Introduction to Social Psychology

1
Chapter 1

• Introduction to Social Psychology

2
Chapter Outline

• I. What is Social Psychology?

3
What is Social Psychology?

• Social Psychology is defined as the scientific
  study of the way in which peoples thoughts,
  feelings, and actions are influenced by the real
  or imagined presence of other people.

4
What is Social Psychology?

• Other people can influence us either through
  direct attempts at persuasion, or more indirectly
  through their presence and the transmission of
  cultural values.

5
What is Social Psychology?

• Social psychology is distinct from other social
  sciences because of its emphasis on peoples
  construals, or personal interpretations.

6
What is Social Psychology?

• Social psychology is distinct from folk wisdom
  and philosophy because it is an empirical field.

7
Chapter Outline

• II. The Power of Social Influence

8
The Power of Social Influence

• People are prone to the fundamental attribution
  error, the tendency to overestimate the role of
  traits and underestimate the role of the
  situation in determining peoples behavior.

9
The Power of Social Influence

• This tendency can make people resistant to social
  psychological explanations

A. Underestimating the power of social influence
B. The Subjectivity of the Social Situation
1. The influence of Behaviorism
2. The contributions of Gestalt psychology
10
Chapter Outline

• III. Where Construals Come From Basic Human
  Motives

11
Where Construals Come From

• Social psychologists have found that two motives
  are of primary importance in determining our
  construals the need to be accurate and the need
  to feel good about ourselves.

12
Where Construals Come From

• Leon Festinger realized that it is when these two
  motives pull us in opposite directions that we
  can learn the most about peoples thoughts and
  behaviors.

A. The Self-Esteem Approach
B. The Social Cognition Approach
C. Other motives
13
Chapter Outline

• IV. Social Psychology and Social Problems

14
Social Psychology and Social Problems

• Whereas social psychologists are often motivated
  by curiosity to study social behavior, they are
  also motivated by the desire to help resolve
  social problems.

15
Social Psychology and Social Problems

• Example Social psychologists have contributed
  important insights to AIDS education and
  prevention.

16
Study Questions

• What do social psychologists study scientifically?

17
Study Questions

• What are some examples of social influence?

18
Study Questions

• What is contained in a persons construal of the
  world?

19
Study Questions

• Although they may share the same questions, what
  advantages does social psychology have over folk
  wisdom and philosophy in answering these
  questions?

20
Study Questions

• What do sociologists study?

21
Study Questions

• Which branch of psychology studies how individual
  differences between people explain their behavior?

22
Study Questions

• What are some examples of individual differences?

23
Study Questions

• What is the fundamental attribution error?

24
Study Questions

• What are some consequences of committing the
  fundamental attribution error?

25
Study Questions

• According to behaviorism, what do we need to
  consider to understand human behavior?

26
Study Questions

• What has Gestalt psychology contributed to social
  psychology?

27
Study Questions

• What are the two basic motives that help to form
  peoples construals?

28
Study Questions

• Why do people engage in self-justification and
  what are some of its consequences?

29
Study Questions

• What is an assumption of the social cognition
  approach? What interferes with the accuracy of
  peoples construals, according to this approach?

30
Study Questions

• What is the relationship between peoples motive
  to be accurate and their expectations about the
  social world? What can result from peoples
  expectations?