1. Chapter 20: Social Cognition

2. Social Psychology
The study of the manner in which personality, attitudes, motivations, and behavior of the individual influence and are influenced by social groups
So in the study of social psych we must look at:
The individual
Relation between individual and others
Group behavior

3. The Individual We think that we are awesome!
We think everybody notices us
We think that our beliefs and actions make sense

5. I’m Awesome
We systematically rate ourselves as better than average at things like:
Student
Friend
Lover
Driver
We aren’t sure why
Nature of Feedback?
Differing criteria for goodness?
Need to feel good about self

6. Everyone Notices Me
Spotlight effect – we tend to believe that the spotlight shined brighter on us than it really does.
The Ugly Shirt experiment

7. Transparency Effect
We think we are more transparent than we really are.

8. Do you have a younger sibling?
Have you been to London?
Yes, I have been to London
No, I have not been to London
Do you have a younger sibling?
Yes, I have a younger sibling.
No, I do not have a younger sibling
Do you like sushi?
Yes, I like sushi
No, I do not like sushi

9. We believe what we do makes sense.
We believe that our attitudes are reasonable and that our behaviors are in keeping with our beliefs

10. Social Cognition
The study of how information about people is processed and stored
Our thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs about people are influenced by the social context in which we interact with them

11. 20.1 Attitudes Beliefs or feelings about objects, people, and events
Attitudes can affect behavior
Generally stable but can be changed

12. Attitude Development - Conditioning
Authority figures positively reinforce behaviors and beliefs that align with their own

13. Attitude Development – Observational Learning
We acquire attitudes by observing others
We strive to be socially accepted

14. Attitude Development – Cognitive Evaluation
We evaluate information or evidence before forming our beliefs
We are especially likely to do this if we think we will have to justify our beliefs

15. Attitude Development – Cognitive Anchors
We form some of our beliefs early in childhood
These beliefs stay with us throughout our lives
Contrary attitudes may be rejected

16. Attitudes and Behavior
Sometimes align other times do not

17. When Behavior Follows Attitude
Behavior more likely to align with attitudes when the behavior is specifically tied to that attitude
Stronger attitudes = behavior more likely
More likely to act according to beliefs if there is a vested interest
More likely to act according to attitudes that you are aware of
Example:
1. If I believe that giving blood saves lives, I am likely to donate. If I believe that we should help our fellow man I am less likely to donate.
2. People with family members that have a disease are more likely to participate in a charity for that disease.
3. If you articulate your attitude (I like kids) you are more likely to engage in activities that are an expression of that belief (help a lost child find its mother, etc.)

18. When Attitudes Follow Behavior
Likely occurs when we behave contrary to our beliefs
Cognitive dissonance may cause a shift in beliefs
Book example: If we believe exercise prevents heart disease, we are more likely to work out than if we believe that a healthy lifestyle is good for you

19. Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Leon Festinger
Internal inconsistency causes dissonance
We work to reduce dissonance
We avoid inconsistent info
We change attitudes to mesh with decisions

20. Cognitive Dissonance Subjects did a boring task.
Subjects were then paid either $1 or $20 to tell the next subject that the task was enjoyable.
Subjects receiving $1 rated the task as more enjoyable than those receiving $20.
Why? They were less able to justify their action (lying to the next subject) than those receiving $20, so they had to change their attitude about the task.

21. 20.2 Persuasion
A direct attempt to influence other people’s attitudes

22. Methods of Persuasion Central route Peripheral route
Uses evidence and logic
The message is most important factor
Peripheral route
Indirect approach
Associates objects, people, or events with positive or negative cues
Many factors are important
Peripheral route = message, messenger, situation, audience are all important
When the audience does not have the ability or interest to think carefully, then more superficial cues are the most persuasive
Attractive and credible speakers are the most persuasive
Perceived similarity between the speaker and audience is also important
Use of humor so that the consumer will associate the product with a good feeling; conditioned emotional response
Repetition
Fear arousal (“This is your brain on drugs.”)
But should include instructions on how to cope with the threat

23. The Message Repeated exposure leads to more favorable views
The way the message is presented is also important

24. The Message - Two Sided Arguments
Both sides of the argument are presented
The opposing views are discredited
More effective than one sided arguments

25. The Message – Emotional Appeals
Utilizes feelings of desire, loyalty, and fear to persuade

26. The Messenger Employs people who are more persuasive: Experts
The Trustworthy
Attractive People
People with similar qualities to the target audience
People without a vested interest

27. The Situation
Putting people in a good mood makes them more easily persuaded

28. The Audience Different approaches work better with different audiences
Emotion works on kids
Logic on adults

29. Saying No
Sales resistance – some people have no trouble saying no others fall for any pitch
High resistance correlates with high self-esteem and low social anxiety
Low resistance correlates with low self-esteem and high social anxiety (they are also more likely to be persuaded to engage in behaviors that go against beliefs)

30. The Pitch
Your group is responsible for creating an advertising campaign for one of the three products provided. During your pitch you will present the following:
A tag line – Think about all the big brands and companies; each has an advertising phrase you remember. Come up with a great one sentence line to help the audience relate the product to something appealing.
A print ad – Using white butcher or poster paper, design a magazine ad.
3. A radio or television ad – Create a written pitch for a media ad that includes a description of the set up and action as well as any important dialogue. Casting descriptions are also useful.
Remember, you need to touch on the three areas we discussed in class
The messenger
The audience
The situation

31. 20.3 Prejudice
Generalized attitude towards a specific group of people

32. First Impressions We form first impressions quickly
They are important (confirmation bias)
They can actually have an effect on other
Self Fulfilling Prophecy
Pygmalion Effect

33. Stereotypes
Unchanging, oversimplified, usually distorted beliefs about a group of people
Developed to help us organize social information
We assume those different from us are similar to each other
Harmful because people aren’t judged as individuals
Can lead to incorrect interpretations of behavior

34. Discrimination
Unfair treatment of individuals because the are members of a specific group

35. Causes of Prejudice Exaggerating Differences
Justifying Economic Status – successful believe that those less well to do are inferior
Social Learning – we acquire prejudicial ideas from parents and others

36. Causes of Prejudice
Victimization – some who are victims of prejudice try to regain a sense of power by belittling others
Scapegoating
Scapegoat – individual or group that is blamed for the problems of others
Usually too weak to defend themselves or don’t fight back

37. Overcoming Prejudice Difficult Increased contact Speaking up
Being an example
Avoiding discrimination

38. 20.4 Social Perception
The ways we see other people

39. Primacy and Recency
We form opinions about people based on our first impressions (often influenced by looks)
These tend to have lasting effects
Recency effect occurs when we change our opinion about others

40. Attribution Theory
We explain the behavior of others differently than our own behavior
We can attribute behavior to:
Dispositional (personality) factors
Situational (external) factors
Fritz Heider

41. Actor-Observer Bias
We tend to attribute others behavior to dispositional factors (they did it because they’re not nice)
We attribute our own behavior to situational factors (I am usually nice, the situation is to blame for my behavior)

42. Fundamental Attribution Error
Our tendency to overestimate dispositional causes for another’s behavior and to underestimate the situational causes

43. Self-Serving Bias
We attribute our own successes to dispositional factors (I won cause I’m the best!)
We attribute our failures to situational factors (I lost cause he cheated)

44. Nonverbal Communication
We are influenced by forms of unspoken communication like:
Facial expression
Gestures
Posture and distance
We are not always aware of using it

45. Physical Contact
Degree to which it is used varies between sexes and cultures
Can be effective and persuasive

46. Eye Contact Can be revealing Can be indication of truthfulness
Gazing – a steady intent look conveys liking
Staring – perceived as anger, makes people uncomfortable

47. 20.5 Interpersonal Attraction

48. What Contributes to Attraction
So how do we find the person that we will love forever?
Several factors contribute to attraction

49. Physical Appearance
Attractiveness varies from person to person, but there are some universals

50. Universals of Beauty
We tend to like large eyes, high cheekbones, and narrow jaws
Notions of beauty seem to be ingrained – babies show preference for looking at more attractive faces.

51. Differences in Body Shape Preferences
Body shape preferences vary widely
Fallon and Rozin study – men tend to think their body shape is close to the ideal, women tend to think they are heavier than the ideal
Men like women shorter than themselves women like taller men

52. Similarity in Physical Attractiveness
Matching Hypothesis – people tend to choose partners who are the same level of attractiveness as themselves

53. Other Similarities
We tend to pick people with the same demographics (race, age, education, religion, etc.)
WHY?
We tend to live amongst people like ourselves
People with similar characteristics have similar attitudes which is appealing

54. Proximity
We tend to fall for people who live close by
Ohio study

56. Competence We like people who are competent
But not so competent that they make us feel bad about ourselves
The pratfall effect

57. Reciprocity Is the mutual exchange of feelings or attitudes
We respond to people who seem to like us

58. Misattribution of Arousal
Situations occur that cause arousal
The source is unclear
You attribute the feelings to attraction
Famous Studies
Rickety Bridge
Painful Shock
Playboy Centerfolds

59. Gain Loss Effect Gain (romance novel effect) Loss
We are more attracted to people who have increasingly high regard for us
We prefer them over a person who has always held us in high regard
Loss
If someone is always mean they loose the power to hurt you
Someone who had always been good to you really has the power to hurt you

60. Friendship People with whom we share affection, respect and trust
We choose based on proximity, attraction, reciprocity, and similarity

61. Love
The word love has a wide variety of definitions. To describe these, Robert Sternberg created the Triangular model of love.

62. Love Intimacy - Closeness, sharing, and caring
Passion - Feelings of romantic and sexual attraction
Commitment – in it for the long haul
Love changes and deepens over time