PSYCH 2C03 Chapter Notes -Freeriding, Groupthink, Stereotype
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Published on 10 Feb 2014
School
Department
Course
Professor
Social Psych:
Studies influences of situations/people
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How people think about, influence/relate to each other
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Hidden Values:
Good life: Maslow's self-actualization ideas based on his heroes
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Psychologist observes behaviour
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Makes value judgment about characteristics of person
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Forming concepts:
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Confusing what is with what should be
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Naturalistic fallacy
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Hindsight bias: feeling of thinking something is common sense after being told about it
Idea that summarize facts which are observable
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Allow theories to be tested
Give research drxn
Give theories practical application
Imply hypotheses: testable predictions
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Theory: integrated set of principles explaining/predicting observations
Surveys:
Get random sample = good fr representation purposes
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E.g. Magazine gets phone #s of ppl frm telephone books/auto registrations about
election
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Inaccurate b/c ppl who can't afford didn't respond
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Unrepresentative samples important to avoid
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Bias:
Ppl want to remain consistent w/ ideals expressed
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e.g. First question: Japan set restrictions on American products => lots say no
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First question: America, then Japan => lots say yes
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Order of questions
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Response options change subject's view
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Response bias
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Ppl want experimenters to view them in +ve light
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Implicit measures used to ensure they don't know
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Social desirability bias
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Can affect ppl's opinions
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Can interact w/ knowledge of issue to result in no effect
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Wording of question
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Experimental research:
Often better to create simulations of real world
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Random assignment = good equalizer to eliminate effects of extraneous factors
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Ethics:
Mundane realism: degree to which experiment similar to everyday situation
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Experimental realism: absorbing & involving participants
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Ppl should feel good about themselves leaving experiment
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Ppl should learn something about social psych
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Generalizations:
In real life, all things usually nt equal
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Subjects of exp usually uni students
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What is diff btwn field experiment & correlational study?
Chapter 1: Intro
January-22-13
4:01 AM
Text Page 1
Types of Conformity:
Outward
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Doing something w/o believing in it
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Compliance
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In response to explicit demand
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To reap reward, avoid punishment
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Obedience
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Believing in what group persuaded you to do
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Acceptance
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Suggestability:
Work especially well when we think ppl in track are like us
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e.g. Laugh tracks
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Being around happy people can make you happy
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Mood linkage
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Ppl unconsciously mimic others
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Induces others to like them when they are more similar
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Enhances social bonds
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Leads to more money donated to charity
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Chameleon effect
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Werther effect:
Suicides increase after well-publicized suicides in specific area where well-publicized
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What breeds obedience? (Milgram):
Gas chambers in Nazi germany created to dispersonalize death
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Distance causes less obedience
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Ppl comply more when touched
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Closeness of experimenter
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Legitimacy of exp
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Letigimacy of attached institution
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If group nt doing it, individual acts on original instinct to not do it
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Liberating effects of group influence
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Foot-in-the-door
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Gradually increased shocks
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Ppl asked to do administration fr Milgram exp = high obedience
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Compartmentalization of evil
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FAE:
But ppl are product of characterstics AND situation
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Attribute ppl's actions to their characteristics
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Factors increasing conformity:
Minority opinion frm a diff group causes less conformity
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Higher status = less conformity
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Well-dressed ppl = more
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Status
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Ppl conform publicly
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Public response
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When made public commitment, don't conform, even when everyone else says opposite, publicly
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Commitment
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Who conforms?
Good predictor of average actions
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Personality can't predict behaviour in individual situation
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Predicts behaviour when social influence weak
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Culture
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Do we want to be different?
Ppl rebel when social influence effects freedom
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Reactance
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Understanding of why large group of ppl have certain opinion affects our willingness to conform
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If large group of ppl been coerced = probs wont conform
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Attributions fr consensus
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In western culture, discomfort also comes frm too much sameness
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Asserting uniqueness
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Minority influence:
Minority that sticks to their position
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Minority slowness effect = minority views expressed less quickly than majority
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Stimulate creative thinking b/c dissent
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Consistency
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Persistence/consistency => confidence
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Taking head seat at table = same effect
Self-confidence
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Chapter 6: Conformity
January-22-13
5:25 AM
Text Page 2
Taking head seat at table = same effect
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Specially in opinion matters as opposed to fact
Self-assurance induces rethinking by majority
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Consistent minority helps majority express doubts or convert to minority
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Ppl who convert = more persuasive than consistent minority voice
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Newcomers exert influence b/c attention received
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Defections frm majority
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Bystander effect (Latane & Darley's 5-step model):
Notice
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Illusion of transparency: misinterpretation of others' ability to understand what we're feeling inside
Pluralistic ignorance: ppl reject a norm privately, accept it publicly
Interpretations: lady who screams "I don't know you" gets more help than "I don't know why I married you" --> ppl don't interfere
in marriage situations
Interpret as emergency
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Ppl say they would act the same individually as in group = poor predictor of reality
Diff btwn individuals & groups minimized when situation very clearly needs help
Ppl less likely to help frm city b/c sensory overload/compassion fatigue
Ppl from countries less advanced, more sympathetic = more likely to help
If observing others' facial expressions = more likely to help
If in group of friends, people help more than individuals
Assume responsibility fr helping
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Decide what you should do to help
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Decide how to do it
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More people = people less likely to
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Groupthink:
**directive leadership & insulation frm dissent
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Overestimate group's abilities:
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Illusion of invulnerability: belief that nothing bad could happen to group
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Unquestioned belief in group's morality: Ignore ethical issues b/c assume group is inherently moral
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Close-mindedness:
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Rationalization: discards challenges by justifying decisions together
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Stereotyped view of opponent: trying to beat 'imagined opponent'
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Pressures to uniformity
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Conformity pressure: Group members ridicule ppl who doubt
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Self-censorship: Members withhold doubt bc everyone else in consenus
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Illusion of unanimity
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Mindguards: ppl who protect group frm vital conflicting info
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Preventing groupthink:
Open leadership
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Impartiality
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Assign devil's advocate
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Subdivide group
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Welcome critique frm outside experts
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Call 2nd chance meetings
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Brainstorming:
Ppl generate more creative ideas individually
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Free-riding
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Some ppl scared of voicing opinions
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In groups
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Ppl feel more effective in groups b/c they disproportionately credit their ideas to themselves
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Group --> then solo --> allows ideas to be primed by group
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Interact by writing --> everyone active at once --> brainwriting
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Electronic brainstorming --> stops verbal traffic jam
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Strategies
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