W5: Social psychology Flashcards
Social psychology
The study of how people influence others’ behaviour, beliefs and attitudes; also takes in consideration the situation
Personality psychology vs social psychology
Social psychology has a focus on the situation
What is attitude?
Favourable to unfavourable evaluative reactions towards an object or person
Types of attitudes
Affective
Behavioural tendency
Cognitive
Misconception of attitudes and behaviour
Attitude isn’t a good predictor of behaviour.
It may add to a bunch of factors that predict behaviour
Attitude may correlates with behaviour, it does not causes behaviour
Bem’s Self Perception Theory
Attitude does not cause behaviour –> Behaviour causes attitude
People learn about their own internal states (attitude) by making inferences based on their external actions (behaviour based on situation)
Improving the attitude - behaviour relationship
Minimise social influence on expressed attitudes
Measuring attitudes that are specific to the observed behaviour
Attitude strength: personal involvement and knowledge
Theory of planned behaviour
Ajzen and Fishbein, 1980
Attitude - behaviour link is stronger when all the influences are taken into account
Forming attitudes towards performing a particular behaviour is a fairly rational process
Forming attitudes
Mere exposure: The more someone is exposed to something, they form a more favourable evaluation
Classical conditioning: Pairing a CS with the US so that the CS can evoke a similar attitude response to the US
Operant conditioning: Rewarding behaviour that leads to a positive outcome, or prevents negative outcomes
Imitation: Adopting the attitude of role models
Cognitive consistency
Strive to maintain internal consistency, order and arrangement between beliefs
–> liking people who think and act like us
Cognitive balance theory
The relationship between 3 elements (triads)
P - person; O -other, X - attitude object
Balanced situations (ideal): odd number of positive relationship
Unbalanced situation: even number of positive relationship –> create tension
Implicit attitudes
Automatic, non-conscious, difficult to change
e.g. Prejudicial reaction formed by cultural conceptions and stereotypes that are learned from an early age
Explicit attitude
Consciously controlled, easier to change (social desirability)
E.g. personal beliefs
Cognitive dissonance
Inconsistency between attitude and behaviour
Doesn’t require conscious awareness, cognitive dissonance occurs in amnesics
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
Based on cognitive consistency
Strive to reduce dissonance using rationalisation
+) Change attitude to match behaviour
+) Change behaviour to match attitude
+) Create a new cognition that reconciles both attitude and behaviour
