Chapter 12 Social Psychology Flashcards
Social psychologists
Use scientific methods to study how we think about, influence, and relate to one another
Study social forces that explain why people act differently in different situations
Fundamental attribution error
Giving too much weight to personality and not enough to the social situation
We tend to think other people’s behaviors relate to their personality more than the situations they may be in
Hawthorne power plant (mayo 1945)
Studied the environment and worker productivity
Environmental conditions of the plant were changed
Despite these changes, workers productivity and morale remained high
Hawthorne effect
Changes in behavior that are a result of observation and manipulation of conditions
If we know we are being observed, our behavior changes
Definition of conformity
Conformity means altering our behavior to match some universal standard
As much as we strive to be individuals, we tend to want to fit in.
Mimicry helps us to empathize with others
Asch’s conformity test
Tested alone, participants were incorrect less than 1% of the time
As a group, more than 1/3 of the time participants would say incorrect answers if the rest of the group did
Social influence
Group pressure and conformity findings show that people are more likely to conform when
They feel incompetent or insecure
In a group in which everyone else agrees
Admire the groups status and attractiveness
Have not already committed to a response
Know that others in the group will observe their behavior
Are from a culture that encourages respect for social standards
Obedience (Stanley Milgram)
Miligramos investigated the effects of punishment on learning
Experiments involved commands to shock so,some using up to a 450-volt final level
More than 60% followed orders
Milgrams follow up study
Obedience was highest when:
The person giving orders was close and perceived as a legitimate authority figure
The authority figure was supported by a well known institution
The victim was depersonalized or at a distance
No models existed for defiance
Prejudice
A negative learned attitude toward a group of people
Discrimination
Negative behaviors directed at a specific group of people
Stereotype
Exaggerated beliefs about people that are thought to be a characteristic of members of particular groups
Differs from prejudice in that it can have positive or negative connotation
Runs the risk of becoming prejudicial and leading to discrimination
Jane Elliot
Conducted blue eyed/ brown eyed experiment
