Unit 14: Social Psychology
Notes
Social Thinking Especially when the unexpected happens, we
analyze why people act the way they do
Social Psychology: the scientific study of how we
think about, influence, and relate to one another
Attribution theory: tendency to give a casual
explanation for someone’s behavior, often by
crediting either the situation or the person’s
disposition
Fundamental Attribution Error: tendency for
observers, when analyzing another’s behavior, to
underestimate the impact of the situation and to
overestimate the impact of personal disposition
Attitude: belief and feeling that predisposes one
to respond in a particular way to objects, people
and events
How we explain someone’s behavior affects how
we react to it
Attributing Attribution theory: the theory that we tend to
Behavior to give a casual explanation for someone’s
behavior, often by crediting either the situation
Persons or
or the person’s disposition
Situations Because people do have enduring personality
traits, such attributions are sometime valid
However, we often overestimate the influence of
personality and underestimate the influence of
situation
Fundamental Attribution Error: the tendency for
observers, when analyzing another’s behavior, to
underestimate the impact of the situation and to
overestimate the impact of personal disposition
The fundamental attribution error is almost
irresistible
When explaining our own behavior, we are
sensitive to how our behavior changes with the
situations we encounter
When explaining other’s behavior, particularly
after observing them in only one type of
situation, we often commit the fundamental
attribution error
We disregard the situation and leap to
unwarranted conclusions about their personality
traits
Those whom we know well we observe in varied
, Unit 14: Social Psychology
Notes
situations, which restrains our attributing their
behavior solely to their dispositions
The person’s own attention focuses more on the
situation to which he or she is reacting
Political liberals (and social scientists) are more
likely to blame past and present situations
Our attributions-to individuals’ dispositions or to
their situations have real consequences
Attitudes and Attitude: feelings, often influenced by our beliefs,
Actions that predispose us to respond in a particular way
to objects, people, and events
Our attitudes will guide our actions if:
Outside influence on what we say and do are
minimal
The attitude is specifically relevant to the
behavior
We are keenly aware of or attitudes
Attitudes Affect Central Route Persuasion: attitude change path
Actions in which interested people focus on the
arguments and respond with favorable thoughts
Occurs when people are naturally analytical or
involved in the issue
Peripheral Route Persuasion: attitude change
path in which people are influenced by incidental
cues such as a speaker’s attractiveness
When issues don’t engage systematic thinking,
persuasion may occur through peripheral route,
as people respond to incidental cues, such as
endorsements by respected people, and make
snap judgements
Because central route persuasion is more
thoughtful and less superficial, it is more durable
and more likely to influence behavior
Strong social pressures can weaken the attitude-
behavior connection
Attitudes do affect behavior when external
influences are minimal, especially when the
attitude is stable, specific to behavior, and easily
recalled
Central Route Persuasion: attitude change path
in which interested people focus on the
arguments and respond with favorable thoughts
Peripheral Route Persuasion: attitude change
, Unit 14: Social Psychology
Notes
path in which people are influenced by incidental
cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness
Actions Affect Not only will people sometimes stand up for what
Attitudes they believe, they will also come to believe in the
idea they have supported
Attitudes follow behavior
The Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon: inducing
people to act against their beliefs can affect their
attitude
Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon: the tendency for
people who have first agreed to a small request
to comply with a larger request
Fortunately, the attitudes-follow-behavior
principle works as well for good deeds as for bad
To secure a big commitment, it often pays to put
your foot in the door: start small and build
Moral action strengthens moral convictions
Role-Playing Affects Attitudes:
Role: a set of expectations (norms) about a social
position, defining how those in the position ought
to behave
At first, your behaviors may feel phony, because
you are acting the role
Before long, what began as play-acting in the
theater of life becomes you
Stanford Prison Experiment: developed by Philip
Zimbardo, designated people as guards or
prisoners and had them roleplay as them
One by one, the prisoners broke down, rebelled,
or became passively resigned while the guards
developed disparaging attitudes, and some
devised cruel and degrading routines
Cognitive Dissonance Theory: the theory that we
act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel
when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are
inconsistent
For example, when our awareness of our
attitudes and of our actions clash, we can reduce
the resulting dissonance
The less coerced and more responsible we feel
for a troubling act, the more dissonance we feel
The more dissonance we feel, the more
motivated we are to find consistency, such as
Notes
Social Thinking Especially when the unexpected happens, we
analyze why people act the way they do
Social Psychology: the scientific study of how we
think about, influence, and relate to one another
Attribution theory: tendency to give a casual
explanation for someone’s behavior, often by
crediting either the situation or the person’s
disposition
Fundamental Attribution Error: tendency for
observers, when analyzing another’s behavior, to
underestimate the impact of the situation and to
overestimate the impact of personal disposition
Attitude: belief and feeling that predisposes one
to respond in a particular way to objects, people
and events
How we explain someone’s behavior affects how
we react to it
Attributing Attribution theory: the theory that we tend to
Behavior to give a casual explanation for someone’s
behavior, often by crediting either the situation
Persons or
or the person’s disposition
Situations Because people do have enduring personality
traits, such attributions are sometime valid
However, we often overestimate the influence of
personality and underestimate the influence of
situation
Fundamental Attribution Error: the tendency for
observers, when analyzing another’s behavior, to
underestimate the impact of the situation and to
overestimate the impact of personal disposition
The fundamental attribution error is almost
irresistible
When explaining our own behavior, we are
sensitive to how our behavior changes with the
situations we encounter
When explaining other’s behavior, particularly
after observing them in only one type of
situation, we often commit the fundamental
attribution error
We disregard the situation and leap to
unwarranted conclusions about their personality
traits
Those whom we know well we observe in varied
, Unit 14: Social Psychology
Notes
situations, which restrains our attributing their
behavior solely to their dispositions
The person’s own attention focuses more on the
situation to which he or she is reacting
Political liberals (and social scientists) are more
likely to blame past and present situations
Our attributions-to individuals’ dispositions or to
their situations have real consequences
Attitudes and Attitude: feelings, often influenced by our beliefs,
Actions that predispose us to respond in a particular way
to objects, people, and events
Our attitudes will guide our actions if:
Outside influence on what we say and do are
minimal
The attitude is specifically relevant to the
behavior
We are keenly aware of or attitudes
Attitudes Affect Central Route Persuasion: attitude change path
Actions in which interested people focus on the
arguments and respond with favorable thoughts
Occurs when people are naturally analytical or
involved in the issue
Peripheral Route Persuasion: attitude change
path in which people are influenced by incidental
cues such as a speaker’s attractiveness
When issues don’t engage systematic thinking,
persuasion may occur through peripheral route,
as people respond to incidental cues, such as
endorsements by respected people, and make
snap judgements
Because central route persuasion is more
thoughtful and less superficial, it is more durable
and more likely to influence behavior
Strong social pressures can weaken the attitude-
behavior connection
Attitudes do affect behavior when external
influences are minimal, especially when the
attitude is stable, specific to behavior, and easily
recalled
Central Route Persuasion: attitude change path
in which interested people focus on the
arguments and respond with favorable thoughts
Peripheral Route Persuasion: attitude change
, Unit 14: Social Psychology
Notes
path in which people are influenced by incidental
cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness
Actions Affect Not only will people sometimes stand up for what
Attitudes they believe, they will also come to believe in the
idea they have supported
Attitudes follow behavior
The Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon: inducing
people to act against their beliefs can affect their
attitude
Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon: the tendency for
people who have first agreed to a small request
to comply with a larger request
Fortunately, the attitudes-follow-behavior
principle works as well for good deeds as for bad
To secure a big commitment, it often pays to put
your foot in the door: start small and build
Moral action strengthens moral convictions
Role-Playing Affects Attitudes:
Role: a set of expectations (norms) about a social
position, defining how those in the position ought
to behave
At first, your behaviors may feel phony, because
you are acting the role
Before long, what began as play-acting in the
theater of life becomes you
Stanford Prison Experiment: developed by Philip
Zimbardo, designated people as guards or
prisoners and had them roleplay as them
One by one, the prisoners broke down, rebelled,
or became passively resigned while the guards
developed disparaging attitudes, and some
devised cruel and degrading routines
Cognitive Dissonance Theory: the theory that we
act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel
when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are
inconsistent
For example, when our awareness of our
attitudes and of our actions clash, we can reduce
the resulting dissonance
The less coerced and more responsible we feel
for a troubling act, the more dissonance we feel
The more dissonance we feel, the more
motivated we are to find consistency, such as
