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Social Psychology. Influence of Groups on our Behaviors. What qualities make a person most attractive to us?. Proximity Attractive Competent Degree of Similarity. Attribution Theory: How we explain the behavior of others.
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Social Psychology Influence of Groups on our Behaviors
What qualities make a person most attractive to us? • Proximity • Attractive • Competent • Degree of Similarity
Attribution Theory: How we explain the behavior of others Why did the Nazi’s during WWII commit atrocities against fellow human beings? Why are people homeless? Why are some people in prison? What are the major reasons why people become substance abusers?
Dispositional vs. Situational Fundamental Attribution Error: we usually explain other people’s behavior as caused by their disposition and/or is a choice We tend to give little attention to the situational factors that might be influencing another person’s behavior
Explanations for Your Behaviors Why did you cheat on a test? Why do you sometimes lie? Why have you teased or bullied someone?
How explain our own “misdeeds?” • Play up the situational variables • Rarely state that the misbehavior is a result of our character or personality
http://borg.oakton.edu/webmail/src/webmail.php Conformity to Norms of Groups • Asch Experiment
Group Think • Groups members work more toward harmony and avoidance of discord than toward critical thinking • Groupthink is more likely to occur when strong members speak early, frequently and strongly about their opinions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYpbStMyz_I NASA: Challenger Shuttle Tragedy
Classic Group Think • Engineers concerned about foam hitting the wing of Columbia • Two directors of Columbia mission immediately dismiss their concerns and fairly quickly reduced dissent • Why difficult to dissent at that point?
Plot of “12 Angry Men” • Start with judge sending jury to room for deliberation • Room is very hot and most want to get home as quickly as possible • Take a close ballot and only one dissents from a vote of guilty • Henry Fonda asks them simply to re-examine the evidence • Much anger and bitterness develops • See how jury moves from 11-1 for guilty to 12-0, not guilty—very absorbing drama.
Depiction & Explanation of for No one helping Kitty • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCjFc9XyFZs&feature=related
What reasons did the witnesses give for not taking action? • Karl Ross called police at 3:50 but not before call friend to ask what he should do. • Middle-class neighborhood but large apartment complex—therein lies the problem—diffusions of responsibility • Rationales given to police by residents: Sounded like a “lovers’ quarrel.” Didn’t want to get involved Frankly, we were afraid. Were too tired.
Studies of Bystander Apathy • Number of witnesses to crises crucial to if someone will come forward to assist • Ideal number is one or two • Four or more and likely to ignore or observe without assisting
Scene of Bystander Apathy • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSsPfbup0ac
Famous Studies by Latane & Darley • Experiment where subjects sit in a room completing a questionnaire when smoke begins to enter the room. • If subject is the only person in room, 75% leave room to report possible emergency • If three subjects in room, only 38% of the time will one of them report the smoke • If two passive confederates are in room with subject, subject reports only 10% of the time.
How respond when smoke flowing into the room • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE5YwN4NW5o
Explanation Give for Behavior • If report that smoke flowing into the room, state do so because it could be fire • If not report the smoke but, instead stay seated, state not believe it was a dangerous situation • No one ever mentions that presence of others doing nothing about the fire inhibited them from reporting smoke
Lady in Distress Experiment • Situation: Sitting in Room when hear woman fall and appear to have been hurt • Sitting alone: 70% assist • Sitting with stranger: 40% help • Sitting with one passive confederate: 7% • What are reasons give?
Zimbardo’s Prison Experiment • Male Stanford College Students Volunteer to participate • Randomly assigned to be prisoners or guards • Guards tended to conform to maltreatment of prisoners OR did nothing to protest treatment • Prisoners initially work together but soon felt isolated
Video about Prison Experiment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RazP8D-Mfe8&feature=related
Zimbardo Interview on Daily Show • http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-29-2007/philip-zimbardo
Treatment of Iraqi Detainees by American Soldiers: No one in charge
Conforming Behavior in Schools • Gang up and bully certain kids • More willing to perform anti-social behaviors in groups • Why do we conform?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6GxIuljT3w Obedience Experiment by Milgram
Obedience Experiment • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6GxIuljT3w
Assertiveness Training • Have the right to refuse to request and to right a wrong • Self-assertion: Stand up for these rights by speaking on your behalf • Direct, honest expression of feelings and desires
Methods used by Cults • Initially very affectionate and friendly to people who are a bit lonely and depressed • Isolate from non-cult members to increase commitment and decrease critical thinking • Ask small favors at first, like attending a meeting • Slowly increase time, effort and $$ contributions
Encourage unquestioning acceptance of beliefs and dogma Members begin as balanced, thinking people but taught to suspend faculties of independence and objective thought.
Members not know they are joining a cult! Join because think group will fulfill genuine spiritual needs and for finding meaning in their life within an apparent caring community Cult leaders give lip service to being “humble” leaders when actually receive and expect honor from followers that borders on worship.
Use of Indoctrination • Expose continually to propaganda of the cult • Use “Foot in the Door” tactics • Start with small favors • Slowly escalate in what asking of members
Gain Total Control Over Members • Sign over bank accounts • Give control over children and women • Leaders are portrayed as having total control • Cult presents positive image to community • Fundamentalist groups of all religions seem to be inclined toward forming cult-like societies
Leaders of Cults • Speak and act from an infallible, unquestioned position of divine authority • Authority to pronounce words and teachings that have the weight of absolute power behind them • Usually a charismatic male
Prejudice • Increase under frustration • More commonly directed at group that presents a threat • Conforming to our reference group • Prejudiced personality: authoritarian, rigid, see things in black and white, impressed by power, accepts over-simplifications
Prejudice • Experiencing frustration • Perceive a group or person as a threat • Conforming to reference groups
Variable that Encourage Aggression • Biological Capacity for not sufficient • Frustration • Under High Stress • Excessive heat • Aversive stimuli around as a knife or gun • Aggressive models
Factors that encourage pro-social & anti-social behaviors • Role models in your home • Behavior of peers • Stories covered in the media • Role models shown on TV and in films
