Module 6: Social Psychology Flashcards
Social Psychology
Studies how we think about and perceive our social world, how other people observe our behaviour, and also how we behave towards others.
Internal Attribution
- AKA Dispositional Attribution.
- Trait-based causes
- Making assumptions based on something that is observed within the person (i.e., their personality)
- High Consistency, Low Distinctiveness, Low Consensus
External Attribution
- AKA Situational Attribution
- Environmental/situational causes
- Making assumptions based on something outside the observation of a person (i.e., their situation)
- High Consistency, High Distinctiveness, High Consensus.
Consistency
How a person acts in the same situation or contexts across time.
Distinctiveness
Does the person behave similarly across different situations and contexts?
Consensus
Is the person’s behaviour similar to the behaviour of others?
Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE)
Overestimating the role of dispositional (internal) factors and underestimating the impact of the situation (external) when explaining other people’s behaviour.
Actor-observer Bias
Making more internal attributions towards the behaviour of others, and making situational attributions towards one’s behaviour.
Self-Serving Bias
The tendency to attribute our successes to our abilities, and our failures to others and the situation.
success: internal - take credit for positive events
failure: external - blame external factors for negative events.
False Consensus Effect
One sees one’s pwn behavioural choices and judgements as being relatively common while viewing alternative responses as uncommon.
Impression Formation
How we formulate opinions about individuals or groups. First impressions made quickly (seconds to minutes); enduring
-Primacy effect
Confirmation Bias
Occurs when we are more likely to attend to and process facts or events that are consistent w/ our initial impression.
Conversely, information that contradicts our beliefs is either discarded or ignored - we do not attend to disconfirming evidence.
Self-fulfilling Prophecy
When our beliefs and expectations influence our behaviour at the subconscious level.
- Self-imposed
- Other-imposed
Social Influence
Our thoughts and behaviours affected by the behaviour of others.
Social Norms
Implicit, specific rules, shared by a group of individuals that guide their interactions w/ others.
Individualistic Cultures
U.S., Canada (West)
Collective Cultures
China, Japan (East)
Conformity
The extent to which individuals modify their behaviour to be consistent with the behaviour of others in the group.
Groupthink
A strong concurrence - seeking tendency that interferes w/ effective group decision making.
(Conformity to the extreme in decision making process).
Overestimating the group
Perceived invulnerability; morality.
Thinking that the group wouldn’t make mistakes w/ their decisions.
Close-mindedness
Collective rationalization; stereotyped views of an out-group.
Pressure foor uniformity
Direct pressure on dissenters; self-censorship; illusions of unanimity; self-appointed mindguards.
Bystander Effect
A person in need of help is less likely to receive help as the number of bystanders increase. Help is better achieved when there are a few bystanders present.
Diffusion of Responsibility
As the number of people present increases, the relative level of accountability of each person decreases. If there is one bystander present, they assume 100% of the responsibility.
Pluralistic Ignorance
A social psychological concept that occurs when people fail to act because they rely on social cues from others to guide their behaviour, without realizing that others also face uncertainty.
Attitudes
- Thoughts, ideas, and opinions.
- Attitudes shape behaviours and behaviours shape attitudes.
- Has 3 components (ABC)
Affective Component
Emotions or feelings about specific attributes or overall object.
Cognitive Component
Addresses the thoughts one may have about someone or something. Beliefs about specific attributes or overall object.
Behavioural Component
Addresses the actions taken. Behavioural intentions w/ respect to specific attributes or overall objects.
Cognitive Dissonance
When attitudes and behaviours are inconsistent, a state of unease is felt, which the individual is then motivated to reduce.
When there are strong feelings of cognitive dissonance, the individual is highly motivated to reduce the level of incongruence. Some of the ways people can reduce cognitive dissonance include (1) changing the attitude, (2) changing the behaviour, (3) distorting attitude(s), or (4) distorting perceived behaviour (s).
Stereotypes
Attitudes and opinions about people based on the group they are affiliated with. Can be positive or negative, but often seen as negative.
Stereotype Threat
Members of a stereotyped group have a fear of acting in ways that are consistent w/ the prevailing stereotype affiliated with the said group.
Prejudice
Learned, negative attitudes or opinions that a person has towards certain groups based on characteristics (group membership).
Discrimination
Adverse behaviours directed at groups towards which one holds negative and prejudicial beliefs.
Categorization
- ‘Us and them’ thinking
- Biases
- In-group favouritism
- Out-group derogation
- Stereotypes
Realistic Conflict Theory
Competition for limited resources.
Social Identity Theory
Creating prejudice towards others due to a need for boosting one’s self-esteem.
Reducing Prejudice
Mutual Interdependence
-Making groups work together towards a common goal.
Initial Attraction
Factors that increase liking include:
- physical attractiveness
- physical proximity
- similarities
- mere exposure effect
Physical Attractiveness
People are strongly influenced, at least in initial encounters, by physical attractiveness. Facial symmetry and proportions affect perceived attractiveness. Those who are physically attractive usually have positive characteristics.
Similarity
We like those who are like us.
Physical Proximity
You will never really become friends or intimate w/ someone you have never met! (Even though y’all are moots, it’s not the same as in person)
Mere Exposure Effect
The more time and experience that we have to someone is associated with an increased liking of that person.
Instrumental Aggression
Violent behaviour is purposeful and is a means to achieve some goal.
ex: playing football
Hostile Aggression
The sole purpose of inflicting harm on another living creature (animal or human).
Aggression
Behaviour aimed at harming others physically or psychologically.
Factors Influencing Agression
- Genetics
- Heat
- Crowding
- Provocation
- Painful Stimuli
- Reinforcement
- Modeling
Behaviour Modelling
Learning to complete a task simply by simply copying the behaviour of a person.
ex: Bandura’s Bobo Doll
Social Learning
Learning behaviours and skills by watching others engage in those behaviours.
ex: Children copying adults
Altruism
- AKA Prosocial Behaviours
- Helping others without the expectation of anything in return.
- For no personal gain
Reciprocal Altruism
Engaging in what appears to be prosocial behaviours w/ the expectation of getting something in return. Deviates from pure altruism.
Altruism…
- makes us happy
- is good for our health
- is good for our love lives
- fights addiction
- promotes social connections
- is contagious
Reciprocity Norm
The idea that if others help us, then we should provide something in return.
Persuasion/Compliance
Using the reciprocity norm to gain compliance
-Has 3 methods/techniques
Foot-in-the-Door Technique
Asking for a small request initially, and then continue to ask small requests until the desired larger request is achieved. This method works because of the commitment in saying “yes”.
Door-in-the-Face Technique
A reasonably large request refused at first will increase the likelihood of a smaller related, desired, request being accepted. This method works because it relies on the reciprocity norm. The rejected big request is compromised by agreeing to the smaller request.
Lowballing
Pitching an attractive offer at first, making the customer committed to the offer, and then increasing the price or reveal the actual worse deal after the commitment. Often used by salespeople and marketers.
