Are you a penguin or a polar bear ? Unit 12 Social Psychology

Social “ Thinking ”  Stereotype: generalization about a group’s characteristics, does not account for individuality  First impressions…what do you judge first?  Appearance or personality?  Attribution Theory: people want to find the reason for behavior to better explain/justify it  Internal: traits  External: society, peer-pressure  Emotional state: “bad day”  Controllable/uncontrollable: for example weather - Person Perception - Attribution

Errors in Perception - Fundamental attribution error : - When we assume that people CHOSE to act they way they did when in fact they may have had limited choice. - False consensus error : - When we assume that everyone else interprets things the way we do. - Positive illusions : - When we see only the “ rosy ” or positive things and ignore the negative things. - Self - serving bias : - When we take credit for the things that go “ right ” or we do well, but fail to take responsibility for the things that don ’ t go right or that we do wrong.

Cognitive Dissonance: When our thoughts and actions don’t align

Self-Perception Theory -Daryl Bem -Behaviors cause attitudes…your behaviors give you insight to your feelings

The Art of Persuasion Elaboration Likelihood Model  Central Route: Direct logical argument  Peripheral Route: Appeals to emotions, desires, attraction  Does your “introvertedness/entrovertedness” play a role in which route is most effective with you?  What is your evidence?

Altruism… Does it exist in society ANYWHERE?  Charity?  Random acts of kindness  Anonymous acts Egoism… Does it exist in society EVERYWHERE?  Is there an action that we do without the intend to some degree raise our self-esteem?  Is this concept the driving force behind our successful people in this world?

Empathy… The feeling of oneness with another emotionally.