What is Social Psychology

Transcription

1 The Social World What is Social Psychology An attempt to understand and explain how the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others Gordon Allport Two related questions How are we influenced by others? How do we perceive situations? 1

2 Personality & Social Psychology S1 S2 S3 S4 P1 P2 P3 P4 Lewin s Magic Formula Person Behavior (or affect or cognition) function B = f (P,E) Environment 2

3 Board Game Study (Ross & Samuels, 1993) Resident assistants in dorms nominated highly competitive and highly cooperative residents Invited to do a study on playing group games All played same game Only name was different-- Wall Street or Community The Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) This is the tendency (that many people have) to make too many internal attributions for other people s behaviors. E.g.: Confucius falls down a flight of stairs We tend to assume this is because he is clumsy. 3

4 Actor-Observer Difference The tendency to see other people s behavior as dispositionally caused but focusing more on the situation to explain our own behavior Decreasing and Increasing the Bias Video taped conversations Participants i t then see their dispositions iti as important Factors that increase dispositional interpretation Salience (spotlights, loud shirts, movement, color) 4

5 Conformity A change in a person s s behavior or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group of people Compliance: Conforming to an implied or explicit request in public while privately disagreeing Obedience: Conforming to an explicit request Acceptance: Conforming that also involves a change in belief Norm Formation via Informational Social Influence Informational Social Influence: The influence of other people that t leads us to conform because we see them as a source of information We believe others interpretation of an ambiguous situation is more correct than ours 5

6 Obedience to authority Will people obey an explicit request, even if they disagree with that request? Milgram s classic obedience study (1963) The design Participants arrived at the lab, ostensibly, with another participant (confederate; 47 yr. old, pleasant-looking, somewhat overweight fellow) Milgram wearing white lab coat Told study was on effect of punishment on learning Participants always assigned to be the teacher Confederate was the learner (word pair task) Teacher had to give escalating shocks for incorrect responses (start at 15 volts, increase by 15) 6

7 Increasing protests of learner 15-60: no protests : Ugh! 150: That s all, get me out of here. I told you I have heart trouble 210: Ugh! Experimenter! Get me out of here I won t be in the experiment any more. 285: Agonized scream 315: Intensely agonized scream. I told you I refuse to answer, I am no longer a part of this experiment. After 330 volts, no responses at all Estimates of compliance People (students, Psychiatrists, working people) estimated they would stop complying by 135 volts (strong shock); No one said more than 300 When asked what other people would do estimated that 1 in 1,000 would go all the way (to 450 or XXX) 7

8 What about not conforming? How do we treat the nonconformist? Johnny Rocco study (Schachter, ht 1951) Deviant in group received most comments from others to convince him, until the end Ignored at the end, rejected Nominated him to be kicked off the island Assigned him meaningless tasks Presence of Others Bystander effect (Darley & Latane) As the number of people increases, the chances of any one person helping decreases Diffusion of responsibility Evaluation apprehension 8

9 Woman Falling Participants filled out questionnaires They heard a woman next door fall from a ladder Decision Making Perceive a Need: Does someone need help? Take personal responsibility: Am I responsible? Weighing the Costs and Benefits: Is helping worth it? Deciding how to help: What should I do? No No No No There is no problem It s not my responsibility It s too risky, time consuming, unpleasant, etc. I can t figure out what to do 9

10 Perceiving a Need Researchers staged a fight between a man and a woman I don t know why I married you! vs. I don t know you! Requests can increase personal responsibility Girl on a beach with a radio she goes for a swim While she s gone, a confederate steals the radio 10

11 Step 3: Weighing Costs & Benefits What are costs of helping? Risk, time, effort, conflict Costs of not helping? Guilt, going against morals Benefits to helping? Emotions,,greater good Step 4: Deciding How to Help & Action What do you do? Actions can cause more harm than good Bystanders may Want to help but be unable to May be caught in indecision 11

12 Lab Affiliation for Fear Reduction Fear reduction (Schachter, 1959) Women invited it to lab Told they would receive shocks High Fear vs. Low Fear We like similarity! Rewarding Everybody agrees Share interests Seek abstract ideals Deal with reality 12

13 When we don t like similarity Similarity as threat Phantom-other th technique Emotionally disturbed or normal Differences rewarding No clones Requires safety Allows experts Proximity Housing complex Dorms 2 nd floor 1 st floor 13

14 Sternberg s Triangle Intimacy Romantic Love Companionate Love Consummate Love Attraction Infatuation Commitment Empty Relationship Thoughts of Love Attachment Dependence on other Caring Trust Promote other s welfare Responsive to other s needs Self disclosure 14

15 Behaviors of Love Saying I love you and verbal affection Physical expressions of love (hugging) Verbal self-disclosure Communicating nonverbally Material signs of love (presents) Nonmaterial love (interest, respect) Willingness to tolerate other and sacrifice for relationship Feelings of Love How do people feel when in love? Sense of well being (79%) Trouble concentrating (37%) Floating on a cloud (29%) Wanting to run, jump, scream (22%) Feeling nervous before dates (22%) Feeling giddy and carefree (20%) 15