1. Social Psychology
AP Psych
Unit 14

2. Social psychology
The study of how people think, act, and relate to one another in social situations
How do we think about one another
How do we influence one another
How do we relate to one another

3. Implicit personality theory
Quick and automatic assumptions or beliefs that we form about other people and situations
Developed through schemas
Mental organization of information
Formed from repeating behaviors over and over
Behaviors that no longer require conscious thought
Ex: tying your shoes

4. Implicit personality theory
Schemas also apply to opinions and assumptions
If you constantly hear the same thoughts concerning individuals, those thoughts start to become automatic
Thought process is no longer required and becomes automatic
Like tying your shoes

5. Attribution theory
Describes how people explain other peoples behavior and justify their own
Could be compared to rationalization
Defense mechanism that provides explanations and excuses to justify behavior

6. Examples of attribution process
Fundamental attribution error
Occurs when people explain other people’s behavior and underestimate situational factors
Situational attribution
And just assume its entirely the person’s fault
Dispositional attribution

7. Examples of attribution process
You see a woman yelling hysterically at her boyfriend
Situational attribution:
You form your opinion based on the situational factor- “I wonder if she just received bad news”
Dispositional attribution:
You form an opinion based on a personality trait- “she is rude and has no self respect”
If you were to describe my personality, you are only describing what you assume based on the classroom situation

8. Examples of attribution process
Blaming the victim
The tendency to blame the innocent victim for their misfortune through the belief that he or she deserved the outcome
Examples?
The just world hypothesis:
Good things happen to good people, bad things happen to bad people
People believe this rationale and justify behaviors using the blaming the victim attribute
Ex: some women choose to not testify in abuse cases because they fear it will be perceived as their fault

9. Examples of attribution process
Actor-observer discrepancy
The tendency to attribute one’s own behavior to situational factors
While attributing the same exact type of behavior that happens to others to dispositional attribute
Its their fault, they deserve it
Actor: you fail a test
You say: The questions weren’t written clearly
Observer: another person fails the same test
You say: He/she is not smart enough

10. Examples of attribution process
Self-serving bias
The tendency to attribute successful outcomes to internal reasons and attribute unsuccessful outcomes to external reasons (situational factors)
You get a good score on a test
Because you studied and deserve it
You fail a test
Because the teacher doesn’t teach right

11. Examples of attribution process
Self-efficacy (modesty) bias
The tendency to blame ourselves for our failures and credit our success to external factors or other people
Some people have a hard time accepting compliments
Or taking credit for accomplishments
They want to thank everyone else or say they didn’t deserve it
Will own up to failure and accept the consequences

12. Attitudes
Strengthened by beliefs and feelings that then direct the way a person behaves
Foot-in-the-door phenomenon
The tendency for people who have agreed to do something minor to then do something bigger
Ex: get a friend to help you with entire math assignment
“I have a few problems left can you help me”
Once they agree (thinking it won’t be too much to help with a few problems) it will be easier to convince him/her to help with all the problems
Other examples?

13. Attitudes Door-in-the-face technique
When you make a really big request in order to better your chances to get a smaller one
A big request makes a smaller one not seem like much
Ex: getting money from your dad
“Dad can I borrow $50”
He says no
Then ask for $20
Now $20 doesn’t seem like such a big deal

14. Attitudes Cognitive dissonance
When a person has thoughts that are inconsistent or contradict each other
Results in an unpleasant state of psychological tension or arousal
Similar to guilt

15. Attitudes Cognitive dissonance cont.
Ex: a person who lies to his or her parents about how he/she is doing in school will at some point experience guilt, or dissonance
Because the person has 2 opposing (cognitive) thoughts that are opposite of one another
First- he/she knows he/she is not doing well in school
Second- everything is going well (the lie)
Some people try to reduce the guilt through defense mechanisms
Ex: someone who smokes saying everyone does it, or he can quit at anytime

16. Attitudes
Role
A set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the social position ought to behave
When you first get a new role you are acting
Overtime the new role becomes you
Zimbardo prison study pg 647
Became too real, cancelled after 6 days

17. Attitudes Elaboration likelihood model
Model suggesting that attitudes can change through evaluation of the content of a persuasive message (central route) or by irrelevant persuasion cues (peripheral routes)
Central route persuasion
The listener focuses on the content of the product
Peripheral route
The listener focuses on the tone of the person’s voice, become excited about the salesman’s pitch instead of the product

18. Attitudes Elaboration likelihood model cont.
Ex: buying a car- central route
S: how can I help you?
B: I am interested in this car, what’s the gas mileage?
S: great mileage! Let me show you a picture of my family
B: nice picture, but I would like more info about the engine of the car
Focuses on the content of the product

19. Attitudes Elaboration likelihood model cont.
Ex: buying a car- peripheral route
S: how can I help you?
B: I am interested in this car
S: do you have any kids?
B: no
S: let me tell you, the women love this car
B: really??
S: you are meant for this car!
The buyer focused on the salesman’s pitch and excitement, not the product

20. Conformity
Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with the group
Normative social influence- causes a person to conform for the purpose of approval or disapproval from the group
Being part of the norm, or part of the crowd
Sharing the same behavior or thought everyone else has
Get caught smoking, say “everyone else was doing it”

21. Conformity Informational social influence
Person conforms because the group or person giving the info is seen as an expert of the subject or behavior being performed
Some people will accept anything a celebrity says or does, even if it is totally against what they believe
He/she will change his/her views to match the celebrities

22. Conformity Solomon Asch Social psychologist
Researched the effects of conformity
Would people give the wrong answer, knowing it was wrong, because the rest of the group did?

23. Conformity Solomon Asch experiment Chosen a group of confederates
They were previously instructed to give the wrong answer
The subject did not know this
Subject sat at the table with the confederates and was asked the question
All the confederates agreed on the wrong answer, so subject did too
76% of subjects responded with the wrong answer

24. Conformity Conformity increases if:
Feel insecure or do not know what you are doing
The group is made of 3 or more people
Rest of the group is unanimous in their opinion
You are impressed by the status of the group
Feel other people in the group are watching and judging you
One has no prior commitment to any response
One’s culture strongly encourages respect for social standards

25. Obedience
The tendency to follow a person’s orders or requests because he or she is seen as an authority figure
If a boss told an employee to cheat, the employee might because it is coming from an authority figure
We tend to believe authority figures know more than us
If we were to get in trouble for this we could simply say the boss said to do it

26. Obedience Stanley Milgram Social psychologist
Studied the effects of obedience on a person’s behavior
Wanted to know if a person would administer shocks to another person simply because they were told to do so by an authority figure

27. Obedience The experiment had 3 roles:
The experimenter- worked with Milgram, played the role of the authority figure running the experiment
The learner- was working with Milgram, played the role of the person experiencing the shock
The teacher- was the subject being studied, unaware of the purpose of the experiment

28. Obedience The teacher would stay with the experimenter
The learner was taken to another room
The learner could not be seen, but could be heard and spoken to
The experimenter told the teacher he/she would be delivering a shock for each wrong answer the learner gave
The teacher was given a sample shock so he/she would know the level of pain that would be felt
***the learner was not actually going to feel the shock
Each time the teacher gave the learner a shock, the learner would shout in pain, begging not to receive any more shocks
The level of shocked increased with every wrong answer

29. Obedience The results:
75% of the teachers gave the highest shock, at 450 volts
No one stopped before administering the 300 volt level

30. Obedience Why did this happen???
1. the teacher was told by the experimenter, who was an authority figure, to administer shocks. Teacher justified the shocks given to the learn on the basis he/she was told to do so
2. the teacher believed and trusted that the experimenter, who was an expert/authority figure, would not allow harm to happen to the learner
3. the teacher could not see the learner receive the shocks, which could have made it easier to administer them

31. Role of authority Philip Zimbardo
Wanted to research the effects of authority in social situations
Set up Stanford prison experiment to observe actions of prisoners and prison guards

32. Role of authority Set up of experiment 24 undergraduate students
Randomly assigned to play role of prisoner of prison guard
Ended after 6 days (scheduled to go 14)
Guards took roles too seriously
Treated prisoners with humility and aggression

33. Role of authority Conclusion of experiment
Perceptions of power associated with a role tend to affect the way a person thinks and acts
Ex: in elementary school when a student is asked to play the role of a teacher often the student will act very strict
Shows the student’s perception of the teacher being strict and having control over the students

34. Social influence
Occurs when a person’s behavior is affected by opinions or actions of other people
Social facilitation
When the presence of other people watching improves the performance of the person performing the task
Ex: slacking off at work when no one is looking, working hard when your boss is around
Ex: athletes who perform better at games than at practice
Social impairment- people who perform worse when others are watching; they “choke”

35. Social influence Social loafing
The tendency for people to do less when working in a group setting
Some students look forward to group work because they know they do not have to do as much compared to when working alone
Less likely to happen when people in the group do not know one another or if the task is meaningful

36. Social influence Deindividuation
The loss of a person’s identity or self-restraint that occurs in the presence of other people
Some people act differently in the presence of a group
Drinking or smoking when others are, but never on their own

37. Social influence Groupthink
When the desire to keep social harmony among the group becomes more important than personal opinion
Ex: you are driving with some of your friends and they start talking about another friend. Everybody is in agreement that your absent friend has been rude lately. You don’t think this is true, but don’t want to cause an argument, so you keep your opinion to yourself despite the fact you know they are wrong

38. Social influence Group polarization
When an attitude or thought becomes stronger in the presence of a group of people
People hold rallies to strengthen an opinion or idea
Political rallies, pep assemblies, student demonstrations
Ex: if you dislike someone, then when you are with your friends you tell them. If they agree with you its likely your anger towards that person will become stronger

39. Social influence Self-fulfilling prophecies
Occurs when a person listens to the opinions of other people and then accepts these opinions
Now that person lives up to the beliefs and expectations of the others
Ex: if a teacher constantly tells a student he/she is nothing and will not amount to anything, he/she will eventually will start to act more like a terrible student and eventually give up
The self (person) if Fulfilling (making true) the other people’s prophecies (thoughts about that person)

40. Attraction
Why do we befriend or fall in love with some people but not others??
Proximity
Geographic nearness
Friendships most powerful predictor
Mere exposure effect
Describes how constant exposure to a stimuli will eventually lead to finding that stimuli appealing
Even if it was not initially liked

41. Attraction Mere exposure effect cont.
Can be applied to different situations
Teachers- seem awful at first, over time begin to like him/her
Relationships- most people don’t start dating right away, start as friends, then become attracted to one another

42. Attraction Physical attractiveness
Once proximity puts you together, this most affects your first impressions
Predicts frequency of dating and initial impressions of personality
Think about your favorite movies
What does the hero look like? The villain?
Cultural influences
Feelings about a person

43. Attraction Similarity Proximity brings you together
Physical attractiveness makes a good first impression
How similar you are will decide if you can get along with one another
In real life opposites retract
Friends and couples often share common attitudes, beliefs, and interests

44. Attraction Romantic love- Elaine Hatfield Temporary passionate love
An aroused state of intense positive absorption in another
Typically present at the beginning of a love relationship
Enduring companionate love
Deep affectionate attachment
Based on similar interests
Non-western cultures focus more on companionate love
Arranged marriages
Lower divorce rate

45. Altruism Helping behavior
Unselfish regard or caring for the welfare of others

46. Altruism The case of Kitty Genovese Why did no one help?
New York City :30 am
A man stabbed and raped her outside her apartment
She screamed for help before and after he left
38 neighbors turned lights on and opened windows, but did nothing
20 minutes later he returned and attacked her again
It wasn’t until after he left the second time and she continued screaming that someone finally called the police
Why did no one help?

47. Altruism John Darley and Bibb Latane Social psychologists
Kitty Genovese’s case sparked their interest in studying altruism
Researched circumstances or factors that when present contribute to people helping other people

48. Altruism Diffusion of responsibility Bystander effect
The tendency for a bystander to be less likely to help if there are other people present
Why?
They can justify their choice through the excuse no one else helped or did anyhting either

49. Altruism When are people likely to help? 1. if they are not in a hurry
2. if they are in a good mood
3. they believe the victim has a similar background as them
4. they are feeling guilty about something they did wrong earlier in the day
5. they see someone else is helping

50. Altruism Social exchange theory
The theory that our social behavior is an exchange process
Our aim is to maximize benefits and minimize costs
Ex: should I donate blood
Costs: time, discomfort, anxiety
Benefits: reduced guilt, social approval, good feelings

51. Altruism Reciprocity norm Social-responsibility norm
An expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them
Learned through socialization
Ex: favors, gifts, social invitations
Social-responsibility norm
Expectation that people will help those dependent upon them
Ex: children, elderly, those who cannot give as much as they can receive

52. Prejudice
An unjustifiable and usually negative attitude towards a group and its members
Generally involves stereotyped beliefs
Negative feelings are involved

53. Prejudice Stereotype Discrimination
A generalized belief about a group of people
Leads to social categorization
The thought that a specific group shares certain commonalities or traits
Discrimination
Taking certain actions against a group of people because of stereotypes

54. Prejudice In-group Out-group In-group bias
The group you are a member of
Out-group
The group you do not belong to
In-group bias
The tendency to favor one’s own group
High school clique competitions
Thinking your opinions are true about other groups, putting other groups down or making fun of them

55. Prejudice Scapegoat theory
Theory that prejudiced behavior provides an outlet for anger and blame
Some people need to blame another person when things do not go well
These other people provide as an outlet (scapegoat) to blame to take the blame off themselves
Can lead to prejudice behavior

56. Prejudice Muzafer Sherif Social psychologist
Studied how to reduce and eliminate prejudice behavior
Developed the robber’s cave experiment
To determine the best methods for solving differences between groups
Marriage counselor’s may have couples work through a similar type of experiment to sole issues they are having

57. Prejudice Sherif’s experiment
Part one: divide a group of boys into 2. each group was isolated and encouraged to interact or bond with the others in the same group. Each group bonded and even developed names for their group: the rattlers and the eagles

58. Prejudice Sherif’s experiment cont.
Part two: develop friction between the group by having them participate in contests and rewarding the winner, while the losing team received nothing and was made to feel inferior
Led to fights between the two groups later in social settings

59. Prejudice Sherif’s experiment cont.
First step to solve the differences: have them perform “get-to-know you” activities
Did not solve their differences though
Next attempt: tamper with camp’s water supply. Boys were told that the water was damaged and in order to fix it they would all have to work together to the camps was over
Both groups, not wanting to go home, started to work together- putting their differences aside
Focused on fixing the water problem