1. Social Psychology

2. What is Social Psychology?
The study of how people influence and are influenced by other people.
How an individual is affected by the presence or implied presence of another individual or group
An individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior can all be influenced by the POWER OF THE SITUATION that they are experiencing.

3. Social Influence
Social psychology is a diverse field. We will focus on only one of the major areas of study.
Social influence
How we are influenced by others
Conformity, obedience, compliance

4. Social Influence Social Influence: A few concepts
Social norms
Expectations / what is acceptable
Behavior, thoughts, affect
Social role
Sets of norms
Expectations for particular position
Unofficial Assignment: Violate a norm today (without getting expelled).

5. Conformity
Yield to real or imagined social pressure

6. Conformity
Changing one’s behavior or beliefs to match those of other group members, generally as a result of real or imagined, though unspoken, group pressure.
Sometimes conscious, sometimes not.
Is conformity good or bad? When?

7. Why do we conform? Sherif (1930s) AUTOKINETIC EFFECT
Was interested in the passing of norms from generation to generation.
Put people in a pitch black room that had a stationary pinpoint of light.
Would then ask participants how far the light moved.
Were questioned in groups of three multiple times.
Found that across sessions the answers began to align.
After a number of trials a new subject would replace one of the old subjects and would fall right into the group norm.

8. Why do we conform?
Private Conformity: involves both acting and believing in accord with social pressure.
Subjects still displayed these beliefs when placed in other groups or were shown the stimulus again and asked in private.

9. Why do we conform? Asch (1950s) – Disagreed with the studies of Sherif
“Perceptual judgments”
Only 1 real participant
Others: confederates
Accomplices
All responses scripted

10. Why do we conform?
18 trials, 50 participants = approximately 900 decisions to conform
Conformity on 37% of trials
13 people never conformed, 74% conformed on at least one trial
14 people conformed on more than half their trials

11. Factors that affect extent of conformity
Group size
1 < 2 < 3 < 4 = 5 = 6 = 7 = 8 = 9 = 10 = 11 = 12 …
Presence of a dissenter
If one other nonconformist , conformity rate drops from 37% to 5%
Commitment
Prior decision / initial judgment reduces later conformity
Individual differences
High self esteem = less likely to conform
Friends versus strangers
Asch method: Less conformity with friends

12. Why do we conform?
Public Conformity: publicly acting in accord with social pressure while privately disagreeing

13. Why do we conform?
Based on these two studies we can conclude two types of influences on conformity.
Informational Influence: conformity because you aren’t sure what to do (Private)
Normative Influence: Conforming to the group in order to gain acceptance (Public)

14. Obedience
Obedience: change in behavior based on a direct order from an authority figure
The figure can be legitimate (Arnal or Muhlhauser) or illegitimate (man holding a gun).
Stanley Milgram (1960s)

16. Obedience The Milgram Experiments
18 studies between 1960 – 1963
“The effects of punishment on learning”
Participants were the “teacher”
The “learner” was a confederate
All learner’s answers pre-scripted

17. Obedience NO ONE WAS ACTUALLY SHOCKED!
Teacher told to give increasingly intense shocks
15 volt increments
15-60 v “slight”
75-120v “moderate”
v “strong”
v “very strong”
v “intense”
v “extremely intense”
v “danger-severe shock”
v “XXX”
Each time the learner gave wrong answer the next switch was to be flipped.
NO ONE WAS ACTUALLY SHOCKED!
Except sample 45 volt shock

18. The Results Predicted: < 1% will obey to end What really happened?
450 volts
What really happened?
65% obeyed to the end

19. Variations of original study: compare to 65% obeying to the very end -- 450 volts
No vocal feedback: Participants never heard screams / pounding
93%
Proximity of victim: Learner in same room
40%
Proximity of victim: Participant had to force the learner’s hand onto metal shock plate
30%

20. Variations of original study: compare to 65% obeying to the very end -- 450 volts
Proximity of authority: Experimenter gave instructions by telephone
20%
Personal responsibility: Participant read word pairs, another “teacher” (a confederate) pushed the button
93% agreed to go to 450 volts
Gender: Women participants with original methodology
65%

21. Ethical Implications
What do you think of this research?

22. “A hoax most cruel” April, 2004
David R. Stewart was arrested in June 2004
Charged with solicitation to commit sodomy, impersonating a police officer, soliciting sex abuse, unlawful imprisonment.
He pleaded not guilty
The trial lasted a week
Stewart was not convicted

23. Compliance
Compliance: adjusting one’s behavior because of an explicit request.
Key idea is that the requester has no real power or authority.
The goal as the requester is to get people to make a commitment.

24. Compliance Foot – in – the – door technique (Freedman & Fraser, 1966)
1st: Ask for small favor
If agree… (99% do)
2nd: Ask large favor
53% compliance
Compare:
Only large favor
22% compliance
Self-perception change
“I guess I’m the type of person who…”

25. Compliance
Door – in – the – face technique (Cialdini and others, 1975)
1st: Make large, unreasonable request
0% compliance
2nd: Make second, reasonable request
50% compliance
Compare:
Only reasonable request
17% compliance
Norm of reciprocity
Return favors

26. Compliance Lowballing technique (Cialdini, 1978) Compare: Commitment
Make request and obtain compliance without admitting all costs
56% compliance
Compare:
Request with all costs indicated “up front”
31% compliance
Commitment
People follow through with decisions

27. Attitudes

28. Attitudes Evaluation about some thing
Affective component
Emotions
Behavioral component
Predispositions to act
Cognitive component
Beliefs
Attitudes influence future behavior
However, sometimes behaviors do not match attitude.
Situational factors also impact behavior