Social Psychology

Influence of Groups on our Behaviors

Attribution Theory: How we explain the behavior of others

Why did the Nazi’s during WWII commit atrocities against fellow human beings?

Why are people homeless?

Why are some people in prison?

What are the major reasons why people become substance abusers?

Dispositional vs. Situational

Dispositional Attribution: Believe that people’s personality and personal choices can explain why they behave as they do.

Situational Attribution: Look at the various factors and pressures in a person’s situation to help explain why they behave as they do.

Explanations for Your Behaviors

Why did you cheat on a test?

Why do you sometimes lie?

Why have you teased or bullied someone?

Make the Attribution Error for the behavior of others but for our own

When we are explaining other people’s behaviors, we overplay their disposition or personality and ignore the significant impact of situational variables.

However, when explaining our own misdeeds, we are more than willing to address the pressures of the situation!

Conformity to Norms of Groups

Asch Experiment: Which line matches one on left?

Asch Study is a classic in demonstrating conformity

Groups have norms or standards of behavior

We tend to conform to the norms of a group even if we don’t agree. Why?

One-third of the time, subjects conformed to the wrong answer in the line experiment if 4 or more others first gave the wrong answer.

Group Think

Groups members work more toward harmony and avoidance of discord than toward critical thinking

Groupthink is more likely to occur when strong members speak early, frequently and strongly about their opinions

NASA: Challenger Shuttle Tragedy

Engineers under pressure from Directors of the Mission

Engineers knew that the weather was way too cold for the O ring to function properly to maintain the integrity of the shuttle

Spent time making their case but in the end they caved, resulting in the inevitable explosion of the Challenger after take-off

Columbia Shuttle Crew

Left Wing Harmed Upon Take-off

Classic Group Think

Engineers concerned about foam hitting the wing of Columbia

Two directors of Columbia mission immediately dismiss their concerns and fairly quickly reduced dissent

Why difficult to dissent at that point?

Columbia Disintegrating upon Reentry

Juries: 12 Angry Men

Plot of “12 Angry Men”

Start with judge sending jury to room for deliberation Room is very hot and most want to get home as

quickly as possible Take a close ballot and only one dissents from a

vote of guilty Henry Fonda asks them simply to re-examine the

evidence Much anger and bitterness develops See how jury moves from 11-1 for guilty to 12-0, not

guilty—very absorbing drama.

Bystander Apathy: Kitty Genovese

This was the incident that started the research on bystander apathy

Over 38 people stated to the police that they had heard Kitty yell for help

Many of them also had seen her being assaulted

None came to her assistance or even called the police. Why?

What reasons did the witnesses give for not taking action?

Karl Ross called police at 3:50 but not before call friend to ask what he should do.

Middle-class neighborhood but large apartment complex—therein lies the problem—diffusions of responsibility

Rationales given to police by residents:

Sounded like a “lovers’ quarrel.”Didn’t want to get involvedFrankly, we were afraid.Were too tired.

Studies of Bystander Apathy

Number of witnesses to crises crucial to if someone will come forward to assist

Ideal number is one or two

Four or more and likely to ignore or observe without assisting

Scene of Bystander Apathy: Train Station in Liverpool

Famous Studies by Latane & Darley

Experiment where subjects sit in a room completing a questionnaire when smoke begins to enter the room.

If subject is the only person in room, 75% leave room to report possible emergency

If three subjects in room, only 38% of the time will one of them report the smoke

If two passive confederates are in room with subject, subject reports only 10% of the time.

How respond when smoke flowing into the room

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE5YwN4NW5o

Explanation Give for Behavior

If report that smoke flowing into the room, state do so because it could be fire

If not report the smoke but, instead stay seated, state not believe it was a dangerous situation

No one ever mentions that presence of others doing nothing about the fire inhibited them from reporting smoke

Lady in Distress Experiment

Situation: Sitting in Room when hear woman fall and appear to have been hurt

Sitting alone: 70% assist Sitting with stranger: 40% help Sitting with one passive confederate: 7% What are reasons give?

Zimbardo’s Prison Experiment

Male Stanford College Students Volunteer to participate

Randomly assigned to be prisoners or guards

Guards tended to conform to maltreatment of prisoners OR did nothing to protest treatment

Prisoners initially work together but soon felt isolated

Video about Prison Experiment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RazP8D-Mfe8&feature=related

Zimbardo Interview on Daily Show

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-march-29-2007/philip-zimbardo

Treatment of Iraqi Detainees by American Soldiers: No one in charge

Conforming Behavior in Schools

Gang up and bully certain kids

More willing to perform anti-social behaviors in groups

Why do we conform?

Obedience Experiment by Milgram

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6GxIuljT3w

Obedience Experiment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6GxIuljT3w

Percentage that obeyed at each degree of shock

Programmed Responses

Degree of Obedience Depend on Situational Variables

Assertiveness Training

Have the right to refuse to request and to right a wrong

Self-assertion: Stand up for these rights by speaking on your behalf

Direct, honest expression of feelings and desires

Methods used by Cults

Initially very affectionate and friendly to people who are a bit lonely and depressed

Isolate from non-cult members to increase commitment and decrease critical thinking

Ask small favors at first, like attending a meeting

Slowly increase time, effort and $$ contributions

Encourage unquestioning acceptance of beliefs and dogma

Members begin as

balanced, thinking

people but taught to

suspend faculties

of independence

and objective

thought.

Members not know they are joining a cult!

Join because think group will fulfill genuine spiritual needs and for finding meaning in their life within an apparent caring community

Cult leaders give lip service to being “humble” leaders when actually receive and expect honor from followers that borders on worship.

Use of Indoctrination

Expose continually to propaganda of the cult

Use “Foot in the Door” tactics

Start with small favors

Slowly escalate in what asking of members

Gain Total Control Over Members

Sign over bank accounts Give control over children and women Leaders are portrayed as having total control Cult presents positive image to community Fundamentalist groups of all religions seem

to be inclined toward forming cult-like societies

Leaders of Cults

Speak and act from an infallible, unquestioned position of divine authority

Authority to pronounce words and teachings that have the weight of absolute power behind them

Usually a charismatic male

Jim Jones Cult Members Commit Suicide

Tragedy of Guyana: Jim Jones Story

Prejudice

Increase under frustration More commonly directed at group that

presents a threat Conforming to our reference group Prejudiced personality: authoritarian, rigid,

see things in black and white, impressed by power, accepts over-simplifications

Prejudice

Experiencing frustration

Perceive a group or person as a threat

Conforming to reference groups

Variable that Encourage Aggression

Biological Capacity for not sufficient Frustration Under High Stress Excessive heat Aversive stimuli around as a knife or gun Aggressive models

Factors that encourage pro-social & anti-social behaviors

Role models in your home

Behavior of peers

Stories covered in the media

Role models shown on TV and in films