we have to do the right thingWhen we are not sure about what to do, but we have to do the right thing

Milgram Teacher and Learner Teacher and Learner Learner was a confederate Learner was a confederate Paired associates Paired associates Wrong answer, given a ‘shock’ Wrong answer, given a ‘shock’ ‘You must continue’ ‘You must continue’ 63% completed! 63% completed! Started a big debate about ethics Started a big debate about ethics Most participants were happy to learn this scary thing about themselves Most participants were happy to learn this scary thing about themselves

More Milgram I have a heart condition’ -> no effect! I have a heart condition’ -> no effect! Legitimate authority was the key Legitimate authority was the key Affiliation Affiliation Depersonalization Depersonalization Modeling effects Modeling effects

What does it all mean? People go against their beliefs under the right circumstances People go against their beliefs under the right circumstances Under the right conditions people will do awful things Under the right conditions people will do awful things Don’t let this absolve anyoneDon’t let this absolve anyone

Social Facilitation Improved performance in the presence of others Improved performance in the presence of others Probably due to arousal Probably due to arousal The whole Yerkes-Dotson thing The whole Yerkes-Dotson thing

Social Loafing Doing things as a group and loafing Doing things as a group and loafing When you believe others are trying, you may quit When you believe others are trying, you may quit Cultural effects Cultural effects Less accountable Less accountable

Deindividuation Arousal Arousal Diminished responsibility Diminished responsibility Riots Riots Less likely to help a stranger when you are in a group Less likely to help a stranger when you are in a group

Group Polarization Small differences between groups tend to grow Small differences between groups tend to grow More specifically you get an enhancement of a group’s prevailing tendancies More specifically you get an enhancement of a group’s prevailing tendancies

Groupthink Overconfidence Overconfidence Conformity Conformity Self justification Self justification Can be stopped by a good leader that listens to others and welcomes criticism Can be stopped by a good leader that listens to others and welcomes criticism Minorities can affect the group if they stick to their guns Minorities can affect the group if they stick to their guns

Cultural effects Of course, in social psych cultural effects are going to be huge Of course, in social psych cultural effects are going to be huge Different cultures have different norms Different cultures have different norms Personal space for example Personal space for example There are cultural effects on gender roles, though there are quite a few universals too There are cultural effects on gender roles, though there are quite a few universals too

Prejudice Mixture of beliefs, emotions and actions towards a group Mixture of beliefs, emotions and actions towards a group Influences cognition Influences cognition While blatant prejudice is on the wane, subtler forms are still out there While blatant prejudice is on the wane, subtler forms are still out there

Victims They experience a few different things They experience a few different things Social inequality Social inequality Exclusion Exclusion scapegoating scapegoating

Where does it come from? We have a need to categorize stuff We have a need to categorize stuff The availability heuristic does not help much The availability heuristic does not help much The just world hypothesis The just world hypothesis They deserve itThey deserve it

Aggression There are genetic factors There are genetic factors There are biochemical factors There are biochemical factors The frustration aggression hypothesis The frustration aggression hypothesis Learning effects Learning effects

Conclusions Social psychology is cool Social psychology is cool Just because you think you know something, does not mean you do, lots of counter-intuitive data Just because you think you know something, does not mean you do, lots of counter-intuitive data The situation is important The situation is important The group is important The group is important WE ARE DONE WE ARE DONE