Social psychology II
Prof. dr. Jasmine Vergauwe
2023-2024
Amandine Vico
1
,Inhoud
1. Evolutionary psychology ................................................................................................................. 6
1.1 Altruism and natural selection: An evolutionary perspective on human nature .................. 6
1.1.1 Natural selection and behavior ......................................................................................... 6
1.1.2 Altruistic behavior ............................................................................................................. 6
1.1.3 Inclusive fitness and kinship .............................................................................................. 7
1.1.4 Reciprocal altruism (Trivers, 1971) .................................................................................... 8
1.2 Sexual selection and sex differences in behavior: An evolutionary perspective on sex
differences........................................................................................................................................... 9
1.2.1 Sexual selection and parental investment......................................................................... 9
1.2.2 Mating preferences ......................................................................................................... 10
1.2.3 Young men: risk, violence and honor .............................................................................. 11
1.2.4 Cuckoldry and jealousy .................................................................................................... 12
2. Social interaction........................................................................................................................... 13
2.1 How does a collective work ................................................................................................. 13
2.1.1 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 13
2.1.2 Mixed motives ................................................................................................................. 14
2.1.3 Structure of interdependence ......................................................................................... 16
2.2 Beyond direct self-interest: transformation of situations ................................................... 16
2.2.1 Transformation ................................................................................................................ 16
2.2.2 Sources of transformation ............................................................................................... 17
3. Aggression ..................................................................................................................................... 22
3.1 Theories of aggression ......................................................................................................... 22
3.1.1 Biological approaches...................................................................................................... 23
3.1.2 Psychological approaches................................................................................................ 23
3.2 Personal and situational variables ....................................................................................... 26
3.2.1 Individual differences ...................................................................................................... 26
3.2.2 Situational influences ...................................................................................................... 28
3.3 Aggression as a social problem............................................................................................ 30
3.3.1 Intimate partner violence................................................................................................ 30
3.3.2 Sexual aggression ............................................................................................................ 31
3.3.3 Bullying in school and workplace .................................................................................... 31
3.4 Prevention and intervention ................................................................................................ 32
3.4.1 Catharsis .......................................................................................................................... 32
3.4.2 Punishment ..................................................................................................................... 32
3.4.3 Inducing incompatible responses.................................................................................... 33
2
, 3.5 Psychopathy ......................................................................................................................... 33
3.5.1 What is psychopathy ?..................................................................................................... 33
3.5.2 Theories of origin ............................................................................................................ 35
3.5.3 Psychopathy and leadership ............................................................................................ 35
4. Prosocial behavior ......................................................................................................................... 36
4.1 Helping and altruism ........................................................................................................... 36
4.1.1 Altruism vs. egoism .............................................................................................................. 36
4.2 Why we don’t help .............................................................................................................. 37
4.2.1 Bystander effect .............................................................................................................. 37
4.2.2 Other contextual variables .............................................................................................. 39
4.3 Why we do help ................................................................................................................... 39
4.3.1 Cost and benefits of helping............................................................................................ 39
4.3.2 Groups and identity ......................................................................................................... 40
4.3.3 Social identity and bystander effect ................................................................................ 41
4.3.4 Mood ............................................................................................................................... 41
4.4 Issues in researching prosocial behavior ............................................................................. 43
4.4.1 Violence and helping ....................................................................................................... 43
4.4.2 Sex and helping ............................................................................................................... 44
4.4.3 Long-term helping ........................................................................................................... 44
4.5 Evolution and Neurosciences .............................................................................................. 46
4.5.1 Evolution, genes and helping .......................................................................................... 46
4.5.2 Neuroscience ................................................................................................................... 47
5. Social influence ............................................................................................................................. 49
5.1 Automatic social influence .................................................................................................. 49
5.2 Conformity ........................................................................................................................... 50
5.2.1The classic studies: majority influence ..................................................................................... 50
5.2.2 Why do people conform?......................................................................................................... 52
5.2.3 Majority influence: Influencing factors .................................................................................... 53
5.2.4 Minority influence.................................................................................................................... 55
5.2.5 Differential or unimodal process models ................................................................................. 55
5.3 Compliance .......................................................................................................................... 56
5.3.1 Giving reasons ...................................................................................................................... 56
5.3.2 'Imagine' .......................................................................................................................... 56
5.3.3 The reciprocity norm ....................................................................................................... 56
5.3.4 Two-step compliance techniques .................................................................................... 57
5.3.5 Assertiveness........................................................................................................................ 59
3
, 5.4 Obedience............................................................................................................................ 59
5.4.1 Milgram's research: key points of destructive obedience ................................................... 59
5.4.2 Milgram in the 21st century ............................................................................................ 62
5.4.3 Resistance........................................................................................................................ 63
6. Attraction and close relationships ................................................................................................. 64
6.1 Importance of relationships ................................................................................................ 64
6.1.1 Psychological and physical wellbeing .............................................................................. 64
6.1.2 Social support .................................................................................................................. 65
6.1.3 Social exclusion................................................................................................................ 66
6.1.4 Need to belong ................................................................................................................ 67
6.1.5 Attachment ...................................................................................................................... 67
6.2 interpersonal attraction ....................................................................................................... 69
6.2.1 What is beautiful is good................................................................................................. 69
6.2.2 Physical attraction ........................................................................................................... 70
6.2.3 Psychological attraction ................................................................................................... 71
6.2.4 Power of the situation ..................................................................................................... 72
6.3 romantic relationships ......................................................................................................... 73
6.3.1 Love ................................................................................................................................. 73
6.3.2 Satisfaction and stability.................................................................................................. 74
6.3.3 Enhancing relationship functioning................................................................................. 76
6.4 general relationship processes ............................................................................................ 77
6.4.1 Types of relationships...................................................................................................... 77
6.4.2 Disclosure & Responsiveness .......................................................................................... 78
6.4.3 Relationship ending ......................................................................................................... 79
6.4.4 Growing old together ...................................................................................................... 79
7. Emotions ....................................................................................................................................... 81
7.1 What is an emotion? ....................................................................................................................... 81
7.1.1 Pre-cognitive theories .............................................................................................................. 81
7.1.2 Social - psychological construct ............................................................................................... 81
7.2 Why do we have emotions? ............................................................................................................ 83
7.2.1 Evolutionary origin ............................................................................................................... 83
7.2.2 Social signaling system ......................................................................................................... 83
7.2.3 Flexibility in behavior ........................................................................................................... 84
7.2.4 Implicit information processing ........................................................................................... 84
7.2.5 Regulation and control ......................................................................................................... 84
7.3 How are emotions elicited and differentiated? .............................................................................. 85
4
Prof. dr. Jasmine Vergauwe
2023-2024
Amandine Vico
1
,Inhoud
1. Evolutionary psychology ................................................................................................................. 6
1.1 Altruism and natural selection: An evolutionary perspective on human nature .................. 6
1.1.1 Natural selection and behavior ......................................................................................... 6
1.1.2 Altruistic behavior ............................................................................................................. 6
1.1.3 Inclusive fitness and kinship .............................................................................................. 7
1.1.4 Reciprocal altruism (Trivers, 1971) .................................................................................... 8
1.2 Sexual selection and sex differences in behavior: An evolutionary perspective on sex
differences........................................................................................................................................... 9
1.2.1 Sexual selection and parental investment......................................................................... 9
1.2.2 Mating preferences ......................................................................................................... 10
1.2.3 Young men: risk, violence and honor .............................................................................. 11
1.2.4 Cuckoldry and jealousy .................................................................................................... 12
2. Social interaction........................................................................................................................... 13
2.1 How does a collective work ................................................................................................. 13
2.1.1 Introduction..................................................................................................................... 13
2.1.2 Mixed motives ................................................................................................................. 14
2.1.3 Structure of interdependence ......................................................................................... 16
2.2 Beyond direct self-interest: transformation of situations ................................................... 16
2.2.1 Transformation ................................................................................................................ 16
2.2.2 Sources of transformation ............................................................................................... 17
3. Aggression ..................................................................................................................................... 22
3.1 Theories of aggression ......................................................................................................... 22
3.1.1 Biological approaches...................................................................................................... 23
3.1.2 Psychological approaches................................................................................................ 23
3.2 Personal and situational variables ....................................................................................... 26
3.2.1 Individual differences ...................................................................................................... 26
3.2.2 Situational influences ...................................................................................................... 28
3.3 Aggression as a social problem............................................................................................ 30
3.3.1 Intimate partner violence................................................................................................ 30
3.3.2 Sexual aggression ............................................................................................................ 31
3.3.3 Bullying in school and workplace .................................................................................... 31
3.4 Prevention and intervention ................................................................................................ 32
3.4.1 Catharsis .......................................................................................................................... 32
3.4.2 Punishment ..................................................................................................................... 32
3.4.3 Inducing incompatible responses.................................................................................... 33
2
, 3.5 Psychopathy ......................................................................................................................... 33
3.5.1 What is psychopathy ?..................................................................................................... 33
3.5.2 Theories of origin ............................................................................................................ 35
3.5.3 Psychopathy and leadership ............................................................................................ 35
4. Prosocial behavior ......................................................................................................................... 36
4.1 Helping and altruism ........................................................................................................... 36
4.1.1 Altruism vs. egoism .............................................................................................................. 36
4.2 Why we don’t help .............................................................................................................. 37
4.2.1 Bystander effect .............................................................................................................. 37
4.2.2 Other contextual variables .............................................................................................. 39
4.3 Why we do help ................................................................................................................... 39
4.3.1 Cost and benefits of helping............................................................................................ 39
4.3.2 Groups and identity ......................................................................................................... 40
4.3.3 Social identity and bystander effect ................................................................................ 41
4.3.4 Mood ............................................................................................................................... 41
4.4 Issues in researching prosocial behavior ............................................................................. 43
4.4.1 Violence and helping ....................................................................................................... 43
4.4.2 Sex and helping ............................................................................................................... 44
4.4.3 Long-term helping ........................................................................................................... 44
4.5 Evolution and Neurosciences .............................................................................................. 46
4.5.1 Evolution, genes and helping .......................................................................................... 46
4.5.2 Neuroscience ................................................................................................................... 47
5. Social influence ............................................................................................................................. 49
5.1 Automatic social influence .................................................................................................. 49
5.2 Conformity ........................................................................................................................... 50
5.2.1The classic studies: majority influence ..................................................................................... 50
5.2.2 Why do people conform?......................................................................................................... 52
5.2.3 Majority influence: Influencing factors .................................................................................... 53
5.2.4 Minority influence.................................................................................................................... 55
5.2.5 Differential or unimodal process models ................................................................................. 55
5.3 Compliance .......................................................................................................................... 56
5.3.1 Giving reasons ...................................................................................................................... 56
5.3.2 'Imagine' .......................................................................................................................... 56
5.3.3 The reciprocity norm ....................................................................................................... 56
5.3.4 Two-step compliance techniques .................................................................................... 57
5.3.5 Assertiveness........................................................................................................................ 59
3
, 5.4 Obedience............................................................................................................................ 59
5.4.1 Milgram's research: key points of destructive obedience ................................................... 59
5.4.2 Milgram in the 21st century ............................................................................................ 62
5.4.3 Resistance........................................................................................................................ 63
6. Attraction and close relationships ................................................................................................. 64
6.1 Importance of relationships ................................................................................................ 64
6.1.1 Psychological and physical wellbeing .............................................................................. 64
6.1.2 Social support .................................................................................................................. 65
6.1.3 Social exclusion................................................................................................................ 66
6.1.4 Need to belong ................................................................................................................ 67
6.1.5 Attachment ...................................................................................................................... 67
6.2 interpersonal attraction ....................................................................................................... 69
6.2.1 What is beautiful is good................................................................................................. 69
6.2.2 Physical attraction ........................................................................................................... 70
6.2.3 Psychological attraction ................................................................................................... 71
6.2.4 Power of the situation ..................................................................................................... 72
6.3 romantic relationships ......................................................................................................... 73
6.3.1 Love ................................................................................................................................. 73
6.3.2 Satisfaction and stability.................................................................................................. 74
6.3.3 Enhancing relationship functioning................................................................................. 76
6.4 general relationship processes ............................................................................................ 77
6.4.1 Types of relationships...................................................................................................... 77
6.4.2 Disclosure & Responsiveness .......................................................................................... 78
6.4.3 Relationship ending ......................................................................................................... 79
6.4.4 Growing old together ...................................................................................................... 79
7. Emotions ....................................................................................................................................... 81
7.1 What is an emotion? ....................................................................................................................... 81
7.1.1 Pre-cognitive theories .............................................................................................................. 81
7.1.2 Social - psychological construct ............................................................................................... 81
7.2 Why do we have emotions? ............................................................................................................ 83
7.2.1 Evolutionary origin ............................................................................................................... 83
7.2.2 Social signaling system ......................................................................................................... 83
7.2.3 Flexibility in behavior ........................................................................................................... 84
7.2.4 Implicit information processing ........................................................................................... 84
7.2.5 Regulation and control ......................................................................................................... 84
7.3 How are emotions elicited and differentiated? .............................................................................. 85
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