Careers in Social Psychology

1. Careers in Social Psychology Joyce Ehrlinger Department of Psychology Florida State University

2. What is Social Psychology? • The scientific study of the way in which people’s thoughts, feelingsandactions are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people.

3. Does watching violent t.v. make people more aggressive?

4. Why do people sometimes do cruel and inhumane things to others?

5. …while others spend their lives helping others? Bill Gates Warren Buffet

6. Do people ever help others for purely altruistic/selfless reasons? Bill Gates Warren Buffet

7. How do advertisers know how to make us buy their products?

8. Social Psychology at FSU • Roy Baumeister • Dianne Tice • Jon Maner • Ashby Plant • Joyce Ehrlinger

9. Social Psychology at FSU • Roy Baumeister • Self control, rejection • Dianne Tice • Self esteem, self control • Ashby Plant • Prejudice and stereotyping • Jon Maner • Mate selection, risk taking • Joyce Ehrlinger • Confidence, perceptions of bias

10. Social Psychology at FSU • Roy Baumeister • Self control, rejection • Dianne Tice • Self esteem, self control • Ashby Plant • Prejudice and stereotyping • Jon Maner • Mate selection, risk taking • Joyce Ehrlinger • Confidence, perceptions of bias

11. Self-Control

14. # of Minutes

16. Social Psychology at FSU • Roy Baumeister • Self control, rejection • Dianne Tice • Self esteem, self control • Ashby Plant • Prejudice and stereotyping • Jon Maner • Mate selection, risk taking • Joyce Ehrlinger • Confidence, perceptions of bias

17. Amadou Diallo (9/2/1975-2/4/1999) • Police officers opened fire. 41 shots, hitting Diallo 19 times. • No weapons on his body. He was reaching for his wallet.

19. Error Rates by Police Officers in Plant’s Shoot/Don’t Shoot Game

20. Error Rates by Police Officers in Plant’s Shoot/Don’t Shoot Game----Later Trials----

21. Social Psychology at FSU • Roy Baumeister • Self control, rejection • Dianne Tice • Self esteem, self control • Ashby Plant • Prejudice and stereotyping • Jon Maner • Mate selection, risk taking • Joyce Ehrlinger • Confidence, perceptions of bias

23. The Final Exam! You got an A!!! “I am so smart!!!”

24. The Final Exam! You got a D !!! “The professor made the test too hard!!!” She’s awful!! BAD professor!!

25. Fixed View Belief that intellectual ability and other qualities are fixed traits Pursuit of validation goals Heightened sensitivity to/avoidance of negative feedback Changeable View Belief that intellectual ability and other qualities are improvable qualities Pursuit of learning goals View of negative feedback as an aid to learning Theories of intelligence

26. Fixed vs. Changeable theory How do beliefs about changeability in traits change in response to positive and negative feedback? Do they change the same for fixed and changeable theorists?

27. Fixed Theorists Thought fixed Thought changeable

28. Changeable Theorists Thought fixed Thought changeable

29. I’m great (and always will be) I can get better I can get better?????

32. Repeated success on the way to a goal I can do this! Repeated failure on the way to a goal It’s not my fault! (I may as well enjoy that cupcake!)

33. What do Social Psychologists Do? • Teach/research but not just in Psychology departments • Psychology • Business • Education • Marketing • Communications • Sociology • Law • Medicine

35. What do Social Psychologists Do? • Many social psychologists are employed in industry • Educational Testing Service (ETS) • Big Business • Gallup Polling Organization • Consumer Reports • Software Companies • Marketing research/marketing • Advertising

36. Examples • David Bonniger • Social Psychologist in Rehabilitation Technology

37. Examples • Market Research Consultant • Answers questions for businesses using basic research techniques • How satisfied are customers? • How can new products and services be designed to be maximally appealing? • Who are the most valuable customers?

38. Examples • John Lauber • Human factors research in airline industry • How to design systems that maximize safety

39. Examples • Susan Ferguson, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety • Design ways to minimize losses due to death, injury & property damage

40. Examples • Trial Consultant • jury selection • helps the trial team to develop a presentation • tests out the approach with ‘mock juries’

41. Examples • Social Science Analyst • Carolyn Copper, National Security Division for U.S. Government • Provides policymakers with recommendations on how to promote the security of the American people.

42. Examples • Christine Sannerud, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration • Reviews research and makes recommendations regarding • Controlling the manufacture of illicit drugs • Laws regarding drug control

43. What do Social Psychologists Do? • Government • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • Department of Justice • Department of Education • Department of Health and Human Services • Census Bureau • CIA /FBI

44. Becoming a Social Psychologist • Graduate school • complete coursework and research • gain teaching experience • financial assistance

45. Getting into grad school in social psychology • High GPA • research experience • good GRE scores • strong letters of recommendation

46. Helpful Websites • www.socialpsychology.org • www.spsp.org • www.psy.fsu.edu