PSYC 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Mass Hysteria, Emotional Contagion, Social Forces
2 Dec 2016
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Document Summary
The study of how people influence others" behavior, beliefs, and attitudes. Need-to-belong theory -humans have a biologically based need for interpersonal connections. Social comparison theory we seek to evaluate our abilities and beliefs by comparing them to other people. Social contagion looking to others for knowledge or deciding how to act. Social facilitation -the presence of others can enhance our performance in certain situations. Theory that we seek to evaluate our abilities and beliefs by comparing them with those of others: upward compare yourself to someone who you view as superior in some way. May also attribute superiors are just being inherently more talented. If they can do that/be that, so can i: downward -compare yourself to somebody who you view as inferior in some way. When the mere presence of others enhances our performance: bicyclists racing, marathon running, cockroaches running mazes. Mass hysteria: outbreak of irrational behavior that is spread by social forces.
