Questions and Answers
What do social psychologists study?
Social psychologists use scientific methods to study how people think about, influence, and relate to one another.
What is Social Psychology?
What does Attribution Theory explain?
Attribution Theory explains that we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition.
What is the Fundamental Attribution Error?
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How do attitudes and actions interact?
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What is an Attitude?
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What is Peripheral Route Persuasion?
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What is Central Route Persuasion?
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What is the Foot-In-The-Door Phenomenon?
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What is a Role?
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What is Cognitive Dissonance Theory?
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What is Automatic Mimicry?
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What is Conformity?
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What is Normative Social Influence?
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What is Informational Social Influence?
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Study Notes
Social Psychology Overview
- Social psychologists investigate thoughts, influences, and relationships among people using scientific methods.
- Behavior varies across situations; the same person may act differently depending on contextual factors.
Attribution Theory
- Explains behavior through two lenses: the situation or personal disposition.
- People often misjudge causes for others' actions, attributing them to stable traits rather than situational factors.
Fundamental Attribution Error
- Tendency to underestimate situational impacts and overestimate personal traits when analyzing others' behavior.
Attitudes and Actions Interaction
- Attitudes are feelings shaped by beliefs, influencing responses to objects, people, and events.
- Different persuasion methods:
- Peripheral route persuasion relies on incidental cues (e.g., celebrity endorsements) for quick attitude changes.
- Central route persuasion involves thoughtful consideration of evidence and arguments.
- Stable, specific, and easily recalled attitudes can influence actions, and actions can influence attitudes.
- Cognitive dissonance arises from conflicting thoughts; people may change attitudes to alleviate discomfort.
Key Terms Related to Attitude
- Attitude: Feeling that predisposes certain responses.
- Peripheral Route Persuasion: Influence through incidental cues.
- Central Route Persuasion: Influence through careful consideration of arguments.
- Foot-In-The-Door Phenomenon: People agree to a larger request after initially agreeing to a smaller one.
Social Roles and Expectations
- Role: Set expectations defining behavior in a social position.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
- Aims to lessen discomfort when thoughts conflict, often leading to attitude adjustments.
- Examples: Reconciling feelings after breakups or taking an undesired job.
Conformity and Social Influence
- Conformity: Adjusting behavior/mindset to group standards.
- Automatic mimicry reflects unconscious imitation of others (the chameleon effect).
- Factors increasing likelihood of conformity include:
- Feelings of incompetence or insecurity.
- Group sizes of at least three.
- Consensus among group members.
- Admiration for the group's status.
- Lack of prior commitments to another response.
- Awareness of being observed.
- Cultural norms emphasizing social conformity.
Types of Social Influence
- Normative Social Influence: Desire for approval shapes behavior; avoiding disapproval is a key motivator.
- Informational Social Influence: Acceptance of others’ opinions as valid information enhances conformity.
Milgram's Obedience Experiments
- Demonstrated the significant impact of social influence on behavior, particularly in authority contexts.
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Description
This quiz focuses on Chapter 13 of Social Psychology, exploring how social psychologists utilize scientific methods to analyze human behavior in social contexts. It covers the variability in actions based on different situations and cultural influences on behavior interpretation.
