Microsociology: Testing Interaction Theories

“Social Psychology”

The Rational Choice Proposition

Within the limits of their information and available choices, guided by their preferences and tastes, humans will tend to maximize.

limits of info and available choices….. social forces powerful – Stark: people have different basis for making choice and different alternatives from which to choose

Preferences and tastes define what the individual finds rewarding or unrewarding.

Tend to maximize

Altruism? Is there any such thing as selfless behavior

From a rational choice perspective perhaps not

But people are selfless – Mother Teresa Her behavior violates rational choice only if

we adopt narrow definition of rewards Power of Christian message is NOT that we

avoid rewards. It is that we should find rewards in serving others.

Symbolic Interaction Theory

Assumption is that much of what we want we can only get from others – social beings

People are endlessly influencing and being influenced by other people around them.

Interaction through the use of symbols makes and keeps people human.

Who are you? “Self,” “Identity”…Self: Conception of who we are George H Mead – Self develops when we can

“take the role of the other” E.g., Soccer game with young vs. older

children Charles Cooley’s “Looking Glass Self” – we

see ourselves as we think others see us– We imagine how we appear to others– We judge ourselves– We manipulate who we are

Exchange Theory

Central concern is to explain how people exchange rewards with one another.

Exchanges occur because each partner values what the other offers more than what must be offered in return.

Exchange Theory: Relationships that are not reciprocal are unstable In the absence of restraints, cheating is expected

– try to get more than we give Law of liking – cooperation and agreeing = liking Law of agreement – the more we like = more

agreement Law of inequality – easier to like people of similar

rank Law of conformity – solidarity = intense demand

for conformity

Famous Studies

Solomon Asch A B C

Asch study shows….

Role of solidarity – 33% gave wrong answer when all in agreement, only 5% when one disagreed

Power of social influence – we are “vulnerable” - perhaps far more than we want to realize

Smart to consider implications– E.g., Olympic judges, group meetings

Lofland and Stark research on the Unification Church

People brainwashed? No, more a matter of understanding the principles of conformity

Ideology/theology identification explain conversion?

No – attachment to others (and conformity that results) explains ideology/theology– Only people who developed strong ties within

converted– People who could not neutralize outside group ties

did not– Beliefs came later

Lofland and Stark study shows

People are drawn to the commitments, beliefs, convictions of others

Not so easy to believe the unbelievable But if people to whom we are attached

believe….

Measurement and Research

Theorize…. Hypothesize… Collect data Hypothesis = predicted relationship

between independent and dependent variable

Independent = causal variable Dependent = result/consequence

variable

Criteria for a Cause-and-Effect Relationship

When any one is not met, a cause-and-effect relationship does not exist:

Time order: A cause must occur before its effect.

Correlation: Changes in the cause must produce changes in the proposed effect.

Nonspuriousness: Two variables must actually have a cause-and-effect relationship– Sexual behavior and heart attacks causally

related?

Two Research Methods

Experimental research – good at establishing cause and effect relationships

Non-Experimental – not so good…. – “Field Research”

Non-Experimental

Smoking and cancer - what do you do?– Look at association (correlation) – do people with

lung cancer smoke more?– 3 conditions of cause met?

Spanking and Antisocial behavior – what do you do– Kids who are spanked more likely to engage in

antisocial behavior– 3 conditions of cause met?

Experimental Design

2 fundamental features1. Manipulate the independent variable2. Random assignment

Most desirable method because easier to establish cause and effect relationships…. Why?

Manipulation of I.V. solves time order problem Randomization solves spurious problem

(everything essentially held constant) E.g., Drug Education Programs

What is a correlation coefficient? What is statistical significance? Why introduced to Asch and

Lofland/Stark studies here?– Asch is experiment (Independent variable

= solidarity)– Lofland/Stark non-experimental field

research