Social psychology

• Define social psychology?

  It examines the influence of social processes on people's:

  • Thoughts
  • Feelings
  • Behaviour across cultures

  And considers similarities + differences in thoughts, feelings, + behaviours
• Define social norms?

  It refers to shared expectations about how ppl should think, feel + behave

  • Shared expectations => a glue the binds social systems together

   

  • Social norms are different across cultures.
  • What is trauma?
  • What is attractive?
  • How to show respect?
• Asch's Conformity Experiment:

  What happened:

  • Students were asked to judge which of the 3 comparison lines were the same as the standard line.
  • This task was done for multiple trials > used a different set of standard + comparison lines each time
  • The task was done in a group - but only 1 of them was the ACTUAL participant
  • The others were 'confederates' (helpers) of the experimenter

  
• Factors affecting conformity (read book for more info)

  • Group size
  • Unanimity
  • Private response
  • Expertise, status
  • If u have more knowledge about smth > ppl more likely to listen/follow you
  • If u don’t know > less likely to follow you
• Define Conformity = the adjustment of individual behaviours, attitudes + beliefs to a group standard
• Define obedience?

  • = following instructions from those of higher authority
  • Ppl change their behaviours - cuz of orders/commands from ppl with more authority
  • If you don’t obey -> punishment, prison, death = CREATES FEAR + OBEDIENCE
• Stanley Milgram's study


  On obedience
• Where


  • Yale University in 1960s
• What happened


  1. Participant greeted by researcher (Mr Williams)

  2. Told study is about effects of 'punishment on learning'

  3. 'Learner' = another participant (confederate)

  4. 'Learner' would memorise word combo

  5. If wrong answer, participant (teacher) gives electronic shock

  6. Shocks range from 'slight shock' to 'danger: severe shock' to 'XXX'
• Many participants were visibly anxious and uncomfortable but did not stop
• Participant


  • Mature and calm businessman entered lab smiling and confident
  • After 20 mins, man was a twitching and stuttering wreck near nervous collapse
  • Pushed fist into forehead and muttered "Oh God! Let's stop it."
  • Still continued to respond to experimenter and obeyed to the end
• Legacy of Milgram's study

   

  What we learned:

  • Power of situations - esp interactions w/ authority
  • Helps understand atrocities
  • e.g Holocaust

   

  Was the study ethical?

  • Were the participants informed about their rights?
  • What if u believed that u had given someone lethal electric shock?

   

  Improved standards for research ethics:

  • Research is permitted only when the benefits of the research outweigh the potential harm to participants