Psych Ch. 12 – Social Psychology – Flashcards

The study of how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real, implied, or imagined presence of others

- The amount of learning that occurs through interaction with others (social learning) • The way close others' stories about your childhood can influence your own memories (misinformation effect) • The early understanding of "theory of mind" • The fundamental role of attachment in development and future personality • BUT we've primarily focused on the individual. The field of psychology did too. . .

Group influence and "mere presence" of others • Triplett (1898) discovered the "social facilitation effect" - Bikersfasterifothersareonthetrack! - Didanexperimentwithfishingreels • But then Pessin found sometimes "social inhibition" - essay writing task, people were slower when others were around • How can both be true?

Zajonc gave a "drive" explanation that accounted for both effects - the presence of others increases physiological arousal - arousal facilitates the dominant response • if easy or well-practiced task - facilitation • if hard or new task - inhibition • the shoes and coat study • How do we know its not fear of evaluation? • Did you know even bugs are influenced?! - Cockroach stadium study

Conformity - yielding to real or imagined social pressure • Asch's line length study, 1 participant, 5 confederates, when confederates gave wrong answer - - 76% conformed on at least 1 trial (dropped if answers weren't aloud)

• Combination of normative and informational influence - Normative influence -we want to be liked, will do what it takes to get along - Informational - if ambiguous situation, look to others • Cohesiveness: liking for a group increases conformity - normative • Group size: increasing numbers increases conformity • Support: even one ally reduces conformity - even if ally is *incompetent* ("legally blind" ally) - even if has different view

- Normative influence = we want to be liked, Asch's conformity and line length study - Informational influence = we want to be right, when situation is ambiguous, we look to others for right answer. Sherif's autokinetic effect study - Sherif's autokinetic effect - group of participants would converge on how the light was "moving" - carried this belief into a new group - so clearly believed group estimate was true

• Stanley Milgram - like many other psychologists - he tried to explain the behavior of the Germans in WW2 - Everyonewasfocuseduponpersonalityfeatures (e.g., the authoritarian personality, German parenting styles, etc) - Milgramfocusedonthepowerofthesocialsituation - Yale"teacher/learner"studies-communitysample • 65% of people went all the way to the end- - power of the situation, paradigm shift in psychology - also, beginning of ethics review boards - most ethically controversial study in psychology - Participants were not callous to the pain of the other

• Hofling et al. (1966) • Nurses were telephoned by a doctor they didn't know. • They were ordered to administer a nonprescribed drug in double the maximum dosage to a patient. • 22 nurses were called. • • US abuses of prisoners of war at Abu Ghraib - MPsaysinrecentdocumentary,"It'seasytosit back in America or in different countries and say, 'Oh, I would have never done that,' but, until you've been there, let's be realistic: You don't know what you would have done."

• Moved to a less reputable lab (sketchy strip mall instead of Yale) -no • Made the learner a woman -no • Made the teacher a woman -no • Proximity and touch (the shock plate)-cut obedience roughly in half (but still about one third of the population obeyed) • Another person refusing - - *** obedience dropped to less than 10%. Probably through Informational influence, seeing another person refuse made participant realize it was ok to disobey

- how we think about the social world • Attitudes & Persuasion • Impression Formation and attribution -how do we understand and explain others behavior? • Social Self - how is self knowledge and esteem influenced by social world?

- how we behave in the social world • Attraction and close relationships • Aggression and altruism • Prejudice and Discrimination • Group behavior and social influence

the study of likes and dislikes • Why do I like social psychology? The ABCs of attitudes - Affect - It makes me feel good • Positivity in advertising - if you can associate an object with something positive, people will like it -classical conditioning • Positivity and excitement in romance: - Positivity: -duh - happy dates better than sad ones. Excitement: The swinging bridge study - Cognition - I have beliefs about its importance, value - Behavior - I've suffered for it • Consistency theories: cognitive dissonance and self- perception

Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory -- - when our thoughts and actions are inconsistent, we become uncomfortable -feel "dissonance" - we will restore consistency - and often thoughts are easier to change then prior action - the boring task study ($1 vs $20 to tell someone it was fun) -- opposite to what behaviorists would predict, people paid $1 liked the task more then $20) Bem's self-perception theory: we say we like whatever follows our behavior - we figure out our attitudes the same way we figure out other people's attitudes (e.g. what's your favorite music group? might think about what songs are on your playlist) - also shows how behavior can affect attitudes even when not so inconsistent it causes discomfort • Interesting application of consistency theories: Aronson's "harsh initiation" effect: - wevaluegroupsweneedtoworkhardtobelongto, presumably because of consistency/self-perception processes

Cialdini's work on compliance (or, what to do when you want stuff, and why it works) - Foot in the door: large requests are granted more often if preceded by a small request (want to be consistent) • The canned goods study -small phone survey made it more likely folks would agree with a day-long inventory - Door in the face: small requests are granted more often if first get a refusal of a large request (want to be liked) • More likely to take delinquents to the zoo if asked (and refuse) to work with them twice a week for 6 months - Free gift! Now buy this. . .: requests always better received after a small token (reciprocity norm)

• Across the spectrum of psychology (what we like, think, and do) we are powerfully shaped by the social situation • but with notable exceptions (destructive obedience, prejudice) social forces are mostly benign, even beneficial, to allow for a smooth running harmonious society - Good reasons to turn to others for guidance when you are unsure what the right thing to do might be - Just be aware of social forces and remember Milgram -when you DO know what the right thing is, *you* have the power to influence others. Stand up. Walk out. Say no. Others will follow you.