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SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY. CHAPTER 18. Attribution Theory attribute: v. To explain as to cause or origin. Attribution theory: theory that people tend to attribute (credit) other’s behavior either to internal dispositions or to their external situations.

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SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY

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  1. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY CHAPTER 18

  2. Attribution Theoryattribute: v. To explain as to cause or origin • Attribution theory: theory that people tend to attribute (credit) other’s behavior either to internal dispositions or to their external situations. • Dispositional attribution: “She’s just a psycho!” • Situational attribution: “Her parents are abusive.” • We tend to overestimate disposition and underestimate situation, aka fundamental attribution error.

  3. Attribution theory • Williams College study: • Some students were told the female was told to behave a certain way (friendly or aloof) and other participants were told nothing about the her. • The impact was none. The students disregarded the information and the female was judged to be a friendly or an unfriendly person regardless as to whether she was perceived as genuine or coached. Example of this in action is when people are “type casted.”

  4. Attribution theory • So, the fundamental error is when we disregard the situation and leap to unwarranted conclusions about people’s personality traits. • Examples: • Social issues, “Criminals are to blame for crime” (dispositional) vs. “A family of abuse and no education is to blame.” (situational) • Education, teachers perceptions of students, “He’s just lazy.” (dispositional) or “He has no support at home.” (situational)

  5. Impact of Attribution Theory • Attitudes (beliefs or feelings that predispose our reactions) can influence our actions if other influences are minimal (ie peer pressure), when the attitude is specific to a behavior (ie preferences of exercise), & when we are mindful of our attitudes (ie truly committed, mantra-like)

  6. Impact of Attribution Theory • Attitudes can be influenced/follow actions • Foot in the door phenomenon: the tendency for people to agree to a small request to comply later to a larger one. A trivial act makes the next act easier…succumb to a temptation and you will find the next temptation harder to resist. It is effective for both good and bad deeds such as giving blood and other charitable donations.

  7. Impact of Attribution Theory • Attitudes can be influenced/follow actions • Role playing: When adopting a new role in life (college student, soldier, spouse) you often at first feel as if you are “pretending” and “acting the part,” the more you act the more the more it becomes who you are. • Zimbardo study of simulated prison…Corps of Cadets and fraternity/sorority hazing • WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN?

  8. COGNITIVE DISSONANCE • We are inclined to make our actions and attitudes align otherwise we will experience tension/discomfort. • Cognitive dissonance theory: people will align their attitudes to their actions…much like Freud’s rationalizing defense mechanism. • Based on this, changing our feelings & thoughts can start with changing our behaviors.

  9. Behavior is Contagious • Canned laughter used on sitcoms makes them funnier. • “Seed” the tip jar. • Mood linkage…when around happy people we tend to be happy as well. • Mimicry shows empathy and empathetic people are seen as more likeable (foot shakers) • Cluster behaviors (Columbine, suicides)

  10. Social Influence, Conformity • Suggestibility is a subtle form of conformity. • To strengthen conformity • One is made to feel incompetent/inferior • Group has at least 3 people • Group is unanimous • One admires the group’s status/attractiveness • One has made no prior commitments to any response • Other’s observe the behavior • Cultural expectation of respect for social standards

  11. Social Influence, Conformity • Reasons for conformity • Normative social influence: we are sensitive to social norms, understand rules of behavior & consequences • Informational social influence: When we are unsure of what is right, and when being right matters, we have an increased chance of conformity (example: police line up)

  12. Obedience • http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=2765416&page=1 • Conditions: • Person in charge close by and perceived as legitimate • Authority figure support by a prestigious institution • Victim depersonalized or at a distance • No role models for defiance

  13. Group Influence • Social facilitation: improved performance in the presence of others (competition, home field advantage. Exception to this is if you don’t do something well; you are less likely to do well while watched. • Social loafing: Decline if performance when in a group b/c more autonomous, not accountable; most commonly seen in men from individualistic countries (Europe, USA)

  14. Group Influence • Deindividuation: abandoning normal restraints to the power of the group; therefore, less self conscious & less restrained (examples: Indian war paint, Mardi Gras masks, KKK hoods) • Group polarization: the tendency of shared group ideals to become more enhanced by group membership (Those who attend conservative colleges or join conservative groups become more and more conservatively minded.)

  15. Group Influence • Groupthink: harmonious but unrealistic belief/ideas formed by a group because dissenters do not want to voice their concerns because of the positive attitude of the group. It is fueled by overconfidence, conformity, self-justification and group polarization. It has lead to Kennedy’s Cuban invasion, Watergate, Chernobyl, and the Challenger explosion. • To avoid: welcome diverse opinions, be open to critiques, identify possible problems, allow debate.

  16. Power of the Individual • Social control and personal control interact. We can reassert our sense of freedom by responding unexpectedly. • Many situations that influence us are often created by us. Self-fulfilling prophecy: If we expect it to happen, we will often say/do things to elicit it to happen. (consider shopping during the holidays) • This works in personal relationships, “Love is not blind rather it helps create the reality it presumes.”

  17. Power of the Individual • Minority influence: • You may not be popular but you can be influential! • An unwavering, committed minority is more successful at influencing the majority; minority ideas are not popular (consider Fulton’s Folly, the idea of the railroad, Christianity, communism, and Rosa Parks)

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