Chapter 18 Social Psychology. Social Thinking Social Psychology scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another Attribution

Chapter 18Chapter 18

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

Social ThinkingSocial Thinking

Social PsychologySocial Psychology scientific study of how we think about, scientific study of how we think about,

influence, and relate to one anotherinfluence, and relate to one another

Attribution TheoryAttribution Theory tendency to give a causal explanation for tendency to give a causal explanation for

someone’s behavior, often by crediting either someone’s behavior, often by crediting either the situation or the person’s dispositionthe situation or the person’s disposition


Fundamental Attribution ErrorFundamental Attribution Error tendency for observers, when analyzing tendency for observers, when analyzing

another’s behavior, to underestimate the another’s behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal dispositionthe impact of personal disposition

AttitudeAttitude belief and feeling that predisposes one to belief and feeling that predisposes one to

respond in a particular way to objects, people respond in a particular way to objects, people and eventsand events


Our behavior is affected by our inner attitudes Our behavior is affected by our inner attitudes as well as by external social influencesas well as by external social influences

Internalattitudes

Externalinfluences

Behavior


Attitudes Attitudes follow follow behaviorbehavior

Cooperative Cooperative actions feed actions feed mutual likingmutual liking

Social ThinkingSocial Thinking Foot-in-the-Door PhenomenonFoot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

tendency for people who have first tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger requestlater with a larger request

RoleRole set of expectations about a social set of expectations about a social

positionposition defines how those in the position ought defines how those in the position ought

to behaveto behave


Cognitive Dissonance TheoryCognitive Dissonance Theory we act to reduce the discomfort we act to reduce the discomfort

(dissonance) we feel when two of our (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistentthoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent

example- when we become aware that example- when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudeschanging our attitudes

Social ThinkingSocial Thinking Cognitive dissonanceCognitive dissonance

Social InfluenceSocial Influence ConformityConformity

adjusting one’s behavior or thinking adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standardto coincide with a group standard

Normative Social InfluenceNormative Social Influence influence resulting from a person’s influence resulting from a person’s

desire to gain approval or avoid desire to gain approval or avoid disapprovaldisapproval

Social InfluenceSocial Influence

Informational Social InfluenceInformational Social Influence influence resulting from one’s influence resulting from one’s

willingness to accept others’ willingness to accept others’ opinions about realityopinions about reality


Milgram’s follow-up obedience experimentMilgram’s follow-up obedience experiment


Some individual resist social coercionSome individual resist social coercion

Social InfluenceSocial Influence Social FacilitationSocial Facilitation

improved performance of tasks in the improved performance of tasks in the presence of otherspresence of others

occurs with simple or well-learned tasks but occurs with simple or well-learned tasks but not with tasks that are difficult or not yet not with tasks that are difficult or not yet masteredmastered

Social LoafingSocial Loafing tendency for people in a group to exert less tendency for people in a group to exert less

effort when pooling their efforts toward effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when attaining a common goal than when individually accountableindividually accountable


DeindividuationDeindividuation loss of self-awareness and self-loss of self-awareness and self-

restraint in group situations that restraint in group situations that foster arousal and anonymityfoster arousal and anonymity

Social InfluenceSocial Influence Group PolarizationGroup Polarization

enhancement of a group’s prevailing enhancement of a group’s prevailing attitudes through discussion within the attitudes through discussion within the groupgroup

GroupthinkGroupthink mode of thinking that occurs when the mode of thinking that occurs when the

desire for harmony in a decision-making desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides realistic appraisal of group overrides realistic appraisal of alternativesalternatives

Social RelationsSocial Relations

PrejudicePrejudice an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude

toward a group and its memberstoward a group and its members involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings,

and a predisposition to discriminatory actionand a predisposition to discriminatory action

StereotypeStereotype a generalized (sometimes accurate, but often a generalized (sometimes accurate, but often

overgeneralized) belief about a group of overgeneralized) belief about a group of peoplepeople


Does perception change with race? Does perception change with race?


Americans today express much less Americans today express much less racial and gender prejudice racial and gender prejudice


IngroupIngroup ““Us”- people with whom one shares a Us”- people with whom one shares a

common identitycommon identity

OutgroupOutgroup ““Them”- those perceived as different or Them”- those perceived as different or

apart from one’s ingroupapart from one’s ingroup

Social RelationsSocial Relations Ingroup BiasIngroup Bias

tendency to favor one’s own grouptendency to favor one’s own group

Scapegoat TheoryScapegoat Theory theory that prejudice provides an outlet for theory that prejudice provides an outlet for

anger by providing someone to blame anger by providing someone to blame

Just-World PhenomenonJust-World Phenomenon tendency of people to believe the world is justtendency of people to believe the world is just people get what they deserve and deserve people get what they deserve and deserve

what they getwhat they get

Social RelationsSocial Relations AggressionAggression

any physical or verbal behavior any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroyintended to hurt or destroy

Frustration-Aggression PrincipleFrustration-Aggression Principle principle that frustration – the blocking principle that frustration – the blocking

of an attempt to achieve some goal – of an attempt to achieve some goal – creates anger, which can generate creates anger, which can generate aggressionaggression

Social RelationsSocial Relations ConflictConflict

perceived incompatibility of actions, perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideasgoals, or ideas

Social TrapSocial Trap a situation in which the conflicting a situation in which the conflicting

parties, by each rationally pursuing their parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behaviordestructive behavior

Social Relations- Social Relations- AttractivenessAttractiveness Mere Exposure EffectMere Exposure Effect

repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of themthem

Conceptions of attractiveness vary by cultureConceptions of attractiveness vary by culture

Social RelationsSocial Relations Passionate LovePassionate Love

an aroused state of intense positive an aroused state of intense positive absorption in anotherabsorption in another

usually present at the beginning of a usually present at the beginning of a love relationshiplove relationship

Companionate LoveCompanionate Love deep affectionate attachment we feel for deep affectionate attachment we feel for

those with whom our lives are those with whom our lives are intertwinedintertwined

Social RelationsSocial Relations EquityEquity

a condition in which people receive from a a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to relationship in proportion to what they give to itit

Self-DisclosureSelf-Disclosure revealing intimate aspects of oneself to othersrevealing intimate aspects of oneself to others

AltruismAltruism unselfish regard for the welfare of othersunselfish regard for the welfare of others


Bystander Bystander EffectEffect tendency for tendency for

any given any given bystander to be bystander to be less likely to less likely to give aid if other give aid if other bystanders are bystanders are presentpresent

Social RelationsSocial Relations Social Exchange TheorySocial Exchange Theory

the theory that our social behavior is the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and which is to maximize benefits and minimize costsminimize costs

Superordinate GoalsSuperordinate Goals shared goals that override differences shared goals that override differences

among people and require their among people and require their cooperationcooperation


Graduated and Reciprocated Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-reduction (GRIT)Initiatives in Tension-reduction (GRIT) a strategy designed to decrease a strategy designed to decrease

international tensionsinternational tensions one side announces recognition of mutual one side announces recognition of mutual

interests and initiates a small conciliatory actinterests and initiates a small conciliatory act opens door for reciprocation by other partyopens door for reciprocation by other party

Motivation at Motivation at WorkWork

Structured InterviewStructured Interview process that asks the same job-process that asks the same job-

relevant questions of all applicantsrelevant questions of all applicants rated on established scalesrated on established scales

Achievement MotivationAchievement Motivation a desire for significant accomplishmenta desire for significant accomplishment

for mastery of things, people, or ideasfor mastery of things, people, or ideas for attaining a high standardfor attaining a high standard

MotivationMotivation

Task LeadershipTask Leadership goal-oriented leadership that sets goal-oriented leadership that sets

standards, organizes work, and focuses standards, organizes work, and focuses attention on goalsattention on goals

Social LeadershipSocial Leadership group-oriented leadership that builds group-oriented leadership that builds

teamwork, mediates conflict, and offers teamwork, mediates conflict, and offers supportsupport

MotivationMotivation Theory XTheory X

assumes that workers are basically lazy, assumes that workers are basically lazy, error-prone, and extrinsically motivated by error-prone, and extrinsically motivated by money money

workers should be directed from aboveworkers should be directed from above

Theory YTheory Y assumes that, given challenge and freedom, assumes that, given challenge and freedom,

workers are motivated to achieve self-esteem workers are motivated to achieve self-esteem and to demonstrate their competence and and to demonstrate their competence and creativitycreativity

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Chapter 18 Social Psychology. Social Thinking Social Psychology scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another Attribution