Social Psychology

How does society affect our thinking and actions?

How do people explain behavior? n Fundamental attribution error – Overestimating the influence of personality – Underestimating the influence of situation

How do our actions affect our attitudes? n The “foot-in-the-door” phenomenon – People who agree to a small action, will comply with a larger one later.

How does the role we play affect our attitudes and actions? n Philip Zimbardo’s prison study – Students randomly assigned to be guards or prisoners – Guards acted like guards – Prisoners acted like prisoners – Study called off after only six days because participants were endangered by their role playing. – Result: Roles call for certain behavior if we play that role long enough we may become that type of person.

How do our actions affect our attitudes? n Cognitive dissonance theory – Leon Festenger – Cognitive = thinking – Dissonance = Unresolved differences – When we act differently than we believe, we experience cognitive dissonance.

Cognitive dissonance (cont.) n To reduce dissonance, we will change our attitudes (or behavior) to produce agreement. n We change our attitudes to justify past behavior.

Cognitive dissonance (cont.)

How do we influence each other? n Will you conform to group pressure?

Solomon Asch conformity study n Comparing lengths of lines n People rejected what they could see, to conform with the group

Obedience - Will you do what you are told even if it would hurt someone?

Stanley Milgram’s shock experiments n Teachers - gave shock ( volts) n Learners - received shock n Results: The majority of “teachers” ordered to shock the “learners” complied fully, and gave the highest level of shock.

Stanley Milgram’s shock experiments (Cont.)

What causes prejudice? n Scapegoat Theory – Frustration & feeling disadvantaged creates prejudice – “They caused my problems.” n The Cultural Theory of prejudice – Emery Borgardus – People well adjusted to a “culture of prejudice” become prejudiced.

What causes aggression? n Frustration - aggression hypothesis – Frustration - anger - aggression – E.g. Hurting someone that frustrated you (not always physical)

Have you ever been “In love”? n Sternberg’s theory of love – Intimacy – Passion – Commitment

Have you ever been “In love”? n Passionate love – Fully absorbed with the other – “Walking on clouds” n Companionate love – A deep affectionate attachment to the other – Based on equity and self disclosure

Will you help someone in an emergency? n The bystander effect – Kitty Genovese – Before helping, people must: n Notice the situation n Interpret it as an emergency n Assume responsibility

Bystander effect (cont.) n The more people are available to help, the less chance any one person will help. n “Diffusion of responsibility”

Why do we help? n Self interest n The “Social Exchange” theory – Cost - benefit analysis – Will the cost (money, time, discomfort) be less than the benefit (reduced guilt, social approval, good feelings). n Reciprocity norm – I give you something, I expect something back – Name stamps in contribution envelopes