Social Psychology Modules 74-80

1. Social PsychologyModules 74-80 McElhaney

2. “Humans are social Animals” The Study of Human interaction • Branch of Psych that analyzes how behavior is influenced by presence of others • “Presence + Behavior of other people affect our own behavior.” • Studies how we behave, think, feel in Social Situations. • Based on the concept of an Attribute: the cause of behavior

3. Social Psychology Defined • Scientific study of how individuals behave, think, feel in social situations • Bernstein Social Cognition: “The scientific study of how people’s thoughts and feelings influence their behavior toward others and How behavior of others influence people's own thoughts, feelings and behavior.” • *(The pressure of others) • Includes: • Values • Behavior Patterns • Expectations

4. Attribution • Attribution= is a cause for behavior • Attribute- (verb) place cause • through observation of others Inferences/judgments about causes of behavior

5. Attributional Theory • We tend to ascribe or attribute causes of behavior to: • Situational Attribution/External causes: outside a person • Dispositional Attribution/Internal causes: inside a person

6. What should one consider when making attributions? Factors of Attribution

7. Self-Serving Bias • We have a tendency to attribute our own bad behavior to situational factors • We also have a tendency to attribute bad behavior of others to dispositional factors (example of poverty) • Actor-Observer Bias: • (I vs. They) • As actors- we find external explanations for our own behavior. • As observers- we attribute behavior of others’ wants, motives and personality traits

8. Errors in Attribution • Fundamental Attribution Error: • “We make mistakes – to overestimate the impact of the situation or the personality traits in explaining behavior.”

9. Attitudes • Is the tendency to think feel or act positively or negatively toward objects in our environment • “Attitudes affects our actions.”

10. Forming Attitudes • Learned- primary • Social Learning and Modeling • Children learn • Names • What they should believe and feel • How to act • Children learn concepts and how they should act toward them

11. How to Change Attitudes • 3 Factors influence us to change attitudes • 1. Person communicating Message • 2. Content of Message • 3. Audience

12. PersuasionTo change attitudes • Peripheral Route • Almost latent (not direct) • Little attention to the central content • Depends on persuasion cues that surround message • Implicit, not systematic or formal • Example anecdotal or celebrity endorsements/opinion • Person delivering message: Is key • Confidence, Attractiveness Characteristics • Central Route (direct attempt at attitude change) • Content of message more important that characteristics of communication • Logic – people analyze validity, assess alternatives and evidence, • Which focuses depends on importance of message • Evidence + arguments • Trigger favorable thoughts • Thoughtful formal and empirical

13. Social Pressure • Other people • Can weaken or strengthen attitudes • When external (other people) influences are minimal attitudes are dominant • Behavior also influences attitudes • Things we engaged in facilitate/reinforce attitudes.

14. Foot in the Door • People who agree to a small request comply easier with a larger request. • Hence people will increasingly adjust their attitudes to their actions • Get people to agree to something small then to a bigger request • People have been shown to act against their attitudes. •  People have a tendency to Adjusting attitudes to match actions • “After speaking or writing or writing on behalf of a position they have qualms about… they begin to believe their own words.”

15. Cognitive Dissonance • Leon Festinger • “People want their thoughts beliefs and attitudes to be consistent with their behavior” • Occurs when “we become aware (or unconscious) that our attitudes and actions don’t coincide.” • This creates tension = cognitive dissonance- to relieve the tension we change our attitudes to fall in line with our behavior.

16. Attitudes Follow Behavior • (Example) Moral actions build moral attitudes • We cannot always directly control our attitudes, (example- negative thoughts) but we can influence them by altering our behavior. • We can talk in more positive/self-accepting ways • We can create a more loving/giving behavior = more loving giving attitudes • “What we do we become” • “Changing behavior can change how we think.”

17. Classic Studies • Asch Conformity • Zimbardo Social Roles/ • Milgram  Obedience/compliance • Kitty Genovese  Bystander Apathy • Bandura  Observational Learning

18. Social Influences • “Changes in behavior are induced by action of others.” • Types of Social Influence: • Suggestion • Intensive Indoctrination • Group Pressure= Conformity • Obedience to Authority • Group Behavior

19. Group Pressure= Conformity • People become aware of differences between themselves and actions, norms or values of others in group. • Conformity= Complying with social pressure • Adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard • (less conformity in individualist cultures) • “Brings one’s own behavior into agreement with norms or the behavior of others” • Norms= unspoken rules of conduct, normal or acceptable behavior

20. Automatic Mimicry: • Humans tend to go with their group • Think similar • To behave similar Mood Contagion: • We have a tendency to take on the emotional tones of those around us. • Mirror Neurons/”Chameleon Effect” • link

21. Who Conforms? • People with high needs for structure • Anxious • Low self esteem and low self confidence • Concerned with approval • Culture that emphasizes group cooperation • Qualities of Conformity: • People are more likely to conform when they: • Are made to feel incompetent or insecure • Are in a group of at least 3 people • Are in a group in which everyone agrees • (1 dissenter = less conformity) • Are from a culture that encourages social respect (collectivist)

22. “The Power of Conformity”Asch (1955) Social Pressure • Summarize the Theoretical propositions • Describe the method • Summarize the results • Significance of Study • Factors that impact Conforming Behavior • Social Support • Attraction • Size of Group • SEX

23. Group Factors in Conformity • To enforce conformity= group sanctions • Negative= ridicule, laughing, staring, social disapproval, rejection/exclusion • Sanctions work only if the subject wants to be part of the group.

24. Variables to Conformity • Support for non-conformists-When someone agrees with non-conformist • It encourages- resistance to conformity • Attraction: More attraction to the group (Reference Group) -> the more likely you are to conform to behavior and attitudes of group. • Size of the Group: • The tendency to conform increases as the size of the group increases (6-7) • Sex/Gender • There is some evidence to suggest women are more likely to conform • People conform when appropriate behavior is unclear. • Culture impacts conformity • Collectivist Countries: Goals of the group in relation to goals of the individual.

25. When is it appropriate to resist authority?: Obedience • Milgram Study: Obedience Study(1963) • Yale University, • “Obey at Any Cost” Subjects “gave” electric shocks to “learners” giving shocks.

26. Milgram’s Ideas • The tendency to obey is deeply ingrained. • It cancels out a person’s ability to behave morally, ethically, and sympathetically. • People have a tendency to obey people of authority- even if they violate their own codes of behavior. • They would inflict pain on people if ordered to do so.

27. Milgram Findings and Implications • Distance to subject being shocked was a factor • Closer to victim= less obedience • Distance of Authority figure = direct relationship to obedience- • Farther away = less obedience • When orders come from authority figures- people rationalize that they are not responsible. • Legitimate authority/Authority figure had high status • The victim was dis-associated= farther away from participant • High obedience when no contrary role models were visible**A personal act of courage or moral fortitude by one or two members of a group may free others to disobey- unjust authority.

28. Commentary • “These experiences demonstrate that the strong social influences can make people conform to falsehoods or capitulate to cruelty.” • “Normal reaction to an abnormal situation is abnormal behavior.” James Waller • Milgram exploited the foot in the door effect… started small

29. Compliance- • One person bends to the authority of another person who has little authority • Pressure to comply- affects everyday people

30. Compliance and Sales Pressure • Foot in the Door: a person who first agrees to a small request- will more likely comply with a larger demand • Door in the face: With the idea of refusing a large request is a tendency to comply with a smaller request. • Low Ball: get the person to commit to an act, then make terms of acting less desirable

31. Passive Compliance • Quietly bending to unreasonable demands or unacceptable conditions • People have a tendency to avoid confrontation • Ignore- personal insults, rebuffs, sacrifices of dignity

32. Roles • We all hold social roles • Positions in the structure of a group • Patterns of behavior expected of persons in various social positions • Roles are Ascribed- assigned to a person • not under a person’s control Roles: Mother Boss Student Each has different expectations or sets of behavior.

33. Achieved Roles= the opposite of assigned roles • Voluntary roles • Attained by special effort • Spouse • Teacher • Scientist

34. Stanford University Impact on social roles Inmates + guards Males in a simulated prison Found destructive roles- cause role behaviors They had assigned social roles- “In only a few days, our guards became sadistic and our prisoners became depressed and showed signs of extreme stress.” Zimbardo Study-

35. Zimbardo Results • Why do ordinary people do horrible things? • Many destructive relationships have a source in Learned Roles. • Obedience • Conformity • The Situation • Compliance

36. Role Conflicts • Two or more roles make conflicting demands • Coach and parent • Clashing demands for work, family, school

37. Groups Influence our Behavior • Culture = ongoing pattern of life that is passed from one generation to another. • Components of Culture include: • Language, marriage customs, concepts of ownership, sex roles

38. The Group • Structure of a given groupmay affect behavior of the group as a unit i.e., group polarization. • Structure of a given group may affect behavior of the individual group member i.e., de-individualization.

39. Factors to Cohesion=closeness Degree of attraction among group members Commitment to remaining in group Cohesive groups: Sit/sand together Pay attention to one another Mutual Affection Behavior is coordinated Work better together Group Structure and Cohesion

40. Status • A person’s social position in a group determines his or her status- or level of social power & importance. • Higher status = privileges • Higher status people are treated better- Well dressed

41. Norms • Unspoken rules or guidelines • Are an accepted standard for appropriate behavior for a specific group • Lax norms cause lax behavior

42. Personal Space and Proxemics • Too close = discomfort • Hall found 4 zones of personal space • Intimate- within 18” • Personal- 18” to 4’ • Social- 4’-12’ • Public- 12’ or more • See notes Touch and Status

43. Touch and Status • Touch is a privilege of power. • High status more likely to touch lower status people • Men are more likely to touch women of lower status

44. What motivates us to join a group? • “Desires for • Self-evaluation • Self-protection • Self-enhancement • Influence which group we join. Are motives for associating with others

45. Affiliation-basic principle • Basic human trait • A desire to associate with other people • Connected to needs of: • Approval, support, friendship, information • Helps alleviate – fear and anxiety • We prefer to be with people in similar circumstances

46. Festinger said groupmembership fills need for: Social Comparison- standard to judge yourself Comparing your own actions, feelings, opinions, abilities… Must be compared to people of similar background, abilities, circumstances Downward Comparison: Comparison- for self-enhancement- self protection Comparing to someone who ranks lower Upward Comparison: Comparison with people of higher status- for self improvement Behavior of Groups: Group Membership

47. What is Group Think? • Phenomenon of group behavior: • People want to maintain approval- even if decisions are bad. • Authority- group members hesitate to question authority • They think as a group instead of thinking about outcomes independently

48. To Prevent Group Think:Define group roles • Critical evaluator • Stick to the facts-avoid bias • Include “devils advocate” • Group accountability • Search for alternative solutions • Re-evaluate important decisions

49. Social Relationships • Interpersonal Attraction= affinity to another person • Is the basis for most voluntary social relationships

50. Factors that Influence Attraction • Physical proximity • Physical attractiveness • Halo Effect- tendency to generalize favorable impression to personal characteristics • Attractive people have perceived likeable characteristics • Beauty vs. Personality = Which works best? • (page 675) • Competence- we are attracted to talented people • Similarity-age, sex, race, background, interests, attitudes, beliefs