1. Social Psychology
scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

2. Social Thinking
Our behavior is affected by our inner attitudes as well as by external social influences
Internal
attitudes
External
influences
Behavior

3. Internal Influences Attitude
belief and feeling that predisposes one to respond in a particular way to objects, people and events
Often learned
Can change as acquire new information and experiences
Ages 16 – 24 critical period for these

4. Internal Influences Attribution Theory
tendency to give a causal explanation for someone’s behavior, often by crediting either the situation (Situational Attribution) or the person’s disposition (Dispositional Attribution)

5. Internal Influences Fundamental Attribution Error
tendency for observers, when analyzing another’s behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition

6. Internal Influences Self-Serving Bias
the tendency to take credit personally for good things that happen and blame the situation, others, etc. for mistakes and failures

7. Internal Influences Cognitive Dissonance Theory
we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts or beliefs are inconsistent or our behavior does not match our thoughts (or beliefs)

8. Internal Influences Dissonance is reduced by:
Rejecting one of the beliefs
Changing the behavior
Denying the evidence which points out the discrepancy
Rationalize
Ignoring (Repression)

9. External Influences Norm Role
An understood rule for accepted and expected behavior
Role
set of expectations about a social position that defines how those in the position ought to behave

10. External Influences Groups:
two or more people interacting with and influencing one another

11. External Influences Obedience Conformity
adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard
Obedience
following direct commands, usually from an authority figure

12. External Influences Group Polarization Groupthink
The tendency within a group to move toward the group’s prevailing attitudes through discussion within the group
Groupthink
mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives

13. External Influences Diffusion of Responsibility Deindividuation
when in an anonymous group, the belief that someone else “will do it”
Deindividuation
loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

14. External and Internal Influences
Prejudice
an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members
Stereotype
An often inaccurate and overgeneralized belief about a group of people
Discrimination
prejudicial action taken

15. External and Internal Influences
Ingroup Bias
tendency to favor one’s own group
Scapegoat Theory
theory that prejudice provides an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame