War, Peace, and Love

Conflict = “a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas”

How do we categorize conflicts? Internal (within oneself) or external (between individuals)

Types of Internal Conflicts1. Approach-approach:

choice must be made between two attractive choices.

2. Avoidance-avoidance: choice must be made between two unattractive choices.

3. Approach-avoidance: a choice must be make about whether or not to pursue a single goal that has both attractive and unattractive aspects.

Identify the following type of conflict:

1. John can’t decide whether to take a demeaning job in a car wash or to go on welfare.

2. Desiree wants to apply to a highly selective law school, but she hates the risk of possible rejection.

3. Vanessa has been shopping for a new car and is torn between a nifty little sports car and a classy sedan, both of which she really likes.

- When a person’s beliefs about others (or themselves) leads one to act in ways that appear to confirm the belief.

- Rosenthal study- Parenting-

- The self-esteem generation

Self-fulfilling Prophecy

External Conflicts

Social traps – situations in which conflicting parties become caught in mutually destructive behavior

The Prisoner’s Dilemma?

Prisoner B stays silent

(cooperates)

Prisoner B betrays

(defects)

Prisoner A stays silent

(cooperates)

Each serves 1 year

Prisoner A: 3 yearsPrisoner B: goes free

Prisoner A betrays

(defects)

Prisoner A: goes freePrisoner B: 3 years

Each serves 2 years

Tragedy of the commons

Others cooperate (2 points) Others defect (10 points)

You cooperate (2 points) You – 2, Others - 2 You – 2, Others - 10

You defect (10 points) You – 10, Others – 2 You – 0, Others - 0

Tragedy of the extra credit

Sibling cooperates (eat 1 bowl/day)

Sibling defects (eats 5 bowls/day)

You cooperate (eat 1 bowl/day)

Cereal lasts! You – Get little cerealSibling – Gets lots

You defect (eat 5 bowls/day)

You – Get lots of cerealSibling – Gets little

Cereal is gone in one day.

Tragedy of the sugar cereal

Can you make a chart like this for doping in sports?

Others cooperate (don’t dope)

Others defect (dope)

You cooperate (don’t dope)

Fair competition. You lose!

You defect (dope) You win! Everyone sacrifices his/her health.

Doping

How do we make peace?• Cooperation toward a superordinate (group)

goal (Sherif’s boy scout study)• GRIT (graduated and reciprocated initiatives in

tension-reduction) (“Don’t threaten”)

Altruism“unselfish regard for others”

• Kitty Genovese story• Three factors required

for us to help another:1. We must NOTICE the situation.2. we must RECOGNIZE the situation as an emergency.3. we must assume RESPONSIBILITY for helping (story of my mom’s friend)

Bystander effectThe presence of others decreases

the likelihood that we will respond, primarily because we think someone else will take responsibility.

From Jerusalem to Jericho… (Darley and Latane)

- The Good Samaritan- What is a better predictor of

altruism – personality or situational factors?

- Measured the degree of altruism as related to three variables: degree of hurry, mindfulness of attitude, type of religiosity

- Only degree of hurry mattered!

People are more likely to help if…

1. They recently saw someone else being helpful.2. No one else is around.3. They are not in a hurry.4. The victim appears to deserve help.5. The victim is similar to us.6. We are in a small town.7. We feel guilty.8. We are not preoccupied.9. We are in a good mood.

Or maybe there is no real altruism…

Social exchange theory – helpful behavior occurs when the benefits outweigh the costs.