Social Influence on BeliefsHow do people around us influence what we

think and how we act

Section 2 #6 in notebook

Objectives: the student will

• #What is social cognition and cognitive Neuroscience?

• #Explain attributes/attribute theory (2 factors) and the 3 factors in

• Explain Attitudes and familiarity and validity effects

• Analyze the process why people join a cult… and coercive persuasion ( BRAIN WASHING)

Who does it?

• Social cognition is an area in social psychology concerned with social influences on thought, memory, perception, and beliefs

• Not only what people are doing but what is going on in head while doing it

New specialty- neuroscience + cognitive

• Social cognitive neuroscience draws upon technologies from neuroscience to study the emotional and social processes underlying beliefs, prejudices, and social behavior

• Explanations on behavior, formation of attitudes

AttributionsAttribution theoryTheory that people are motivated to explain own and others’ behavior by attributing causes of behavior to situation or disposition

Fundamental attribution errorTendency to overestimate personality factors and underestimate situational influence

chapter 10

Attributions

• Attribution theory is the theory that people are motivated to explain their own and other peoples behavior by attributing causes of that behavior to a situation or a disposition

• Who did it and why? (Persons and Action) explanations #terrible childhood, mental illness, demon possession

• Two categories of theory

Graphic split

• Situational attribution identifies the cause of an action as something in the situation or environment

• Identifying Cause of action as something in the environment

• “ Joe stole the money because his family is starving”

Split G.O. style

• Dispositional attribution identifies the cause of an action as something in the person, such as a trait or a motive

• “ Joe stole the money because he is born a thief”

Attributes FACTORS

• Find reasons for others behavior, reveal common bias: overestimate personality traits AND underestimate situation

• My kid would never steal, my wife would never cheat…what about situation?

• Called 1.Fundamental attribution error is the tendency, in explaining other peoples behavior, to overestimate personality factors and underestimate the influence of the situation

• Explained Milgram and Zimbardo- sadistic by nature

AttributionsSelf-serving biasTendency to take credit for one’s good actions but to rationalize one’s mistakes

Just-world hypothesisMany people need to believe that the world is fair and that justice is served.

Bad people are punished and good people rewarded.

chapter 10

Explain own behavior

• 2.Self serving bias is the tendency, in explaining ones own behavior, to take credit for ones good actions and rationalize ones mistakes

• Taking credit for good actions, but let situation account for failures

• “ I won the game because of my skill”• “ the sun was in my eye so I dropped the ball”

Explain world’s behavior

• 3.Just-world hypothesis is the notion that many people need to believe that the world is fair and that justice is served, that bad people are punished and good people are rewarded

• People are fair, rewarded; bad people punished• Deity/ God/ Religion/ Karma • Blame the victim- friend fired, not working hard

enough; woman raped, dressed provocatively; innocent bystander shot by police, shouldn't have been in the way

Your turnYour roommate studies hard for the psychology test, but does not do very well. After receiving the results, she says “It really wasn’t a fair test.” What sort of bias is reflected in this attribution?1. Fundamental attribution error2. Self-serving bias3. Just world hypothesis

chapter 10

Your turnYour roommate studies hard for the psychology test, but does not do very well. After receiving the results, she says “It really wasn’t a fair test.” What sort of bias is reflected in this attribution?1. Fundamental attribution error2. Self-serving bias3. Just world hypothesis

chapter 10

#3 Attitudes

• Attitude is a belief about people, groups, ideas, or activities. Can be implicit, we are aware of them or explicit, we are unaware of them

• People, groups, ideas or activities

AttitudesA relatively stable opinion containing beliefs and emotional feelings about a topic.Explicit: we are aware of them, they shape conscious decisions

Implicit: we are unaware of them, they influence our behavior in ways we do not recognize

chapter 10

Types of attitudes=Shifting opinions vs. bedrock beliefs

• Movies, sports, casual opinions to passionate convictions

• friend neutral baseball but you are devoted fan= probably still friends

• But subject gives meaning and purpose to life= different ball game ( politics and religion)

• Some strict principals, guide lines for interpretation, some accept rituals, some no religion or actively rebel

Origin of attitudes# where they come from

• Psychologists used to think all learned= parents, experiences, economic circumstances, environment, social influences

• However some now argue behavioral genetics- some core attitudes stem from personality traits that are highly heredible

• Open to experience from personality= strong genetic correlation

Factors influencing attitude change

Change in social environment

Change in behaviors

Need for consistencyCognitive dissonance: a state of tension that develops when a person simultaneously holds two contradictory cognitions or when a person’s belief is incongruent with his/her behavior

chapter 10

Influencing attitudeschapter 10

Attitude change

• New info or experience• Cognitive dissonance is a state of tension that

occurs when a person simultaneously holds two cognitions that are psychologically inconsistent or when a persons belief is incongruent with his or her behavior

• Prision study

Cognitive dis. Graphic ORGANIZER

Friendly persuasion

• Social influence- friends, advertisers, politicians

• Believe one thing or another• Familiarity effect is the tendency of people to

feel more positive toward a person, item, product or other stimulus that they have often seen

Since 1912

Attitudes

• Validity effect is the tendency of people to believe that a statement is true or valid simply because it has been repeated many times

• See info in movies• Wait 45 min to swim• Joseph Gobbles called this technique, the big

lie

Validity effect

Coercive Persuasion

• Suicide bombing- how could someone strap bomb to body?

• Jim Jones- people temple- 913 people drank Kool-Aid mixed with cyanide

• David Koresh- cult in Waco, fiery death, shoot-out• Heavens gate in San Diego, 38 commit suicide

waiting for space ship• WHY?

Coercive persuasionPerson is under physical or emotional duress.Person’s problems are reduced to one simple explanation, repeated often.Leader offers unconditional love, acceptance, and attention.New identity based on group is created.Person is entrapped.Person’s access to information is controlled.

chapter 10

Cult mass suicide= heavens gate

End in Waco

Key in process- six steps

• The person is put under physical or emotional stress (No eat, sleep or exercise, dark room)

• The persons problems are reduced to one simple explanation, which is repeatedly emphasized (Jews, government, nonbelievers)

• The leader offers unconditional love, acceptance, and attention (love bath from group- constant praise and affection)

More in process

• A new identity based on the group is created (part of chosen, elite, or saved- new name)

• The person is subjected to entrapment- (small things then increase weekend, another weekend, weekly seminar, advanced courses, contribute money)

• The persons access to information is severely controlled

Summary

• Attributes• Attitudes• Power of persuasion