Social Psychology Lecture Notes PDF

Social Psychology Helwan University Medical School Psychiatry Unit  Social Psychology is the study of how thinking, emotions and behavior are influenced by presence of others. American scholars were minded with intrapersonal phenomena, while European scholars focus...

Social Psychology Helwan University Medical School Psychiatry Unit  Social Psychology is the study of how thinking, emotions and behavior are influenced by presence of others. American scholars were minded with intrapersonal phenomena, while European scholars focused on interpersonal phenomena.  Intrapersonal phenomena A. Social comparison theory: People create their Self- perception /image /concept /esteem /efficacy based on comparing themselves to others. B. Social cognition: how we see others in social context 1. Impressions: preliminary social cognitions that have along lasting effect on one’s global evaluations (halo effect). 2. Attitudes: expressed global evaluations, likes and dislikes. 3. Attributes: how one explains behavior of others and his own behavior. ❑ Fundamental attribution error (self-serving bias): I do wrong things because the situation got me to do it, while others do wrong things because they are bad people. ❑ Ultimate attribution error: People in my group do wrong things because the situation got them to do it, while people in other groups do wrong things because they are bad people. ❑ Confirmation bias (self-fulfilling prophecy): look for details to prove a prefixed idea or judgment. ❑ Hindsight bias: “ I told you before” “ I expected this, but nobody listened to me” 4. Prejudice: pre-judgment before getting relevant facts How to reduce it? Contact – common goals – interdependence – equal status 5. Stigma: social disapproval of characteristics not going with social norms. The mentally ill people suffer stigma of illness.  Interpersonal phenomena Group is 2 or more members connected by social relations (network/ structure) aiming support and based on norms (implicit rules) and roles (implicit expectations from each individual) which render each member a social identity (status). Group dynamics: ▪ Social exchange theory postulates that relations are based on whether benefit from the relation is worth its duties (cost benefit analysis). ▪ Intergroup discrimination as regard roles may lead to group polarization (2 poles with conflicts in between). Group thinking: (better skills but more risk taking) ▪ Social loafing/bystander effect: decreased tendency to achieve goals when in groups & crowd/mob de-individuation is reduced self-awareness and disinhibition when in crowd. ▪ Social facilitation theory: presence of others facilitates performance of familiar tasks and degrades performance of unfamiliar tasks. A. Social influence is how others influence individual attitudes as: 1. Congruence: attitudes & behaviors agree 2. Conversion: attitudes & behaviors change by informative effect a) Persuasion: logic and emotional appeal to change attitude b)Propaganda: selective presentation of data to change attitude 3. Conformity: change in behavior to get along with others even if attitude is unchanged due to normative effect (as peer influence) without explicit request or demand to do that. Latane social impact theory: the larger the group and the latter to join it, the least you can influence the group. Asch experiments shows that minority can influence majority if certain of their opinion. A naïve participant tends to conform to uncertain wrong answers of the group, but not the clearly wrong Anti-conformity (reactance) deliberate challenge of norms (positive as pioneers or negative as misfits and outlaws). Latane social impact theory 4. Compliance: change in behavior even if attitude or preferences are unchanged in response to direct explicit request from equals. Un-compliance is overcome by foot in door technique which is asking people small favors first then gradually more favors. 5. Obedience: doing orders of authority figures (authority could be by reward, punishment, legitimacy or expertise) Milgram experiment: experimenter (E) requests target (T) to give electric shocks (faked) to his assistant (who pretends to be a learner (L) and pretends to be convulsing with every shock) for every wrong answer he gives. People shocked the learner (Obeying expertise). Stanford prison is a simulation of prison to study of psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or guard. Students with guard role abused students with prisoners’ role who passively accepted (authority abuse). Disobedience/ resistance for demand or command 6. Coercion: forcing by threat or violence Rebellion/ revolution in response to coercion Milgram experiment – Stanford prison Milgram experiment Stanford prison experiment B. Social relations (leadership-friendship – love -parenting - siblings) 1. Leadership is achieving a goal through organizing a team. Leader-member exchange theory suggests that leader provides benefits as task guidance, advice, support, and rewards and followers reciprocate by respect, cooperation, commitment to task and good performance. 2. Friendship is mutual affection between 2 or more people as to proximity, similarity and complementarity. It is necessary for child’s development and lacks in psychiatric disorders. Friendships starting in Adolescence tend to last longer. In adulthood, marriage, children and career development render less time to hang around with friends. In old age, friends’ area increase again. 3. Love relation Sternberg love triangle (matching) 4. Parenting Parenting Styles (authoritative is assumed to be the healthiest) Maccoby and Martin's Four Parenting Styles Demanding Undemanding Responsive Authoritative Indulgent (Permissive) Unresponsive Authoritarian Neglectful 5. Siblings’ relation Competing: this could lead to rivalry Allaying: this may lead to generation gap between parents & children Thank you ☺