Chapter 13 - Social Psychology Flashcards
Social Psychology
To understand, predict and explain our thoughts, behaviors and feelings, by imagining or actual presence of others.
Attitudes (ABC)
Stable and enduring evaluations of things and people. A = Affective (how we feel. Secure)
B = Behaviour (went to work because they felt safe)
C = Cognition (believed they were safe)
Mere Thought Effect
More time to think. These thoughts become consistent thoughts.
Cognitive dissonance
When we hold a belief that contradicts our behavior. It is a state of emotional discomfort, so unpleasant we want to eliminate or remove it. When it is COMPLETELY out of character.
Self-perception theory
Infer our attitudes from our behaviors. Behave only slightly out of character or unsure of our attitude.
Attitude specificity
The more specific an attitude, the easier it is to predict behavior. (ex. Love Taylor Swift, listen to her new album day of)
Attitude strength
Stronger attitudes predict behavior more than weak attitudes. (ex. Passionate about gay rights, will likely join demonstration or protests in favor of gay rights)
Social desirability
Respond to how it would be accepted by society
Implicit attitudes
People are not always aware of their true attitudes, attitudes below the level of consciousness awareness.
Mere categorization effect
Categorizing individuals into us or them
Realistic conflict theory
Competition arises between different groups because of conflict over scarce resources.
Social identity theory
In social situations, individuals often identify as members of the group.
Social categorization
Affiliates with a specific group as figuring out how to act and react in the world.
Social identity
Person forms an identity within the group
Central route
Uses factual information and logical arguments to persuade. Fair amount of effort on the receivers end
Peripheral route
Superficial information. How attractive the spokesperson is and how amusing the message is.
Foot in the door technique
Getting someone to agree to a small request and then a larger one. (Why? We strive to be consistent)
Door in the face technique
Make an absurd first request and then follow with a smaller request
Appeals to fear
Seen in anti-smoking ads. Makes the receivers know something bad will happen if they don’t comply.
Attributions
Why people, including ourselves, do things. This is causal explanations of behavior