Theories of Social Psychology: 3A/B Psychology

Question 1

Allport

Answer 1

• 1924
• Contributions
• -> Social psych to be scientific study of human individual behaviour
• All things organisms do are regarded as behaviours

Question 2

Social Conformity

Answer 2

• Changing behaviour and attitude in response to group pressure
• Influence an audience has on individual behaviour

Question 3

Social Norms

Answer 3

• How ppl behave or think they ought to behave

Question 4

Conformity

Answer 4

• Pressure to be alike

Question 5

Attribution Theory

Answer 5

• How ppl infer the causes behind the behaviour of others
• Deals with how social perceivers uses information to arrive at casual explanations
• Personal Attributions
• > Explanation in terms of personal characteristics
• > E.g. scored well because he is short
• Situational Attributions
• > Explanation in terms of situational factors
• > E.g. she tripped because floor is wet

Question 6

Making Attributions

Answer 6

• Kelley
• Consistency: Is baby smiling?
• Distinctiveness: Occasions which the baby doesn’t smile?
• Consensus: Do all babies smile?
• High consistency, everything low = personal attribution
• Everything high = situational attribution

Question 7

Cognitive Dissonance

Answer 7

D- People wish to reduce inconsistency
- Therefore find evidence to support their own view

• Defined as uncomfortable feeling caused by holding conflicting ideas simultaneously
• When attitudes =/= behaviour
• Reject new information
• > Convincing ourselves we did good after doing something bad

Question 8

Fundamental Attribution Error

Answer 8

• Overestimate the power of the person
• Underestimate the power of the situation
• Situation is not noticed when ppl make attribution for behaviour of others
• However, is noticed when making attribution for one’s own behaviour
• people will take situation in account when explaining their own behaviour

Question 9

Self Serving Bias

Answer 9

• People do not make objective situational / personal attribution for their own behaviour
• Attribute successes to dispositional factors
• Failures to situational factors

e. g.
- > Did well because im smart
- > Did bad because didnt sleep much