Title: Chapter 16: Social Behavior
1Chapter 16 Social Behavior
2What is Social Psychology? Some Definitions
- Social Psychology Scientific study of how
individuals behave, think, and feel in social
situations how people act in the presence
(actual or implied) of others - Culture Ongoing pattern of life that is passed
from one generation to another
3Affiliation
- Need to Affiliate Desire to associate with other
people appears to be a basic human trait - Social Comparison Making judgments about
ourselves by comparing us to others e.g.,
comparing our feelings and abilities to those of
other people
4Interpersonal Attraction
- Social attraction to another person
- Physical Proximity Physical nearness to another
person in terms of housing, school, work, and so
on - Physical Attractiveness Persons degree of
physical beauty as defined by his or her culture - Halo Effect Tendency to generalize a favorable
impression to unrelated personal characteristics
5Similarity
- Similarity Extent to which two people are alike
in terms of age, education, attitudes, and so on - Similar people are attracted to each other
- Homogamy Tendency to marry someone who is like
us in almost every way
6Figure 16.2
7Self-Disclosure
- Process of revealing private thoughts, attitudes,
feelings, and ones personal history to others - Should be used cautiously and sparingly when you
are the therapist performing therapy - May lead to countertransference in therapy (When
the therapist makes an unhealthy connection to
the client)
8More on Self-Disclosure
- Reciprocity Return in kind reciprocal exchange
- Overdisclosure Self-disclosure that exceeds what
is appropriate for a relationship or social
situation
9Love and Attachment
- Romantic Love Marked by high levels of
interpersonal attraction, sexual desire, and
heightened arousal - Liking Relationship based on intimacy and
affection but lacking passion or deep commitment - Mutual Absorption When two lovers almost always
attend only to each other - Evolutionary Psychology Study of the
evolutionary origins of human behavior patterns
10Social Roles
- Patterns of behavior expected of people in
various social positions (e.g., daughter, mother,
teacher, President) - Ascribed Role Assigned to a person or not under
personal control - Achieved Role Attained voluntarily or by special
effort teacher, mayor, President - Role Conflict When two or more roles make
conflicting demands on behavior and on people -
11Groups
- Group Structure Network of roles, communication,
pathways, and power in a group - Group Cohesiveness Degree of attraction among
group members or their commitment to remaining in
the group - Cohesive groups work better together
- What kind of groups did you see on Survivor,
Road Rules, and Real World?
12Group Concepts
- In-Group A group with which one identifies
- Out-Group A group with which one does not
identify - Status Level of social power and importance
- Norm Widely accepted but usually unspoken
standard of conduct for appropriate behavior
13Figure 16.3
14Attribution
- Process of making inferences about the causes of
ones own behavior, and that of others
15Social Perception
- Attribution Theory Making inferences about the
causes of ones own behavior and others
behavior can attribute behavior to - External Causes Ones that lie outside of a
person - Internal Causes Ones that lie within a person
16More on Social Perception
- Fundamental Attribution Error Tendency to
attribute behavior of others to internal causes
(personality, likes, and so on) we believe this
even if they really have external causes! - Actor-Observer Bias Tendency to attribute
behavior of others to internal causes, while
attributing the behavior of ourselves to external
causes (situations and circumstances)
17Social Influence
- Changes in a persons behavior induced by the
presence or actions of another person - Someone else influences your decision husband,
wife, mother, peer, etc. - Peer pressure Rudy is swayed by Fanny to go see
Star Wars III Revenge of the Sith when he
really wanted to see War of the Worlds.
18Conformity
- Bringing ones behavior into agreement with norms
or the behavior of others in a group
19Solomon Aschs Experiment on Conformity
- You must select (from a group of three) the line
that most closely matches the standard line all
lines are shown to a group of seven people
(including you) - Other six were accomplices and at times all would
select the wrong line - In 33 of the trials, the real subject conformed
to group pressure even when the groups answers
were obviously incorrect!
20Figure 16.4
21Group Factors in Conformity
- Groupthink Compulsion by decision makers to
maintain each others approval, even at the cost
of critical thinking - Group Sanctions Rewards and punishments
administered by groups to enforce conformity - Unanimity Unanimous agreement
22Obedience (Milgram)
- Conformity to the demands of an authority
- Would you shock a man with a known heart
condition who is screaming and asking to be
released? - Milgram studied this the man with a heart
condition was an accomplice and the teacher was
a real volunteer the goal was to teach the
learner word pairs
23Milgrams Shocking Results
- 65 obeyed by going all the way to 450 volts on
the shock machine even though the learner
eventually could not answer any more questions - The learner screamed and provided no further
answers once 300 volts (Severe Shock) was
reached - Group support can reduce destructive obedience
24More on Obedience
- Distance between the teacher and the learner was
important - Distance from the authority also had an effect
25Figure 16.6
26Figure 16.7
27Compliance
- Bending to the requests of one person who has
little or no authority or other form of social
power
28Foot-in-the-Door Effect
- A person who has agreed to a small request is
more likely later to agree to a larger demand - Once you get a foot in the door, then a sale is
almost a sure thing
29Door-in-the-Face Technique
- A person who has refused a major request will be
more likely later on to comply with a smaller
request - After the door has been slammed in your face
(major request refused), person may be more
likely to agree to a smaller request
30Low-Ball Technique
- Commitment is gained first to reasonable or
desirable terms, which are then made less
reasonable or desirable - Henry accepts the price he states for a new car
then later Tillie the saleswoman tells Henry,
The business would lose too much money on that
price cant you take a bit less and add all
these options? - Passive Compliance Overtly bending to
unreasonable demands or circumstances
31Assertiveness Training
- Instruction in how to be self-assertive
- Self-Assertion Standing up for your rights by
speaking out on your behalf direct, honest
expression of feelings and desires
32Aggression
- Hurting another person or achieving ones goals
at the expense of another person - Attempt to get ones way no matter what
- No regard for others feelings
33Broken Record
- Self-assertion technique that involves repeating
a request until it is acknowledged - Good way to be assertive without being aggressive
34Table 16.2
35Attitudes and Beliefs
- Attitude Mixture of belief and emotion that
predisposes a person to respond to other people,
objects, or institutions in a positive or
negative way - Summarize your evaluation of objects
36Attitude Components
- Belief Component What a person believes about an
object or issue - Emotional Component Feelings toward the
attitudinal object - Action Component Ones actions toward various
people, objects, or institutions
37Figure 16.8
38Figure 16.9
39Attitude Formation
- Direct Contact Effects of direct experience with
the object of the attitude - Interaction with Others Influence of discussions
with people holding a particular attitude - Child Rearing Effects of parental values,
beliefs, and practices
40More on Attitude Formation
- Group Membership Social influences from
belonging to certain groups - Mass Media All media that reach large audiences
(magazines, television) - Mean Worldview Viewing the world and other
people as dangerous and threatening
41Attitude Measurement and Change
- Reference Group Any group a person identifies
with and uses as a standard for social comparison - Persuasion Deliberate attempt to change
attitudes or beliefs with information and
arguments - Communicator Person presenting arguments or
information - Message Content of communicators arguments
- Audience Person or group to whom a persuasive
message is directed
42Cognitive Dissonance (Festinger)
- Contradicting or clashing thoughts, beliefs,
attitudes, or perceptions that cause discomfort - We need to have consistency in our thoughts,
perceptions, and images of ourselves - Underlies attempts to convince ourselves we did
the right thing - Justification Degree to which ones actions are
explained by rewards or other circumstances -
43Brainwashing
- Brainwashing Engineered or forced attitude
change requiring a captive audience - Generally three steps to brainwash someone
- Unfreezing Loosening of former values and
convictions - Change When the brainwashed person abandons
former beliefs - Refreezing Rewarding and solidifying new
attitudes and beliefs
44Cults
- Authoritarian group in which the leaders
personality is more important than the beliefs
s/he preaches - Group professes great devotion to a person or
people and follows that person/people almost
without question
45More About Cults
- Cult members usually victimized by the leader(s)
- Will try to recruit potential converts at a time
of need, especially when a sense of belonging is
most attractive to potential converts
46Some Final Words About Cults
- Look for college students and young adults
- Some examples of cults Peoples Temple and Jim
Jones, Heavens Gate, Branch Davidians, Osama bin
laden and Al Qaeda - Where does Scientology fit?
47Prejudice
- Negative emotional attitude held toward members
of a specific social group - Discrimination Unequal treatment of people who
should have the same rights as others - Scapegoating Blaming a person or group for the
actions of others or for conditions not of their
making -
48More on Prejudice
- Personal Prejudice When members of another
racial or ethnic group are perceived as a threat
to ones own interests - Group Prejudice Occurs when a person conforms to
group norms
49Prejudiced Personality and Intergroup Conflict
- Authoritarian Personality Marked by rigidity,
inhibition, prejudice, and oversimplification
(black and white thinking) - Ethnocentrism Placing ones group at the center,
usually by rejecting all other groups - Social Stereotypes Oversimplified images of
people who belong to a particular social group
50Other Concepts Relating to Prejudice
- Symbolic Prejudice Prejudice thats expressed in
disguised fashion - Equal-status Contact Social interaction that
occurs on equal level, without obvious
differences in power or status - Superordinate Goal Goal that exceeds or
overrides all other goals, making other goals
less important - Mutual Interdependence When two or more people
must depend on each other to meet each persons
goals or needs
51Some More Concepts Relating to Prejudice
- Jigsaw Classroom Each student only gets a piece
of information needed to complete a problem or
prepare for a test in order to succeed and get
all pieces, students must all work together - Summary Prejudicial stereotypes tend to be very
irrational
52Aggression
- Any action carried out with the intention of
harming another person
53Ethologist
- Studies natural behavior patterns of animals
- Ethologists believe that aggression is innate in
all animals, including humans - Appears to be a relationship between aggression
and hypoglycemia, allergy, and certain brain
injuries and disorders - Certain brain areas can trigger or end aggressive
behavior
54Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis
- Frustration tends to lead to aggression
- Aggression Cues Signals that are associated with
aggression
55Figure 16.11
56Figure 16.12
57Social Learning Theory (Bandura) and Television
- Social Learning Theory Combines learning
principles with cognitive processes,
socialization and modeling to explain behavior - No instinctive (innate) desires for shooting
guns, knife fights, and so on - Aggression must be learned
- Weapons Effect Observation that weapons serve as
strong cues for aggressive behavior
58Social Learning Theory (cont.)
- Disinhibition Removal of inhibition results in
acting-out behavior that normally would be
restrained - Television seems to be able to cause
desensitization to violence - Desensitization Reduced emotional sensitivity
59Prosocial Behavior and Bystander Apathy
- Prosocial Behavior Behavior toward others that
is helpful, constructive, or altruistic - Bystander Apathy Unwillingness of bystanders to
offer help during emergencies - Related to number of people present
- More potential helpers present, lower the chances
that help will be given
60Decision Points Reached Before Giving Help
- Noticing the person in trouble
- Defining an Emergency Until someone declares the
situation an emergency, no one acts - Taking Responsibility Assume responsibility to
help - Diffusion of Responsibility Spreading
responsibility to act among several people
61Figure 16.14
62Empathy Concepts
- Empathic Arousal Emotional arousal that occurs
when you feel some of the persons pain, fear, or
anguish - Empathy-Helping Relationship We are most likely
to help person in need when we feel emotions such
as empathy and compassion
63Multiculturalism
- Gives equal status to different ethnic, racial
and cultural groups - To break stereotypes
- Seek individuating information
- Information that helps us see a person as an
individual and not as a member of a group - Dont believe just-world beliefs
- Belief that people generally get what they
deserve -
64More Ways to Break Stereotypes
- Note self-fulfilling prophecies
- Expectation that prompts people to act in ways
that make expectation come true - Different does not mean inferior
- Social Competition Rivalry among groups, each of
which regard itself as superior to others
65Some More Ways to Break Stereotypes
- Race is a Social Construction Race is an
illusion based on superficial physical
differences and learned ethnic identities - Look for commonalities
- Set an example for others