SOCPSY 1Z03 Lecture 1: 1. Introduction - jan 6th.docx

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Social Psychology
• Course: SOCPSY 1Z03
• Professor: Paul Glavin

Document Summary

Social psychologists are interested in issues such as: Why people do what there told to, even when they know it is wrong. Example: nazi worshippers following what hitler was doing. Serious of experiments, listen to demands and experts who tell the tester" (subject) what to do. Before doing the experiment, ask other scientists, how many people do you think will go to the highest voltage, because they are listening to a smart scientist who says its ok to do so. Could influence the tester, just by who was in the room (the scientist, smart figure) Social psychologists examine human behaviour and the social world by following a scientific method. They make systematic observations of behaviour and formulate theories that are subject to testing. The systematic study of the nature and causes of human social behaviour . Social psychologists are skeptical of personal experience as a means to understanding human social behaviour.