CHAPTER 11 – SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
Source: Social Psychology (10th Edition) by Saul Kassin (Author), Steven Fein
(Author), Hazel Rose Markus
Chapter 11
What are the basic causes of social adversity, and what are the methods used
to cope with them?
o Loneliness occurs when a person has fewer and less satisfying
relationships than they desire
o Negative consequences of loneliness include depression, anxiety,
unhappiness, dissatisfaction, self-blame and shyness
o Loneliness stems from genetic factors, an insecure attachment style
and a lack of early social experiences with peers
o Lonely people can benefit from treatment designed to enhance their
social skills
o This includes things such as seeing themselves in interaction with
others, so they see what they are doing that “turns people off.”
o Those who malfunction in social interactions are usually aware that
they have a problem
o They know that they are unhappy, dissatisfied or unpopular, but they often do not
know why
o Once loneliness develops - impossible to change history by providing
different genes or altering early parent-child interactions
o It is possible to acquire new and more appropriate social skills, such
as more effective ways of getting along with others
Relationships strengthen—or fail—for many reasons
✓ They strengthen when partners are similar, have specific personal characteristics
and have positive implicit feelings about each other
✓ They fail when problems develop between spouses or when partners are too
positive toward one another
✓ Relationships also fail when partners adopt an exchange rather than a communal
perspective on the relationship
, ✓ When partners avoid these pitfalls and develop good balance in their
relationships the relationships often grow stronger and deeper over time
✓ High levels of similarity between the partners in a relationship makes the
relationship succeed
✓ Certain personal characteristics (a secure attachment style) can make a
relationship successful
✓ Positive feelings (implicit or explicit) toward one’s partner also result in a
successful relationship
What is the effect of personal health on a public health system – consider
obesity and stress?
• Achieving and maintaining good personal health is an important step toward
attaining a happy and fulfilling life
• One growing threat to personal health is obesity, which is increasing worldwide
• Obesity involves biological and genetic factors (our inherited tendency to store
extra calories as fat in “good times”)
• It also involves many social factors
• Changes in social conditions cause people to walk less and eat higher-calorie
meals because of increased portion sizes in restaurants
• The Internet offers free advice for people who want to lose weight, and some of
these sites do provide helpful information
• They should be approached with caution because they are free of any
government controls and safeguards
✓ Stress involves feelings of being overwhelmed and no longer being able to cope
✓ Stress exerts adverse effects on personal health because it undermines the
immune system and leads people into less healthy lifestyles
✓ Many tactics for reducing stress exist and are well known (getting in shape and
having a healthy diet)
✓ Other ways of dealing with stress involve the social side of life (social support
from one’s friends and family)
Source: Social Psychology (10th Edition) by Saul Kassin (Author), Steven Fein
(Author), Hazel Rose Markus
Chapter 11
What are the basic causes of social adversity, and what are the methods used
to cope with them?
o Loneliness occurs when a person has fewer and less satisfying
relationships than they desire
o Negative consequences of loneliness include depression, anxiety,
unhappiness, dissatisfaction, self-blame and shyness
o Loneliness stems from genetic factors, an insecure attachment style
and a lack of early social experiences with peers
o Lonely people can benefit from treatment designed to enhance their
social skills
o This includes things such as seeing themselves in interaction with
others, so they see what they are doing that “turns people off.”
o Those who malfunction in social interactions are usually aware that
they have a problem
o They know that they are unhappy, dissatisfied or unpopular, but they often do not
know why
o Once loneliness develops - impossible to change history by providing
different genes or altering early parent-child interactions
o It is possible to acquire new and more appropriate social skills, such
as more effective ways of getting along with others
Relationships strengthen—or fail—for many reasons
✓ They strengthen when partners are similar, have specific personal characteristics
and have positive implicit feelings about each other
✓ They fail when problems develop between spouses or when partners are too
positive toward one another
✓ Relationships also fail when partners adopt an exchange rather than a communal
perspective on the relationship
, ✓ When partners avoid these pitfalls and develop good balance in their
relationships the relationships often grow stronger and deeper over time
✓ High levels of similarity between the partners in a relationship makes the
relationship succeed
✓ Certain personal characteristics (a secure attachment style) can make a
relationship successful
✓ Positive feelings (implicit or explicit) toward one’s partner also result in a
successful relationship
What is the effect of personal health on a public health system – consider
obesity and stress?
• Achieving and maintaining good personal health is an important step toward
attaining a happy and fulfilling life
• One growing threat to personal health is obesity, which is increasing worldwide
• Obesity involves biological and genetic factors (our inherited tendency to store
extra calories as fat in “good times”)
• It also involves many social factors
• Changes in social conditions cause people to walk less and eat higher-calorie
meals because of increased portion sizes in restaurants
• The Internet offers free advice for people who want to lose weight, and some of
these sites do provide helpful information
• They should be approached with caution because they are free of any
government controls and safeguards
✓ Stress involves feelings of being overwhelmed and no longer being able to cope
✓ Stress exerts adverse effects on personal health because it undermines the
immune system and leads people into less healthy lifestyles
✓ Many tactics for reducing stress exist and are well known (getting in shape and
having a healthy diet)
✓ Other ways of dealing with stress involve the social side of life (social support
from one’s friends and family)
