PSYCH 135 Lecture : 135 - Notes #1 Five Hypotheses
Lecture Notes!
In class activity #1a: follow what ( do whatever ) Dr. Smurda says - all class activity!
•at the start, the commands were innocent such as “stand up” and not very
questionable - we could all do it!
•then, the commands became more questionable such as being disrespectful and mean
directly to Dr. Smurda’s face without any reason apart that she told us it was ok to !
•when she said to do something obscene and something that conflicts with
what you think the norms are in the classroom, there was an internal conflict!
•result: some people did it while others didn’t!
Reasons for result #1a: Why did some people did it?!
1. Conformity to Authority !
•people tend to follow what those in authoritative positions say!
•hard to know what that the means here !
•should you obey? OR should you be respectful?!
2. Conformity to group norms!
Situations are ambiguous !
•we look at others to define the situations !
•and often without even realizing it, so it feels like we chose independently !
•it feels like we chose to actually do the thing, that we had a choice,
when in fact, that’s not 100% the case!
• if some people did it, we would be more compelled to do it too !
•because it seemed to us that it is ok to do it, we look and see
they didn’t receive any bad consequences/punishments for
doing it => becomes socially acceptable in a way !
Conscientious Objectors !
•= din motive de constiinta refuza sa se plece in fata autoritatilor!
•a person who for reasons of conscience objects to serving in the
armed forces ( because of conscience, beliefs or religious
reasons)!
•are we really conscientious objectors?!
•or do we think we are until something tips us over?!
3. Diffusion of Responsibility!
•we don’t feel as responsible for our actions if they match with the group’s
actions!
•irresponsibility !
•eg no single believes that is it to blame for the flood!
4.Priming !
subtle clothing primes!
•we tend to look for cues and listen to those who look like they are more
authoritative!
•formal, business clothes = more authority => more internal conflict !
•casual, laid back clothes = less authority => less internal conflict !
•in this example, more people tend to be rude to an authority when
asked to by an authority if the authority figure is dressed in casual
clothes (eg shorts, T-shirt, jeans) whereas less people conform to the
commands when the authority figure is dressed in formal, business
clothes!
•In class activity #1b: one person isolated in front told to directly face Dr. Smurda and be rude!
•result: person would hesitate more at first, but will eventually do it !
Reasons for Result:!
find more resources at oneclass.com
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•Acting alone vs Acting with others!
•when one is alone, one can’t look to others to define the situation !
•all of the responsibility is on the person!
What we think After the Fact!
•when asked about why we do the things that we do!
•we don’t answer any of the 4 reasons displayed above !
•these are the reasons we did the things we did and all without realizing about
them !
•instead!
•we say that:!
• we saw the situation accurately and independently !
•saw the situation for what is was!
•made our own decision by ourselves!
•if the experimenter would tell the subjects that those were the real
reasons for them to act the way that they did, the subjects would:!
•think that those reasons sound crazy!
•say that they weren’t affected by those things!
Social Psychology = the study of the impact of a person or group’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors on another
person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
• perceived thoughts, feelings etc. can be just as influential as their actual thoughts, feelings etc.
often more so
• it’s how we affect each other
Acting ALONE
Acting as part of GROUP
situations are ambiguous
can’t look to others to define the
situation
look to others to define the
situation
responsability
you are solely responsible for the
action
diffusion of responsibility
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Or should you be respectful: conformity to group norms. In class activity #1b: one person isolated in front told to directly face dr. smurda and be rude result: person would hesitate more at rst, but will eventually do it. Reasons for result: acting alone vs acting with others, when one is alone, one can"t look to others to de ne the situation all of the responsibility is on the person. Acting as part of group situations are ambiguous can"t look to others to de ne the situation look to others to de ne the situation responsability you are solely responsible for the action di usion of responsibility. Hypothesis 2 we don"t know why people do what they do. Hypothesis 3 we don"t know what we don"t know. we are not only ignorant, we we also don"t realize we are ignorant bias blindspot.
