Social Psychology Flashcards
define attitudes
Attitude: a positive or negative evaluative reaction toward a stimulus, such as a person, action, object, or concept e.g. can include behaviour such as healthy eating
• Attitudes influence behaviour more strongly when situational factors that contradict our attitudes are weak
describe the theory of planner behaviour
see diagram
The Theory of Planned Behaviour would suggest the importance of exploring social norms in changing health behaviour
what is cognitive dissonance
the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioural decisions and attitude change
what would resolving dissonance involve?
- Change behaviour: In the case of smoking, this would involve quitting, which might be difficult and thus avoided
- Acquire new information: Such as seeking exceptions e.g. “My grandfather smoked all his life and lived to be 96”
- Reduce the importance of the cognitions (i.e. beliefs, attitudes). A person could convince themself that it is better to “live for the moment”
changing attitudes:
-the message is more effective if:
Message more effective if: • Reaches recipient • Is attention-grabbing • Easily understood • Relevant and important • Easily remembered
changing attitudes:
-more persuasive messengers are:
Credible e.g. doctors • Trustworthy e.g. objective • Appealing e.g. well presented
what does framing refer to?
• Refers to whether a message emphasises the benefits or losses of that behaviour
• Research shows that:
When we want people to take up behaviours aimed at detecting health problems or illness (e.g. HIV testing) loss-framed messages may be more effective
When we want people to take up behaviours aimed at promoting prevention behaviours (e.g. condom use) gain-framed messages may be more effective
define:
- stereotype
- prejudice
- discrimination
- Stereotype – Generalisations made about a group of people or members of that group, such as race, ethnicity, or gender. Or more specific such as different medical specialisations (e.g. surgeons)
- Prejudice – To judge, often negatively, without having relevant facts, usually about a group or its individual members
- Discrimination – Behaviours that follow from negative evaluations or attitudes towards members of particular groups
define social loafing
-the tendency for people to expend less individual effort when working in a group than when working alone
Social loafing or Diffusion of responsibility
-most likely to occur when?
• The person believes that individual performance is not being monitored • The task (goal) or the group has less value or meaning to the person • The person generally displays low motivation to strive for success • The person expects that other group members will display high effort
Social loafing or Diffusion of responsibility
-depends on
• Occurs more strongly in all-male groups • Occurs more often in individualistic cultures
Social loafing or Diffusion of responsibility
-may disappear when
• Individual performance is monitored • Members highly value their group or the task goal • Groups are smaller • Members are of similar competence
conformity
-factors that affect conformity
- Group size:
- Conformity increases as group size increases
- No increases over five group members
- Presence of a dissenter:
- One person disagreeing with the others greatly reduces group conformity
- Culture:
- Greater in collectivistic cultures
5 step bystander decision process
1) Notice the event
2) Decide if the event is really an emergency Social comparison: look to see how others are responding
3) Assuming responsibility to intervene Diffusion of Responsibility: believing that someone else will help
4) Self-efficacy in dealing with the situation
5) Decision to help (based on cost-benefit analysis e.g. danger)
Increasing helping behaviour
Reducing restraints on helping
• Reduce ambiguity and increase responsibility
• Enhance concern for self image
Socialise altruism • Teaching moral inclusion • Modelling helping behaviour • Attributing helpful behaviour to altruistic motives • Education about barriers to helping
