Psychology 2070A/B Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Universal Property, Construals, Behaviorism

• School: Western University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: Psychology 2070A/B
• Professor: Graeme Haynes

Document Summary

Social influence: how we are influenced by other people: direct attempts at persuasion, the mere presence of others. Construal: how people perceive, understand, and interpret the social world: can have ramifications, ex. Level of analysis is the individual in the context of a social situation. Identify universal properties of human nature that make all people susceptible to social influence. Level of analysis is society at large: broad society factors influencing events in a society. Identify what makes certain class, groups or races susceptible. Social psychology compared to personality psychology: personality psychologists focus on individual differences: aspects of people"s personalities that make them unique. Social psychologists believe focusing on personality ignores the importance of social influence. Provides general laws and theories about societies, not individuals. Studies the psychological processes people have in common with one another that make them susceptible to social influence. Studies the characteristics that make individuals unique and different from one another.