Social Psychology Part 1

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Questions and Answers

What is the first step in the five steps to helping according to Latane & Darley?

Interpret as an emergency

Take responsibility

Decide how to help

Notice an emergency (correct)

What phenomenon describes the situation where the presence of others decreases the likelihood of an individual helping in emergencies?

Social loafing

Group polarization

Deindividuation

Bystander effect (correct)

Which factor contributes to the bystander effect by causing individuals to think 'someone else will help'?

Mental calculations of risk

Anonymity

Fear of social blunders

Diffusion of responsibility (correct)

Which of these options is NOT a step in Latane & Darley's 5 Steps to Helping?

Take blame Signup and view all the answers

What is one of the reasons people might feel less inclined to help if they believe they are anonymous?

Fear of social blunders Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of social psychology?

The study of how other people's behavior influences our thoughts, feelings, and actions Signup and view all the answers

Which phenomenon describes the tendency of individuals to exert less effort when working in a group compared to working alone?

Social loafing Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best defines social facilitation?

The increase in physiological arousal when in the presence of others leading to improved performance of well-learned tasks Signup and view all the answers

What does groupthink primarily refer to?

The collective agreement of a group without critical reasoning Signup and view all the answers

In the context of social psychology, what is deindividuation?

A loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations Signup and view all the answers

How did Norman Triplett's observation in 1897 contribute to the understanding of social psychology?

He noted that individuals perform better in the presence of others Signup and view all the answers

What is the bystander effect?

The decrease in likelihood of helping an individual when others are present Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best indicates the need for individuals to belong to groups?

To fulfill fundamental human motives and survival Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary goal of Stanley Milgram's study in the 1960s?

To understand obedience to authority Signup and view all the answers

At what voltage did the switchboard indicate 'DANGER! SEVERE SHOCK'?

375 Volts Signup and view all the answers

How many participants were predicted by psychiatrists to go to 450 volts?

1 out of 1000 Signup and view all the answers

What personality traits have been noted to increase obedience and willingness to inflict pain in Milgram's findings?

Hostility and Narcissism Signup and view all the answers

What does the Bystander Effect refer to?

The failure to offer help when others are present Signup and view all the answers

Which incident brought national attention to the Bystander Effect?

The murder of Kitty Genovese Signup and view all the answers

What was one conclusion from Milgram's study regarding obedience?

Obedience results mainly from the situation's context Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of participants actually administered shocks up to the lethal level of 450 volts?

62.5% Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary concern associated with groupthink?

Dominance of agreement over realistic options Signup and view all the answers

What mechanism can help prevent groupthink within a group?

Assigning a devil's advocate Signup and view all the answers

Which factor increases conformity in a group setting according to the Asch line study?

Group Size Signup and view all the answers

What is normative influence in the context of conformity?

Adopting behaviors to avoid social ridicule Signup and view all the answers

What has been identified as a potential disadvantage of heterogeneous groups?

Difficulty in achieving agreement Signup and view all the answers

What defines obedience in social influence?

Following orders from someone of authority Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a consequence of attitude polarization?

Less interest in differing viewpoints Signup and view all the answers

Why might individuals conform to a group during a decision-making process?

To avoid appearing foolish Signup and view all the answers

What is social loafing and when is it likely to occur?

The tendency to exert less effort in a group, especially when the task is unimportant. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors is most likely to reduce social loafing?

Identifiable personal efforts within a group setting. Signup and view all the answers

What is the consequence of deindividuation in group situations?

More social loafing and potential for antisocial behavior. Signup and view all the answers

Group polarization refers to which phenomenon?

The tendency for groups to adopt more extreme positions after discussion. Signup and view all the answers

What is a common outcome after a discussion among dog lovers about adopting dogs?

Heightened preference for adopting dogs among dog lovers. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of anonymity in fostering antisocial behavior in groups?

Anonymity removes personal accountability, leading to antisocial actions. Signup and view all the answers

What initial group dynamic can lead to group polarization?

Sharing similar initial attitudes before discussion. Signup and view all the answers

What might a group focusing on cat ownership discuss that could reinforce their opinions?

The benefits of cat ownership compared to dog ownership. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social psychology studies how other people influence thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Social psychologists investigate how others' behavior affects individuals.
Social psychologists examine how people behave differently in groups.
Social psychologists are interested in how people think about others.
Connections with others are important for human survival.
Humans have a fundamental need to belong.

Learning Outcomes

To define social psychology.
To understand how groups can help or harm individuals. Examples include social loafing, deindividuation, group polarization, and groupthink.
To understand how obedience and conformity influence individuals. This includes the Milgram experiment and the Asch line experiment.
To understand the bystander effect.

Social psychology investigates how people are affected by others.

Why Do We Care?

Connections with others are crucial for survival.
People have a fundamental need to belong to groups.

How Other People Influence Us

The presence of others can influence how people behave.
Behavior in the presence of others can depend on the circumstances.
A 1897 study by Norman Triplett found that bicycle racers perform better in competitions than when riding alone.
The presence of others increases physiological arousal.

Social facilitation strengthens dominant responses in the presence of others.
Heightened arousal is linked to presence of others
Performance on difficult tasks is poorer with the presence of others, compared to easier tasks

Hypothetical Situation

A final research project requires a chosen topic, summary of relevant research, a research question, study design, data collection/analysis, and presentation of results.
Students could choose between individual and group projects.

Groups

A group is a collection of two or more individuals working or interacting together.
Groups help get things done and make accurate decisions.

Social loafing is the reduction of individual effort in a group setting.
Examples include tug-of-war.
Individuals work less hard in groups when tasks are less meaningful.
Loafing decreases when working with friends instead of strangers.
Identifiable personal effort incentivizes harder work.

Another Problem with Goal 1: Deindividuation

Deindividuation occurs when people lose their self-awareness and feel less accountable in a group.
This can occur at night, in costumes, or online.
Deindividuation can lead to more social loafing and antisocial behavior.

Problem with Goal 2: Group Polarization

Group polarization refers to the strengthening of initial leanings during group discussions.
This can make attitudes more extreme.
For example, discussion among cat & dog lovers will likely intensify their stances favouring cats or dogs.

Problem with Goal 2: Groupthink

Groupthink occurs when a group's desire for agreement overrides the critical evaluation of alternative actions.
Groupthink can lead to poor decisions.
Groupthink is seen in situations where people avoid generating or evaluating different ideas in order to maintain group harmony. Examples include Challenger space shuttle explosion, Salem Witch trials, and Nazi Germany.

Preventing Groupthink

Heterogeneous groups are more likely to generate novel ideas and different perspectives.
Having a devil's advocate can challenge the dominant viewpoint.

Obedience and Conformity

Conformity is changing behavior to match the opinions and behaviors of others.
Obedience is changing behavior in response to an order from an authority.

Conformity

Conformity occurs for normative and informational influence.
Normative Influence involves adhering to the crowd to avoid appearing foolish or to fit in.
Informational Influence means that people conform because they believe a group opinion to be correct.

Conformity: Normative Influences

The Asch line study (1955) showed that individuals often conform to group errors, especially when the group size increases.
Dissension reduces likelihood of conformity.
Written responses, independently of the group, reduce errors.

Obedience

This can lead to actions individuals consider to be wrong.
The Milgram experiment, conducted in the 1960s, tested obedience to authority.
Participants were instructed to administer increasingly stronger electric shocks to another person (an actor) when the participant answered questions incorrectly. Results showed a strong tendency towards obedience, with 62.5% of participants continuing to the maximum voltage.

The Experiment (Methods)

Participants thought they were delivering a shock to another person for mistakes on a quiz.
The other person was an actor, not receiving real shocks.
The voltage increased with each error.
The experiment demonstrated how far individuals are willing to go to obey authority.

The Experiment (Results)

Psychiatrists predicted minimal obedience in the Milgram study.
The results showed a high level of obedience.
A significant percentage of participants continued to deliver shocks even when the other person reacted with increasing distress or screams.

Milgram's Findings

Obedience changes based on the proximity of the participant to the person receiving the shocks.
A greater percentage of participants administered high voltage shocks when the teacher and learner were in different rooms.
The experimenter's presence, or absence and instructions, influenced the level of obedience.
Other people's willingness to disobey impacted obedience levels.

Milgram's Conclusion

Obedience in the Milgram study was a lot more about the situation than the personality of the participant.

Conformity creates better functioning groups and organizes larger groups and keeps society running smoothly.
Belongingness and obedience can help organise society.

Bystander Effect

The bystander effect is a situation where individuals do not help someone in need due to the presence of others.
The Kitty Genovese case, where a woman was murdered while multiple witnesses failed to intervene, highlighted this phenomenon.

Latane & Darley - 5 Steps to Helping

Helping someone in need depends on people noticing an emergency.
Interpreting the situation as an emergency.
Taking personal responsibility for helping.
Deciding on how to help.
Providing help.
The presence of others can hinder any of these steps.

Bystander Effect - Why?

The diffusion of responsibility means people believe someone else will step up to help.
Fear of social blunders can deter helping actions.
Individuals may be more hesitant to help out of concern for public perception.
Individuals may be disinclined to help if in an anonymous setting.

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Description

Explore the fundamentals of social psychology, including how individuals are influenced by the behavior of others. This quiz covers key concepts such as group behavior, conformity, and the importance of social connections for human survival. Understand the implications of social phenomena like the bystander effect and the Milgram experiment.