Social Unit

• Social Psychology


  The study of how humans think about, influence and relate to one another
• Attribution Theory


  The theory that states we either credit a person's behavior to the situation or disposition
• Fundamental Attribution Error


  People overestimate the disposition factor and under estimate the situation factor
• Actor-Observer Bias


  Depending on your view (actor or observer) will alter your perception of reality of a situation or of a person's disposition
• Actor-Observer Bias example


  • In 1979, rock fans were waiting to get into a concert by the Who. When the doors were opened, several fans were trampled to death. Time magazine received a letter from an actor and an observer. How do you think their perspectives differed?
• Attitude


  Feelings, often influence our beliefs, that predispose our reactions to objects, people, and events
• Attitude


  Leads to behavior
• Central Route Persuasion


  Changing your attitude by showing you information based on argument and logic in which will make you focus. Stronger change in your behavior using this.
• Central Route Persuasion example


  • Buy this shirt because its made of 100% cotton and is the highest of quality. Will last you a long time.
• Peripheral Route Persuasion


  Persuading your attitude by using attractiveness and incidental cues. Less likely to hold strong attitudes.
• Peripheral Route Persuasion example

  • Buy this shirt because it will make you look cool and attractive
• Foot-in-the-door Phenomenon


  When someone will ask for a small request to get you to comply and then ask for something bigger, making it harder for you to say no.
• Foot-in-the-door Phenomenon example


  • Can I copy your notes? Sure! Can I copy your homework? Uh, ok.
• Role


  A set of expectations about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.
• Role example


  • Zimbardo Prison Experiment
• Cognitive Dissonance


  We act to reduce the tension we feel when two of our thoughts don't match, or when our thought and then action don't match.
• Cognitive Dissonance example


  • Honesty is the best policy! "Do I look fat in this?" I think I'm going to lie… "No, of course not!" Result: change your attitude about honesty. Maybe it isn't always the best policy.
• Conformity


  Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.
• Conformity example


  • Standard - wearing clothes, you are naked you put on clothes
• Asch Experiment


  An experiment where one person is observed in their conforming to the group's response, even when the answer is clearly wrong.
• Factors that strengthen conformity

  • Made to feel insecure
  • At least 3 others
  • The group is unanimous
  • Admire the group
  • Haven't made any prior commitments
  • Others observe the behavior
  • Culture encourages respect for standards
• Normative Social Influence


  Influenced to gain approval or avoid disapproval.
• Informational Social Influence


  Influence by accepting other's opinions about reality.
• Milgram Experiment


  An experiment created by Stanley Milgram to measure obedience level in participants.
• 63% of male participants shocked at full level when authority was sitting right there!
• Social Facilitation


  Stronger responses on SIMPLE or WELL-TRAINED tasks in the presence of OTHERS.
• Social Loafing


  The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable.
• Social Loafing examples


  • Minimal clapping from you when everyone is clapping, tugging a little in tug of war with others tugging.
• Deindividuation


  The LOSS of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that FOSTER arousal and anonymity.
• Deindividuation examples


  • Movie when he gets imprisoned and becomes individualized or To Kill a Mockingbird
• Group Polarization


  The enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion of a group.
• Groupthink


  The mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.
• Culture


  Behaviors, attitudes, ideas, values and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next. Ever changing.
• Norms


  An understood rule for accepted and expected behavior. Norms prescribe "proper" behavior.
• Norms example


  • Personal Space
• Prejudice


  Unjustifiable attitude toward a group and it's members.
• Stereotype


  A generalized belief about a group of people.
• Discrimination


  Can be the result of stereotypes and prejudices.
• Roots of prejudice


  • Social inequalities
  • In-group and Out-group
  • Scapegoat
  • Other-race effect
  • Just-world Phenomenon
• Aggression


  Any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy.