Social Psychology Basics

Social Psychology

Definition

• Study of how people think, feel, and behave in social situations
• Examines how individuals perceive, influence, and relate to others

Key Concepts

Social Influence

• Conformity: changing behavior to match a group's norms
• Compliance: going along with a request or demand
• Obedience: following orders or instructions from an authority figure
• Social norms: unwritten rules that govern behavior in a group or society

Attitudes and Persuasion

• Attitudes: evaluative statements or feelings about objects, people, or ideas
• Cognitive dissonance: discomfort or tension resulting from conflicting attitudes or beliefs
• Persuasion: process of influencing attitudes or behaviors through communication

Social Perception

• Attribution theory: explaining causes of behavior or events
• Impression formation: forming opinions or impressions of others
• Stereotyping: oversimplifying or categorizing individuals based on group membership

Interpersonal Attraction

• Proximity: physical closeness or nearness
• Similarity: sharing characteristics or traits
• Reciprocity: mutual exchange of benefits or favors
• Attraction: romantic or social interest in another person

Theories

Social Identity Theory

• People derive identity and belonging from group membership
• In-group favoritism: preference for one's own group
• Out-group discrimination: negative behavior towards other groups

Self-Presentation Theory

• People present themselves to others in a way that is socially desirable
• Impression management: controlling how others perceive us
• Authenticity: being true to oneself

Attachment Theory

• Styles of attachment: secure, anxious, avoidant, or disorganized
• Attachment security: sense of safety and trust in relationships

Social Psychology in Real Life

Applications

• Marketing and advertising: understanding consumer behavior and attitudes
• Mental health: developing interventions for social anxiety, depression, and other disorders
• Education: improving teaching methods and student outcomes
• Workplace: enhancing teamwork, communication, and employee satisfaction

Social Psychology

Definition

• The study of how people think, feel, and behave in social situations, examining how individuals perceive, influence, and relate to others.

Key Concepts

Social Influence

• Conformity: changing behavior to match a group's norms, often due to social pressure, desire for acceptance, or fear of rejection.
• Compliance: going along with a request or demand, often due to obedience to authority, social norms, or desire for rewards.
• Obedience: following orders or instructions from an authority figure, even if it goes against personal values or morals.
• Social norms: unwritten rules that govern behavior in a group or society, often influencing attitudes and behaviors.

Attitudes and Persuasion

• Attitudes: evaluative statements or feelings about objects, people, or ideas, often influenced by personal experiences, social norms, and cultural values.
• Cognitive dissonance: discomfort or tension resulting from conflicting attitudes or beliefs, often leading to attitude change or behavioral modification.
• Persuasion: process of influencing attitudes or behaviors through communication, often using persuasive strategies like repetition, appeals to emotions, or social norms.

Social Perception

• Attribution theory: explaining causes of behavior or events, often influenced by personal biases, situational factors, and social norms.
• Impression formation: forming opinions or impressions of others, often influenced by appearance, behavior, and social cues.
• Stereotyping: oversimplifying or categorizing individuals based on group membership, often leading to inaccurate or unfair judgments.

Interpersonal Attraction

• Proximity: physical closeness or nearness, often increasing familiarity, comfort, and attraction.
• Similarity: sharing characteristics or traits, often increasing attraction, trust, and social bonding.
• Reciprocity: mutual exchange of benefits or favors, often increasing feelings of obligation, gratitude, and attraction.
• Attraction: romantic or social interest in another person, often influenced by physical attractiveness, personality, and shared values.

Theories

Social Identity Theory

• People derive identity and belonging from group membership, often leading to in-group favoritism and out-group discrimination.
• In-group favoritism: preference for one's own group, often resulting in discrimination, prejudice, or conflict with out-groups.
• Out-group discrimination: negative behavior towards other groups, often resulting in social exclusion, stereotypes, or conflict.

Self-Presentation Theory

• People present themselves to others in a way that is socially desirable, often to gain approval, respect, or admiration.
• Impression management: controlling how others perceive us, often through verbal and non-verbal cues, appearance, and behavior.
• Authenticity: being true to oneself, often increasing self-esteem, trust, and social relationships.

Attachment Theory

• Styles of attachment: secure, anxious, avoidant, or disorganized, influencing relationships, emotional regulation, and well-being.
• Attachment security: sense of safety and trust in relationships, often influencing emotional regulation, self-esteem, and social relationships.

Social Psychology in Real Life

Applications

• Marketing and advertising: understanding consumer behavior, attitudes, and social influence to promote products, services, and ideas.
• Mental health: developing interventions for social anxiety, depression, and other disorders, often using social psychological principles like cognitive-behavioral therapy.
• Education: improving teaching methods and student outcomes, often using social psychological principles like social influence, persuasion, and motivation.
• Workplace: enhancing teamwork, communication, and employee satisfaction, often using social psychological principles like leadership, motivation, and group dynamics.