Social Psychology Basic premise: Who we are is determined by our social interactions –--Past: our social development –--Present: social influence We’ll start with an area of overlap between cognition and social influence; attitudes, and the drive toward attitude consistency

Strong Generalization About Attitudes We like to maintain consistancy of attitudes: 1.selective exposure 2.selective interpretation 3.selective memory

Stronger Theories of Attitude Consistency Balance Theory (Heider) Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Festinger) Self Perception Theory (Bem)

Cognitive Dissonance Theory Leon Festinger: Two cognitions that are in conflict or dissonant (one implies the opposite of the other) result in pressure to change one or both to bring them into consonance In practice, the two are an attitude and a behavior and the attitude changes

Three types of Dissonance Situations or Experiments Justification of effort (Aronson & Mills) Inadequate external justification --when prophecy fails (Ms. Keech) --counterattitudinal advocacy (Yale) Consequences of a decision (Brehm)

Knox & Inkster betting study (consequences of making a decision)

Self Perception Theory- Bem The theory and its relation to cog. diss. Experimental evidence (Bem, Valins) Can we know ourselves given all this? (Back to Missouri!)

Emotion and Self-Perception Emotions involve both bodily activation (brain-endocrine) and precipitating stimuli Naïve view: perception of p-stimuli causes us to feel a certain way-->activates body James-Lange view: p-stim. causes physiological arousal--> perceived emotion Cognitive theory: p-stim. + physiol. arousal --> perceived emotional state

Social Influence (continued): some dangerous findings Bystandar Apathy Conformity Obedience

Bystander Apathy & Intervention Surprising work of Darley & Latane on the effect of the no. of bystanders

Mechanisms That Produce Bystander Apathy Effects 1.moral diffusion 2.lack of clarity--ambiguity of interp. and of action. airport/subway crutch--fall 83 vs. 41 % helped, and they were people more familiar with the surround. 3. costs of intervention. sometimes they are raised bythe presence of others (surveillance) 4. rules for behaving: don't stare, unless you know what to do/day, keep your mouth shut etc. 5) mood: Isen dime in coin slot mailing letter 10-->90 %

Solomon Asch: Conformity Conformity: Good or bad? Major findings: 1/3 & 2/3 conform! What it takes to resist! Conclusion

Stanley Milgram: Obedience Description of Experiment Basic findings 2/3 Field theory explanation (exper. vs. victim force fields)

Underlying Explanation Foot in the door Other is responsible (diffusion of resp.) Aloneness- lack of social support Ambiguity about situation/what to do!!! Other directedness (Reisman)

Schein’s POW Work Level of compliance and how it was obtained The power of social isolation Who resisted? Solution: inner codes vs. external or situational control Conclusion: balance?……