PSYC 333 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: The Paradigm Shift, Stanford Prison Experiment, Solomon Asch
7 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Lecture'1:'Introduction'Persons'and'Situations''
(January'9)'
'
'
Bibliography:'
-Ross,' Lee.' “Introduction”' from' The' Person' and' the' Situation:' Perspectives' of' Social'
Psychology/'Lee'Ross,'Richard'E.'Nisbett.'Philadelphia:'Temple'University'Press,'1991.''
'
'
Introduction':'What'is'this'course'about?''
It'is'about'how$different$aspects$of$personality$can$affect$their$behaviour$in$some$
situations.$$
It'will'focus'on'methodology'and'the'presentation'of'data'and'results.''
It'also'is'about'the'integration'of'personality'and'social'psychology.'
Historically,'personality'and'social'psychology'had'been'distinguished.''
'
'
'
Plan:'
I.'Personality'Psychology'
' A.'Understanding'basic'human'nature'
'B.'Understanding'individual'differences'
'
II.'Experimental'Social'Psychology'
' A.'Example:'Conformity'(Asch)'
' B.'Example:'Stanford'Prison'Experiment'(Zimbardo)'
' C.'Example:'Bystander'Intervention'(Darley'and'Latané)'
'
III.'The'paradigm'shift'
' A.'Conscientiousness'and'punctuality''
' B.'Case'1:'Child'Athletes''
' C.'Case'2:'Summer'babies'less'likely'to'be'CEOs'
' D.'Case'3:'Newlywed'Satisfaction'
' E.'Case'4:'life'stress'and'depression'(Caspi'et'al,'2003)'
'
IV.'Person'X'Situation'interactions'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
I.'Personality'psychology'
A.'Understanding'basic'human'nature'
Example:'Maslow’s'hierarchy'of'needs.'
'
'
'
B.'Understanding'individual'differences'
Example:'The$“big$five”$personality$traits:'
-openness'
-conscientiousness'
-agreeableness'
-extraversion'
-neuroticism'
There'are'fundamental'dimensions'of'human'behaviour.'
People'vary'along'these'trait'dimensions.'
Knowing' where' people' fall' on' each' dimension' will' help' us' to' predict' their' behaviour'
across'situations'and'overtime.''
'
'
'
'
II.'Experimental'Social'Psychology'
It'was'very'concerned,'especially'in'early'time,'with'demonstrating$the$power$of$ the$
situation'(to'override'individual'differences).'
''
A.'Example:'Conformity'(Asch)'
Conformity:$adjusting'one’s'behaviour'of'thinking'to'coincide'with'a'group'standard.''
The$Experiment:$$
-People'think'there'are'here'for'a'“vision'test”.'There'is'one'innocent'participant'and'a'
few'experiment-actors'who'agreed'in'advance'what'their'(false)'responses'will'be.'The'
real' participant' believes' that' the' other' seven' participants' are' real' participants' like'
himself.'''
-Each'participant'had'to'state'aloud'which'comparison'line'(A,'B'or'C)'was'most'like'the'
target' line.' The' answer' was' always' obvious.' The' real' participant' sat' at' the' end' of' the'
row'and'gave'his'or'her'answer'last.''
-Solomon'Asch'Experiment-Actors'pick'the'wrong'line'and'then'the'real'participant'feels'
coerced' by' conformity' to' pick' something' they' know' is' wrong.' Most' of' the' time,' the'
participant'erroneously'agrees'about'length'of'lines.''
'
Results:'50'to'80%'of'the'people'will'agree'with'the'group'even'though'they'know'the'
group'is'wrong.''
'
'
'
B.'Example:'Stanford'Prison'Experiment'(Zimbardo)'
Adult'men'were'recruited'from'Palo'Alto'community.'
They' were' randomly' assigned' to' “prisoner”' or' “guard”=>' the' fact' that' is' was' done'
randomly' it' very' important' because' it' allows' us' to' make' causal' claims' about' the'
experiment.''
Over'6'days,'guards'displayed'authoritarian'measures'to'control'prisoners.'
Prisoners'became'passive'–'accepting'abuse,'punishing'other'prisoners,'ect.'
=>'The'situation'can'change'your'behaviour.''
'
'
C.'Example:'Bystander'Intervention'(Darley'and'Latané)'
A'girl'was'attacked'and'killed,'some'people'saw'it'but'nobody'called'the'police.''
=>' How' is' it' possible' that' people' witnessed' something' terrible' and' did' not' did'
everything?'
Suggested'explanations:'
-Maybe'new'Yorkers'were'indifferent'(it'happened'in'NYC)'
-Maybe'it'is'about'modern'industrial'society'that'makes'people'callous.''
Darley' and' Latané' showed' that' the$ diffusion$ of$ responsibility$ affects$ helping.' The'
larger' number' people' watch' something' happen,' the' less' people' will' react' to' the'
situation.''
'
'
'
'
'
Document Summary
Lecture 1: introduction persons and situations (january 9: understanding basic human nature, understanding individual differences, example: conformity (asch, example: stanford prison experiment (zimbardo, example: bystander intervention (darley and latan ) Introduction from the person and the situation: perspectives of social. It is about how different aspects of personality can affect their behaviour in some situations. It will focus on methodology and the presentation of data and results. It also is about the integration of personality and social psychology. Historically, personality and social psychology had been distinguished. Example: maslow"s hierarchy of needs: understanding individual differences. Knowing where people fall on each dimension will help us to predict their behaviour across situations and overtime. It was very concerned, especially in early time, with demonstrating the power of the situation (to override individual differences): example: conformity (asch) Conformity: adjusting one"s behaviour of thinking to coincide with a group standard. People think there are here for a vision test .
