Social Psychology

The field of psychology that studies the nature and causes of individual thoughts, feelings and overt behavior to social situations.

Social psychology

A field of psychology that studies the social influences on the individuals. It has common interests with both Sociology, which studies groups, and personality psychology, which studies individual differences

Self And Others

How do we see ourselves? Apart as an individual? OR Is it in relation to others that we know ourselves?

Social Psychology study how peoples thoughts, feelings, and actions are affected by others It studies the nature and causes of individual behaviour in social situations It studies the types, causes and consequences of human interaction

Scope of Social Psychology

Studies what unite and separate us from others How to understand others? How are we influenced by others, and what shapes our behaviour?

Attitudes and Social cognition

Attitudes : learned predispositions to respond in a favourable or unfavourable manner to a particular person, behaviour, belief, or thing Attitudes are learned evaluation of a particular person, behaviour, belief, or thing

Attitudes
Are : a) learned through socialization b) directed towards objects (physical, social, behaviours, or issues) c) evaluative dimension of for and against Attitudes are concerned with an evaluative reaction to objects, whether affective, cognitive, or behavioural

Attitudes

Attitudes are evaluative judgments about objects, people, and thoughts that include affective, knowledge, and behavioral components. Attitudes can serve ego-defensive, adjustment, and knowledge functions.

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Attitudes

Attitudes protect us from threats to the self or ego. Attitudes can maximize reinforcements and minimize punishments from the environment. Attitudes can help bring order and meaning to ones world.
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Persuasion

Central concept in social psychology, most important factor in changing individuals attitude

Social Influences on Behavior

Persuasion is the use of social influence to cause other people to change their attitudes and behaviors. The expertise, attractiveness, and trustworthiness of the source of a message are important determinants of persuasion.
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Persuasion

Important factors responsible for changing attitudes are:

message source characteristics of the message characteristics of the target

Social Influences on Behavior

The sleeper effect occurs when the message and its source become detached. Messages from sources low in expertise, attractiveness, and trustworthiness may increase in effectiveness due to the sleeper effect.
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Social Influences on Behavior

The most persuasive messages are those that:

Attract attention Draw conclusions Promote message acceptance Limit reactance

Reactance is the tendency to react in the opposite direction to the persuasive message when compliance might limit personal freedom.

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Social Influences on Behavior

Naive audiences that are unaware of the intent of persuasive messages are more likely to be influenced by these messages. If the audience has previously been exposed to a mild form of the persuasive message, persuasion will be Copyright 2010 Pearson more difficult. Education, Inc.,
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All rights reserved. 15-15

1.Central route processing: message interpretation characterized by thoughtful consideration of the issues and arguments used to persuade. 2.Peripheral route processing : message interpretation characterized by consideration of the source and related general information rather than of the message itself (see page -531)

Social Influences on Behavior

When you pay attention to the content of the message, the central route of persuasion is being used. If you find that the persuasive message is not especially relevant to you and you do not enjoy thinking about its content, then you are more likely to attend to the attributes of the presenter (for example, credibility or attractiveness). When you pay attention to these attributes, persuasion is following the secondary route.
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Link between Attitudes and Behaviour

The strength between A and B varies

At times attitudes influence our behaviour or behaviour shapes our attitudes

Festingers Cognitive Dissonance theory

The conflict that occurs when person holds two attitudes or thoughts (referred to as cognitions) that contradict each other

Cognitive dissonance

Two contradictory cognitions, you may

modify

Change perception

Add additional cognitions

Denial

Social psychology

The other fields of Psychology are interested in what is going on inside the person Where as social psychology is interested in what is going on around the person

Social Cognition: Understanding others

Social cognition: The process that underlie our understanding of the social world. Schemas: Sets of cognitions about people and social experiences.

Social Cognition: How We Come To Make Sense Of Our Social Worlds.

Lets see how social cognition is formed. The influence of social factors has been widely studied, and research informs that social perception is hugely impacted by certain factors or features in any social situation. These can be labeled as experiences
These experiences help us form impressions of others This process is known as interpersonal process

Impression formation:
The process by which an individual organizes information about another person to form an overall impression of that person. Central traits: The major traits considered in forming impressions of others. (read page 535)

Man is Called a Social Animal

Human behavior is not in isolation, it is dynamic, interactive and on different levels.i.e: Individual level; where mind interacts with the body Social level; where social environment interacts with thoughts and feelings And, the product out of these interactions is more than the sum of its parts.
Individual Subsystem of Group subsystem of

society

Culture Subsystem of And provides base

Understanding the causes of behaviour

Attribution processes: the theory of personality that seeks to understand how we decide, on the basis of samples of an individuals behaviour, what the specific causes of that persons behaviour are. Are these?

Attribution processes

Situational causes: A perceived causes of behaviour that is based on environmental factors. Dispositional causes: A perceived cause of behaviour that is based on internal traits or personality.

Attribution Theory: Judging Others

Our perception and judgment of others is significantly influenced by our assumptions of the other persons internal state.

When individuals observe behavior, they attempt to determine whether it is internally or externally caused.

Internal causes are under that persons control External causes are not under the persons control
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Attribution Theory: Judging Others (contd)

Causation judged through:

Distinctiveness

Shows different behaviors in different situations Response is the same as others to same situation Responds in the same way over time

Consensus

Consistency

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Errors and Biases in Attributions

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to underestimate the influence of external factors and overestimate the influence of internal factors when making judgments about the behavior of others

We blame people first, not the situation

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Errors and Biases in Attributions

Self- serving Bias

The tendency for individuals to attribute their own successes to internal factors while putting the blame for failures on external factors

It is our success but their failure

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Errors and Biases

Assumed similarity bias The tendency to think of people as being similar to oneself, even when meeting them for the first time

Concepts Of Self
Is it possible to understand the SELF as an independent entity, entirely separate from its social context and relationships? Humans as SELF are embedded in the cultural, social, and family context. Other people are significant in influencing the ideas which we develop about ourselves

The Social Interaction Sequence

There is a formation process that shapes Expectancy our social (start) perceptions and actions and reactions to others In any social situation, perception is The 1 person In turn involved. Its a interprets dynamic, And responds interpretive and a constructive process
st

One acts according to The expectancy

The other person interprets

Then responds

The Factors That Shape Social Behavior

A process of Socialization helps people to effectively function in, and meet the expectations of society. Cultural norms define the accepted rules or standards of any one society. It enables its members to go about their everyday business with the minimum confusion or misunderstanding. The agencies responsible are: Family Peer Groups School Workplace Mass Media And the modes of socialization are: Direct Instruction Shaping - Modeling

The factors that shape social behaviour

Social influence: The process by which actions of an individual or group affect the behaviours of others. Conformity: A change in behaviour or attitudes brought about by desire to follow the beliefs or standards of others people.

Social Groups/ Social Identification

To be human is to belong to a group. It satisfies the core deficiency needs for affection, attention, and belonging. It empowers individuals to do things they may not be able to accomplish on their own. The psychological glue that binds people together gives these groups certain characteristics 1st they have boundaries, 2nd they are an entity in their own right, and 3rd they have a distinct subculture( its own unique norms and values)

The Need For Group Behavior

1.

2.

3.

Certain aspects of group behavior are social facilitation- individuals perform tasks faster in a group. Evaluation apprehension- concern that others are evaluating performance Diffusion of responsibility- the spreading or sharing of responsibility for a decision or behavior within a group

Types Of Social Groups

Primary Groups- consists of two or more people investing in meaningful relationships Secondary Groups- consists of two or more people joining in for specific purpose In-groups and Out-groupsReference Groups

Groupthink: Caving in to conformity

Groupthink is a type of thinking in which group members share such a strong motivation to achieve consensus that they lose the ability to critically evaluate alternate points of view

Groups

Social supporter: A person who shares an unpopular opinion or attitude of another group member, thereby encouraging unconformity.(whistle blower)

Group-think: How to minimize?

Monitor group size Group leaders should remain impartial Encourage active participation Group should have a devils advocate Group members to discuss all risks involved

Leadership And Groupthink

A process in which group members are influenced by cohesiveness and a dynamic leader to ignore external realities as they make decisions. Leadership is the process of directing, initiating, regulating and coordinating group activities Types of Leadership, may be Authoritarian or Democratic

Who Is A Leader

1.
2. 3. 4. 5.

6.

The one who takes the responsibility to: Structure the situation Can effectively control group behavior Can do the speaking for the group Can help the group achieve its potential He has three important characteristics- 1st- is aware of his group feelings and attitude, 2nd-, intelligently ensures effective group performance and 3rd- is emotionally intelligent He also demonstrates, Confidence- Physical and mental health- Intelligence- Decision powerHumility- Empathy

Reflections

How do you function socially? Are people important to you? What social characteristics do you find socially attractive in others? Is groupthink always bad for the group?