Social Psychology

➢ the systematic study of the nature and

causes of human social behavior

➢ 3 main components:
Chapter 1 a. primary concern: human social behavior
b. explore causes of behavior
c. studies social behavior in a systematic
way

Lesson 1 ➢ 5 core/major themes

a. the impact that one individual has on another;
b. the impact that a group has on its individual
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL members;
c. the impact that individual members have on
PSYCHOLOGY the groups to which they belong;
d. the impact that one group has on another
group;
e. the impact of social context and social
structure on groups and individuals
 ✓ Individuals are affected by others in
many ways much of this happens
simply by observation
1

A B
The Impact of Individuals
➢ an individual learns how she should
on Individuals act, what she should think, and how
she should feel through listening to
others and watching them

Major components of ➢ Sometimes this influence is more

direct.
Social Psychology
Eg. superstitious beliefs
rumors or chismis
 ✓ Groups influence and regulate the behavior
of their members, typically by establishing
norms or rules

2 Eg. family, work groups, clubs

X
X
X
The Impact of Groups on X
X
X

Individuals
Conformity
➢ type of social influence involving a change in
belief or behavior in order to fit in with a group

Major components of Socialization

➢ a process through which individuals acquire the
Social Psychology knowledge, values, and skills required of group
members
➢ to ensure that group members will be
adequately trained to play roles in the group
and in the larger society
 ✓ members, in turn, may influence the
group itself

3 X
X
X
X
The Impact of Individuals X

on Group
➢ some members may provide
leadership, performing functions

such as planning, organizing, and controlling,

Major components of necessary for successful group performance

Social Psychology ➢ Without effective leadership,

coordination among members will
falter and the group will drift or fail.
 ✓ Relations between two groups may
be friendly or hostile, cooperative or
competitive.
4

X X
The Impact of X X X X
X X X X
Groups on Groups

Eg. gangs, sororities/fraternities

Major components of
Social Psychology
 ✓ that individuals’ behavior is
profoundly shaped by the situations in
which they find themselves
5

X X
X X X
The Impact of Social X X
X X
X

Context on Individuals
➢ reactions are based on what you
and Groups have learned through your
interactions with others and through
socialization in groups
Major components of
Social Psychology
 ❑ 2 kinds of theories

1. Middle-range theories
➢ narrow, focused frameworks
that identify the conditions
that produce a specific social
Chapter 1 behavior

2. Theoretical perspectives
➢ which offer general
Lesson 2 explanations for a wide array
of social behaviors in a
variety of situations.
THEORETICAL
PERSPECTIVES
 Role Theory

Reinforcement Theory
Five Central
Perspectives Cognitive Theory

Symbolic Interaction Theory

Evolutionary Theory
 ROLE THEORY Propositions

❑ ROLES – consist of a set of ▪ People spend much of their lives

participating in groups & organization
rules (expectation held by
wherein they occupy distinct positions.
others) that function as plans or
blueprints and guide behavior. ▪ Positions entails role performed by the
person for the group
❑ It is based on the premise
▪ Group formalize expectations as norms
that people conform to norms (rules specifying behavior as well as
defined by the expectations rewards and punishments)
of others.
▪ People are conformists, they try to meet
the expectations of others
❑ It is most useful in explaining
the regular and recurring ▪ Members check each individual
patterns apparent in day-to-day performance & give rewards/punishments
activity. to ensure performance as expected.
 Impacts Limitations

❑ To change a person’s behavior, ❑ Deviant Behavior - any behavior

it is necessary to change or that violates/ contravenes the
redefine his/her role norms defining a role
▪ refusing to perform as expected
❑ Roles that people occupy not
only channel their behavior but ❑ Contradicts the assumption that
also shape their attitudes people are essentially a
conformist
❑ Roles can influence the values
that people hold & affect the ❑ The theory can’t explain how
direction of their personal role expectations came to be
growth. nor when & how it change
REINFORCEMENT THEORY Social Learning Theory

❑ explain when social relationships will change ▪ acquire new responses simply by
observing the behavior
❑ social behavior is governed by external ▪ IMITATION – observational learning
events
process wherein learner neither
❑ EXTERNAL EVENTS are directly performs as response nor receives
observable reinforcement
❑ STIMULUS leads an alteration/change of
behavior Social Exchange Theory
❑ The change in behavior induces by a
stimulus is called a RESPONSE ▪ individuals have freedom of choice
❑ REINFORCEMENT – any favorable
▪ Individuals are HEDONISTIC – they try
outcome that results from a response to maximize rewards & minimize costs
▪ EQUITY- exists in a relationship when
❑ CONDITIONING – a contingency is the rewards are proportional to the
established between emitting a response & costs.
subsequently receiving a reinforcement
Limitations

❑ portrays individuals as reactants

to environmental factors rather
than initiating behavior based on
creative thoughts

❑ characterizes social behavior as

hedonistic; can’t explain selfless
behavior
 COGNITIVE THEORY ❑ COGNITIVE STRUCTURE
➢ concepts & beliefs

❑ mental activities of the individual are ❑ SCHEMAS

important determinants of social ➢ “form” or basic sketch of what we
behavior. know about people & things

❑ Cognitive processes ❑ COGNITIVE CONSISTENCY

➢ Mental activities ➢ The principle maintains that
individuals strive to hold ideas that are
❑ Differences in cognitions help to consistent/ congruent with one
another
illuminate why individuals may
➢ If a person holds several ideas that
behave differently from one another
are inconsistent, he/she will
in a given situation. experience internal conflict
Limitations

❑ simplifies/ oversimplifies an
inherently complex phenomenon

❑ cognitive phenomena are not

directly observable; they must be
inferred
SYMBOLIC INTERACTION Limitations

❑ human nature and social order ❑ Balance between rationality &

are products of communication emotion
among people
❑ Model of individual implicit in
❑ importance of the self, of role
symbolic interaction theory
taking, and of consensus in social
interaction
❑ It places too much emphasis on
❑ It is most useful in explaining consensus & cooperation &
contingent encounters among neglects/ downplays the
people importance of conflict

❑ Shift in other’s standards, in terms

of which self-respect is
established
EVOLUTIONARY THEORY ❑ EVOLUTIONARY FOUNDATION OF
BEHAVIOR
➢ Evolutionary psychologist locates the
❑ social behavior is a product of long- roots of social behavior in our genes &
term evolutionary adaptation links the psychological & social to the
biological
❑ innate behavioral tendencies exist in ➢ Social behavior is encoded in our
human beings genetic material & is passed through
reproduction
❑ EVOLUTIONARY APPROACH –
attempts to account for how & why Limitations
these mechanism arise

❑ Critique accuses psychologist of circular

reasoning

❑ The logical trap is unavoidable because

we can’t travel back in time to observe the
actual evolution of social behavior.