ocial psychology

Copyright © Pearson Education 2012

Modified by Jackie Kroening 2013

ocialpsychology

** Influence of real, imagined, or implied presence of others



Conformity

Social influence: Process through which the real or implied presence of others can directly or indirectly influence the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of an individual

** Conformity: Changing one’s own behavior to match that of other people

12.1 What factors influence people to conform to the actions of others?



Conformity

Asch study • Subjects conformed

to group opinion about 1/3 of the time

Source: Adapted from Asch (1956).

Standard Line Comparison Lines

1 2 3



Groupthink

** Groupthink:Occurs when a decision-making group feels that it is more important to maintain group unanimity and cohesiveness than to consider the facts realistically



Characteristics of Groupthink



ComplianceCompliance and consumer psychology:• Door-in-the-face technique• Lowball technique

** Foot-in-the-door technique asking for a small commitment and, after gaining compliance, asking for a bigger commitment.

• Telemarketers know that anyone who agrees to listen to a pitch is more likely to by the product.

• ** That’s-not-all technique



Obedience

• Compliance due to perceived authority of the asker

• Request perceived as command

12.3 What factors make obedience more likely?



Milgram’s Obedience Experiment

METHOD: Participants (“teachers”) were instructed to give electric shocks to another person (“learner”), who only pretended to be shocked.

RESULTS:65% obeyed until the end, even though many were upset by being asked to do so.


Sample Script Items from Milgram’s Classic Experiment

** No one single personality trait was found to be associated to high levels of obedience.

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Group Behavior

Group polarization: Tendency for members involved in a group discussion to take somewhat more extreme positions and suggest riskier actions when compared to individuals who have not participated in a group discussion



Group Behavior

** Social facilitation: Positive influence of others on performanceSocial impairment: Negative influence of others on performance** Social loafing: When lazy person works in a group, that person often performs less well than if the person were working alone



Attitudes

** Attitude: Tendency to respond positively or negatively toward certain people, ideas, objects, or situations

“She is such a nice

person.”



I think country music is better than any other kind of

music.

Cognitive Affective

I buy country music CDs

every chance I get.

Behavior

Attitudes

Components of Attitudes

I like countrymusic; it's funand uplifting.



Direct contact

Direct instruction

** Interaction with others

Vicarious learning

Attitude formation can be the result of several processes:

Attitude Formation

1

2

3

4



Persuasion

** Persuasion: Attempt to change another’s attitude via argument, explanation, etc.• Source of message• Message itself• Target audience



Peripheral route

Elaboration Likelihood Model

Involves attending to the content of the message itself

Involves attending to factors not involved in the message, such as:• Appearance of source

of message• Length of message

Direct route



Cognitive Dissonance

** Cognitive dissonance: Discomfort arising when one’s thoughts and behaviors do not correspond

Lessening cognitive dissonance:• Change the conflicting behavior• Change the conflicting attitude• Form a new attitude to justify the

behavior

“I am a good, loyal

friend.”

“I repeated gossip about my

friend Chris.”



Impression Formation and Social Categorization

Impression formation: Forming of first knowledge about another personInfluenced by primacy effectPart of social cognition

Social categorization: Automatic unconscious assignment of a new acquaintance to some category or group

Stereotype: Set of characteristics that people believe is shared by all members of a particular social category



Situational(external)

Dispositional (internal)

Attribution

Attribution: Process of explaining the behavior of others as well as one’s own behavior

** Fundamental attribution error (actor-observer bias)

“He probably got caught in some bad

traffic, and then he was late for a meeting.”

“He’s such a careless driver. He never watches out

for other cars.”



Prejudice and Discrimination

Prejudice:Negative thoughts and feelings about a particular group

Discrimination:Treating others differently because of prejudice



Types of Prejudice and Discrimination

In-group: Social groups with whom a person identifies; “us”

Out-group: Social groups with whom a person does not identify; “them”

• Realistic conflict theory

• Scapegoating

US

THEM

**** Forms of prejudice include:

AgeismSexismRacismToo fatToo thin



How People Learn Prejudice

Formation of a person’s identity within a particular group due to:• Social

categorization• Social identity• Social comparison

Knowledge of someone else’s stereotyped opinions• Self-fulfilling prophecy

• Stereotype threat

Views prejudice as an attitude acquired through direct instruction, modeling, and other social influences

Social cognitive theory Social identity

theory Stereotype vulnerability



Rules of Attraction

Interpersonal attraction:Liking or having the desire for a relationship with another personFactors • Physical attractiveness• Proximity• Similarity• Complementary qualities• Reciprocity of liking

12.10 What factors govern attraction and love, and what are some different kinds of love?


Intimacy Commitment

Passion

Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love: Three Components of Love

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Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love: Different Forms of Love

Intimacy, passion, and commitment produce seven different kinds of love: • Liking• Infatuation • Empty• Romantic • Fatuous• Companionate • Consummate

Source: Adapted from Sternberg (1986).

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Aggression

• Biological influences:– Genetics– Amygdala and limbic system– Testosterone and serotonin levels

• Learning influences:– Social learning theory and

social roles– Media violence



Prosocial Behavior

• Altruism and prosocial behavior• ** Bystander effect• Diffusion of responsibility– Fewer bystanders = less diffusion, more help



Latané and Darley’s Study

Participants in room filling with smoke more likely to report smoke when alone

Source: Latané & Darley (1969).



Five Steps in Making a Decision to Help

• Noticing• Defining an emergency• Taking responsibility• Planning a course of

action• Taking action



Anatomy of a Cult

• Cults use love-bombing, isolation, rituals, and activities to keep new recruits from questioning, critical thinking

• Also use the foot-in-the-door technique

ocial psychology

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