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Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY (7th Ed)

Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY (7th Ed). Chapter 18 Social Psychology Social Thinking James A. McCubbin, PhD Clemson University Worth Publishers. Fact vs. Falsehood. 1. In order to change people’s racist behaviors, we first need to change their racist attitudes.

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Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY (7th Ed)

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  1. Myers’ PSYCHOLOGY (7th Ed) Chapter 18 Social Psychology Social Thinking James A. McCubbin, PhD Clemson University Worth Publishers

  2. Fact vs. Falsehood • 1. In order to change people’s racist behaviors, we first need to change their racist attitudes. • 2. Most people would refuse to obey an authority figure who told them to hurt an innocent person. • 3. Studies of college and professional athletic events indicate that the home teams win about 6 in 10 games. • 4. Individuals pull harder in a team tug-of-war than they pull in a one-on-one tug-of war. • 5. The higher the moral and harmony of a social group, the more likely are its members to make a good decision. • 6. Sex-selective neglect and abortions have resulted in China and India together having 76 million fewer females than they should have. • 7. Those who keep a gun in the house are more likely to be murdered. • 8. From research on liking and loving, it is clear that opposites do attract. • 9. We are less likely to offer help to a stranger if other bystanders are present. • 10. Simply putting individuals from two prejudiced groups of people into close contact will defuse conflict.

  3. Social Thinking • Social Psychology • scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

  4. Social Thinking • Attribution Theory • tendency to give a causal explanation for someone’s behavior, often by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition • Internal = dispositional • External = situational • Fundamental Attribution Error • tendency for observers, when analyzing another’s behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition • The effects of attribution • Optimist tend to the situation • Pessimist tend to the personal

  5. Attitudes and Actions • Do our attitudes guide our actions?? Yes, if… • Outside influence on what we do and say is minimal • The attitude is specific to the behavior (often we generalize, instead of referring to the specific act) • We are keenly aware of our attitudes

  6. Tolerant reaction (proceed cautiously, allow driver a wide berth) Situational attribution “Maybe that driver is ill.” Negative behavior Unfavorable reaction (speed up and race past the other driver, give a dirty look) Dispositional attribution “Crazy driver!” Social Thinking • How we explain someone’s behavior affects how we react to it

  7. Internal attitudes External influences Behavior Social Thinking • Our behavior is affected by our inner attitudes as well as by external social influences

  8. Social Thinking • Attitudes follow behavior • Cooperative actions feed mutual liking

  9. Do our actions affect our attitudes?? • Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon • tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request • Saying becomes believing • “Evil acts shape the self. But so do acts of goodwill.” • Role • set of expectations about a social position • defines how those in the position ought to behave • http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=zimbardo+prison+experiment&hl=en&emb=0&aq=0&oq=zimbardo#

  10. Attitudes/Actions Why? • Cognitive Dissonance Theory • we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent • example- when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes

  11. Social Thinking • Cognitive dissonance

  12. Social Influence • Conformity • adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard • We are natural mimics • The “chameleon” effect • Helps us feel what others are feeling • Normative Social Influence • influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

  13. 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 Number of times Participant Participant rubs face shakes foot Confederate rubs face Confederate shakes foot Social Influence • The chameleon effect

  14. Social Influence • Asch’s conformity experiments

  15. Conditions that strengthen conformity • Subject feels incompetent or insecure • Group has 3 or more members • Group is unanimous • Group’s status and attractiveness is admirable • Subject has made no prior commitment to any response • Others in the group are observing • Culture strongly encourages respect for social standards

  16. Reasons for Conformity • Normative social influence • Avoid rejection and gain approval • Informational Social Influence • accept others’ opinions about reality

  17. 50% 40 30 20 10 0 Difficult judgments Conformity highest on important judgments Percentage of conformity to confederates’ wrong answers Easy judgments Low High Importance Social Influence • Participants judged which person in Slide 2 was the same as the person in Slide 1

  18. Obedience! Is highest when… • One giving the orders was close and thought to be legitimate authority figure • Authority figure was supported by prestigious university/group • Victim was depersonalized or at a distance • There was no role model for defiance

  19. Social Influence • Milgram’s follow-up obedience experiment

  20. Lessons from the Conformity and Obedience Studies • Milgram used foot-in-the-door • Nazis found many were OK with paperwork • Milgram found that more were OK if not actually turning dial

  21. Social Influence • Some individuals resist social coercion

  22. Group Influence • Social Facilitation • improved performance of tasks in the presence of others • occurs with simple or well-learned tasks but not with tasks that are difficult or not yet mastered • Social Loafing • tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

  23. Social Facilitation

  24. Social Influence • Deindividuation • loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

  25. Effects of Group Interaction • Group Polarization • enhancement of a group’s prevailing attitudes through discussion within the group • Groupthink • mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives • Can be prevented by a leader if he/she… • Welcomes various opinions • Invites experts critics of developing plans • Assigns people to identify possible problems

  26. Social Influence • If a group is like-minded, discussion strengthens its prevailing opinions

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