Unit 9: Social Psychology

Branch of psych concerned with the way individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by others

The ways in which a person's behavior can be affected by the presence of others

The positive & negative aspects of people relating to others

The ways in which people think about other people

positive or negative evaluations of social issues, institutions, products, people, etc.  

Prejudice - a preconceived judgment or emotional feeling directed toward certain people based on their membership in a particular group

Discrimination- the unjust treatment toward a person based on a particular group to which they belong

Stereotypes - an overgeneralized belief about a particular group of people

attitudes that we hold consciously and can readily describe

covert attitudes that are expressed in subtle automatic responses that people have little conscious control over

a group that that we compare ourselves to when evaluating our behaviors

perception by an individual that the amount of a desired resource (e.g. money, social status, etc.) he/she has is less than comparison to people in their reference group.  Leads to feelings of inferiority or entitlement.

when people compare themselves to those who are less proficient than they are (to make themselves feel better)

overestimating others' noticing and evaluating our appearance, performance, and blunders (as if we presume a spotlight shines on us)

mental discomfort experienced by a person who holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values. 

when our Affect, Behavior, &/or Cognitions aren’t congruent (this dissonance drives us to change either one of our beliefs &/or our behavior so that they realign.)

The study of the conditions under which people are most likely to change their attitudes in response to persuasive messages.

A process where a person, brand, or other factors influence another person's behavior or attitudes

When attitudes are formed or changed as a result of carefully scrutinizing and thinking about the central merits of attitude-relevant information

When persuasion depends on non-message factors, such as the attractiveness and credibility of the source, or on conditioned emotional responses

changing behavior in response to a request

getting a person to agree to a large request by first setting them up by having them agree to a smaller request

making a large request of someone, that they will most likely  turn down, so they are more likely to agree to a second, more reasonable request.

gain agreement and then later on the agreement is made less desirable (by revealing hidden costs or requirements)

the "rule" that we should pay back (reciprocate) what we receive from others

the idea that bringing people together who are in conflict will help the conflict to subside as they get to know and understand each other

tasks that get people from opposing sides to come together and work toward a common end result (can’t succeed without all members contributing)
*Must be done carefully

inferences that people draw about the causes of events, others' behavior, and their own behavior

believe the causes of behavior are due to dispositional factors (internal traits) (e.g. personality, intelligence, abilities, feelings, traits)  *these can be stable or unstable

believe the causes of behavior are due to situational demands and environmental constraints (external factors)

negative behaviors: me (actor) = external, you (observer) = internal
positive behaviors: me (actor = internal, you (observer) = external

ONLY FOCUSING ON OTHERS

Negative behaviors of others = internal
Positive behaviors of others = external

ONLY FOCUSING ON YOURSELF
Own negative behaviors = external
Own positive behaviors = internal

the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger and other negative emotions by providing someone (or a group) to blame that is usually not at fault.

tendency to blame victims for their misfortune so that one feels less likely to be victimized in a similar way (“just-world hypothesis”)

exerting less effort when working on a task when in groups than when working alone (due to diffusion of resp.)

presence of others = improves one's performance

presence of others = hinders one's performance

tendency for groups to make more extreme decisions than the initial inclination of each individual member

when desire for harmony or conformity within a group leads to dysfunctional or irrational decision-making

*Best to have a “devil’s advocate” to reduce this tendency

when bonds link members of a social group to one another and to the group as a whole (perceived unity, task relations, & emotions influence) 

• only lasted 6 days; was supposed to be 2 wks

• Supports the influence of social roles & power of the situation

  Prision simulator to demonstrate that the conditions of a situation may influence their perception

A pattern of behavior that is expected of a person in a given setting or group

a situation in which an individual profits from selfishness unless everyone chooses the selfish alternative, in which case the whole group loses (a.k.a. Social Trap)

cooperation vs. competition
*Best option is always to cooperate

people are less likely to provide needed help when they are in groups than when they are alone

when others are present, a person is less likely to feel the obligation to take responsibility

*they assume others are responsible for taking action or have already done so

people are less likely to provide needed help when they are in groups than when they are alone

when others are present, a person is less likely to feel the obligation to take responsibility

*they assume others are responsible for taking action or

the loss of self-awareness/personal identity when in groups due to perceived lack of accountability

selfless concern for the well-being of others

any form of behavior that is intended to harm or injure another person