social psychology kimberley a. clow kclow2@uwo.ca login: psych20-003 password: greentea

Social Psychology

Kimberley A. Clow

kclow2@uwo.ca

http://www.ssc.uwo.ca/psychology/undergraduate/psych020-003/

Login: psych20-003

Password: greentea

Outline

Social PsychologyHelping

Who we helpWhen we help

Influence of GroupsSocial FacilitationSocial Loafing

AttractionBeautyLove

Social Psychology

DefinitionSocial psychology is the scientific study of

the way in which people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviour are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people

Emphasizes the situational factors that affect behaviour

Helping

Who Do We Help?

8080

6060

2020

00

4040% Helping

High Medium Low None

Genetic Relatedness

Social Factors

Similarity

Responsibility

Kitty Genovese

The Process of Helping

01020304050607080

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

Minutes Passed Since Smoke Started

% Reporting Smoke

Alone Three Person Group

Smoke Filled Room

Decision Stages Helping

Do Groups Help or Hinder?

What influence do groups have? Do you perform better

in a group? Do you perform worse

in a group? Do groups alter the

way you behave?

Presence of Others

Physiological Arousal

Improved Performance

Impaired Performance

On well-mastered or simple tasks dominant response is right

On difficult or complex

tasks dominant

response is wrong

Dominant Responses

Social Loafing

Told to clap or cheer as loud as you can

Wearing headphones Hearing others clap or

cheer Can’t hear themselves

Facilitation vs. Loafing

When Do People Join Groups?

When they believe they would fail on their ownStereotypical male vs.

female tasks

When they want informationWhen they don’t want to face an uneasy situation alone

Another Shocking Study…

Women giving shocks KKK outfits Nurse uniforms

Deindividuation Losing one’s sense of

personal identity More susceptible to the

cues in the situation?

Att

itud

e T

owar

ds G

rad

Sch

ool

Unsure

Definite GO

Before Group

Discussion

After discussion, the group that initially favored grad school would be even more strongly in favor

Definite NO(Get A Job!)

Conversely, the group that initially disfavored grad school would be even more opposed

After Group Discussion

What About Attraction?

Influencing FactorsSimilarity

Personality, attitudes, interests, physical features

ProximityCollege dorm study

Familiarity Mere exposure

Physical Attractiveness

Which of these three faces do you prefer?

1 2 3

Beauty

Beauty Across Time

Beauty in the 1950s.

Recognize “her”?

Beauty in the 1980s.

Recognize “her”?

The Matching Principle

People tend to date others of similar attractiveness and with similar attitudes

Situational Determinants

4

4.5

5

5.5

6

6.5

9:00 PM 10:30 PM 12:00 AM

Opposite Sex

Same Sex

Getting Acquainted Study

Men and women talk over intercom

Men shown pictures

Attractive or unattractive

Beauty Is Good Stereotype

Male’s Male’s Female’sExpectations Behavior Behavior

Many Types of Love

Love Changes

People involved in serious relationships rate beautiful models as less attractiveThe more committed the person, the less they reciprocate interest from another attractive otherSome people switch attachment styles in response to relationship experiences People married to dissimilar partners change their personalities more over the years

Problem Factors

Too much dissimilarityBoredomChanges in reciprocal evaluations and attributionsJealousyInequityTemperamentExchange Orientation

How to Communicate

Some helpful rulesPositive framingExpress appreciationAvoid silent treatmentDon’t pretend to be a psychologistSpeak for yourself, not your partnerSay it directlyNothing nice to say? Then keep quiet