Psych 110 Lesson 11 Social Psychology (2)

 

  1. Attitudes - positive or negative evaluations of objects of thought
    1. Components & Dimensions
      1. Components of Attitudes (Olson & Zanna, 93)
        1. Cognitive component - beliefs held about the object
        2. Affective component - emotional feelings stimulated by the object
        3. Behavioral component - predispositions to act in certain ways
      2. Attitudinal dimensions (Olson & Zanna, 93)
        1. Strength - strong, firmly held durable
        2. Assessability - how often it comes up, visibility
        3. Ambivalence - evoke both positive and negative feelings
      3. Other factors
        1. Importance - significance in life, vesting (Crano 95
        2. Knowledge and information strengthen attitudes (Wood et al 95)
    2. Attitudes & Behavior
      1. LaPiere (34) finds discrepancy between attitude and behavior
        1. Strength a determinant
        2. Situational Constraints, situational norms
      2. Persuasion, changing attitudes
        1. Source- person who sends communication
          1. Credibility
          2. Expertise
          3. Trustworthiness
          4. Likability
        2. Message, information from source via channel
          1. Fear vs logic
          2. One-sided arguments
          3. Two-sided arguments
          4. Persuasion as shaping, step size (Marshak)
        3. Channel, means transmitted
          1. Person to person
          2. Television
          3. Audio, print
        4. Receiver, person to whom the message is sent
          1. Personality
          2. Expectations, prior knowledge stiffens resolve
          3. Preexisting attitudes, stronger ones more resistant to change (Eagly & Chaiken, 95) disconfirmation hypothesis
          4. Intelligence
    3. Theories of attitude formation and change
      1. Learning theory
        1. Classical conditioning
        2. Operant conditioning
        3. Observational learning
      2. Dissonance theory(Festinger & Carlsmith, 59)
        1. Cognitive dissonance, when related cognitions are inconsistent - that is, when they contradict each other
          1. Dissonance ferments attitude change
          2. Effort justification (Aronson & Mills, 59), subjects favorable because of effort to get in (concerts)
        2. Women at USAFA
          1. Males initially negative, went more negative
          2. By end of summer trend is changing, women unusual group
      3. Self Perception theory
        1. Bem, behaviors precede attitudes, cognitive interpretation
      4. Elaboration likelihood model
        1. Two routes to persuasion (Petty & Cacioppo, 86)
          1. Central route -logical
          2. Peripheral route, attractiveness, credibility
  2. Conformity and Obedience
    1. Dramatic cases, Jonestown, Heaven's Gate
    2. Conformity - when people yield to real or imagined social pressure
      1. Asch(51,55,56)
        1. People pick the wrong long stick if everyone else sees it different
        2. Group size, group unanimity
    3. Obedience - compliance that occurs when people follow direct commands, usually from authority
      1. Milgram (74) studies at Yale, experimenter orders naïve subject to shock confederate
      2. 65% went full scale to "450 Volts, XXX"
      3. Psychologist, Psychiatrist explained study, estimate >1% would do it
      4. Replicated results in downtown New Haven, townies
      5. Subjects exhibit hysterical laughing, ethics criticized, can't be done under apa guidelines
      6. Cultural variations
        1. 80% in Europe (Smith & Bond, 94)
        2. higher in collectivistic societies
  3. Group Behavior
    1. Group 2 or more individuals who interact and are interdependent
    2. Behavior alone and in Groups, Bystander Effect
      1. Help diminishes as size increases, Kitty Genevese case
      2. Diffusion of responsibility
    3. Group Productivity and Social Loafing
      1. Reduction in effort by individuals when they work in groups compared to working alone
      2. Factory experience
      3. Prevention: vested interest, collectivism
    4. Decision making in groups
      1. Groupthink, occurs when members emphasize concurrence at the expense of critical thinking
      2. Group cohesiveness, strength of liking relationships linking group members to each other and the group
        1. Explains youth gangs, fraternity, athletic team behavior
      3. Polarization, schisms in membership
  4. Summary
    1. Humans are social beings, behavior in group differs from alone
    2. Attitude, Conformity, Group Behavior important factors
    3. Can't recognize unless you understand forces