26/29 Social thinking & Behaviour (chapter 15)

Question 1

Define topics:
Social thinking
Social influence
Intergroup dynamics

Answer 1

Social thinking: how we perceive others socially
Social influence: how others influence our thinking/behaviour
Intergroup dynamics: how we relate to others in groups

Question 2

3 topics of social thinking

Answer 2

Attribution: explaining factors causing behaviour - external or internal

Impression formation: how/ on what info we make impressions - Ash 1946

Attitudes (and intentions)

Question 3

Kelly’s covariation model 1973 (Attribution theory)

Answer 3

how we decide thether a person’s views are caused by personal or external facets (valid or not)
- Consistency of behaviour - eg. one person says every subject is boring

• Distinctiveness of events - they single out history out as boring
• Consensus - everyone else agrees that just history is boring
  If just one person: unreliable person - inconsistency + low distinctiveness + low consensus = not attributed as valid.

Question 4

Fundamental attribution error FAE

Answer 4

Attributional bias where you underacknowledge situational attributions/dispositions causing a person’s views/behaviour and over acknowledge the role of personality on one’s behaviour:
= Bias towards strangers (especially) that people’s circumstantial behaviour is reflective of their personality (personal) rather than as a result of the situation.
Bias is reduced when given time fore self reflection

Question 5

The actor-observer bias (inverted FAE)

Answer 5

Opposite to FAE bias when applied to self or friends (non strangers) - e.g. it was hard to see (situation) caused you to crash car - rather than you being bad driver (personal/dispositional)

Question 6

Self Serving Bias

Answer 6

Bias towards self, thinking personal attributions are causes of positive events, bias that failures are caused by difficult situations rather than personal fault

• Helps with self-esteem
• Not applicable to depressed individuals
• Is applicable to all cultures but differences in ‘looking good/ valuing modesty’ modify’s its portrayal across cultures

Question 7

What is Impression formation (Asch)?

Answer 7

How/ on what info we make impressions - Asch 1946

• Based off appearance = very first impression , stays
• Based off dialogue/expressed personality later but is interpreted under influence of 1st impression

Question 8

Primacy &primacy effects (impressions)

Answer 8

The order in which characteristics are viewed of a person makes the first impression which influences overall impression.
first impressions alter future interpretations of the same behaviour = ‘activated schemas’ (using info from the scheme u have on them) to create a mental set
- Primacy effects are overcome if ur in a negative mood (more attention) or
- Consciously avoid bias/ aware of own biases
Recency effect: opposite = last impression shapes overall belief

Question 9

What is a mental set?

Answer 9

A fixed mindset: Relying on initial perception of person to explain current behaviour - ignoring new possible explanations.

Question 10

Stereotypes (on impressions)

Answer 10

• Are Automatic
• Based off persons demographic, what you expect of an American influences interpretation of behaviour
• Eg how powerful is someone based off their gender - an angry man more powerful and schema exists that powerful men can be powerful while angry women are unstable.

Question 11

Stereotypes v Discrimination v Prejudices

Answer 11

Stereotypes: existing thoughts about a certain demographic (you don’t have to believe them)

Discrimination: stereotypes have influenced your feelings about a demographic

Prejudice: resulting behaviour, positive/neg towards demographic as result

Question 12

Self fulfilling prophesies (impressions)

Answer 12

Expectation of someone to be non friendly= you’re less proactive, they reciprocate against their normal behaviour

Question 13

What are Attitudes (and intentions)?

Answer 13

Attitudes towards stimulus - neutral, positive, negative

Attitudes do not always predict behaviour = ‘attitude-behaviour gap/value-action/ intention-behaviour gap’

Question 14

3 principles of predictors of attitude impacting behaviour

Answer 14

1. Strength & awareness
2. Theory of planned Behaviour Ajzen 1991
3. The correspondence principle Ajzen & timko 1986 + The aggregation principle Ajzen & Timko 1986

Question 15

Strength & awareness (of intentions on Behaviour)

Answer 15

Conviction/strength of attitude ,When more self aware of attitude = effects behaviour more
e.g., are aware of own views on important of climate change

Question 16

Theory of planned Behaviour Ajzen 1991 (intentions on Behaviour)

Answer 16

• When we believe our behaviour has an influence on contributing to attitude - has self efficacy to act on behaviour - eg cannot not drive to work
• Fits with social norm/pressure
• Has a positive attitude towards behaviour

Question 17

The correspondence principle Ajzen & timko 1986 (intentions on Behaviour)

Answer 17

Specific attitudes predict specific behaviours better, general attitudes = general/ broader behaviours eg environment and reusing plastic bag vs caring about plastic use and using plastic bags
The more specific the intention, the bore likely to conduct aligned (specific) behaviour

Question 18

The aggregation principle Ajzen & timko 1986 (intentions on Behaviour)

Answer 18

Inversion of specific correspondence principle

General attitudes predict higher sores in a larger number of corresponding (general) behaviours

Question 19

Predictors of behaviours impacting attitudes

Answer 19

1. Cognitive dissonance - Festinger 1962
2. Bem’s self perception theory - bem 1967
   Both theories can coexist

Question 20

Cognitive dissonance - Festinger 1962

Answer 20

People strive for consistency in their cognitions as dissonance produces uncomfortable state of arousal, so
We change our attitudes to be consistent with out behaviour
Eg can be seen in the Free choice paradigm - eg brehm,

Question 21

How are conflicts resolved? (cog dissonance)

Answer 21

1. Change one of their cognitions - attitude - equally likely
2. Add new cognitions - other behaviour that balances out the negative - equally likely
3. Change behaviour - least likely

Question 22

Bem’s self perception theory - bem 1967

Answer 22

We mould our attitudes based on our witnessed behaviours - observe that we attend and enjoy parties despite previous belief of not, change belief. - more likely to explain cases of low uncomfortable arousal - does not impact self-worth

Question 23

3 factors of persuasion: changing others’ attitudes

Answer 23

Communicator (how credible)
Message (how compelling)
Audience (how persuadable)

Question 24

Communicator (credibility)

Answer 24

• Expertise: job position, sometimes portrayed through appearance - professional clothing
• Trustworthiness: how unbiased is the communicator? More trust when they argue against own self-interest (seems unbiased)
• Physical attractiveness & likability

Question 25

Message (how compelling)

Answer 25

• Quality of the argument: logical, based on evidence
• 2 sided acknowledgement: addressed both perspectives
• Fear and emotions : can be effective when in threatening actions - use seatbelt, but can be harmful in pleasure activities- ignore fear

Question 26

Audience (how persuadable)

Answer 26

Elaboration likelihood model ELM - Petty, Cacioppo 1986:
- Central vs peripheral route of focus impacts how persuaded they can be: (focus determined by level of attention paid, and importance of subject matter to them)

Question 27

audience persuadability: central and peripheral focus

Answer 27

Central route: less convinced by subliminal factors, pay more scrutiny to fact checking, compellingness of message

Peripheral route: more convinced by subliminal factors, not message: delivery, attractiveness of communicator, how enjoyable the message is, whether others are convinced too