Chapter 2: Social PerceptionChapter 2: Social Perception

Chapter OutlineChapter Outline

Nonverbal Communication Attribution Theories and Errors Impression Formation and

Impression Management

2.3Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

Social PerceptionSocial Perception

Social Perception- process through which we seek to understand other persons

What do nonverbal cues tell us? How do we explain other’s behavior? What types of errors bias our thinking? How do we form first impressions of others?

2.4Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

Nonverbal CommunicationNonverbal Communication

Nonverbal Communication- an unspoken language of expressions and body language

Basic channels facial expressions- reveals current moods/feelings eye contact- reveals friendliness, shyness, aggression body language (position, posture, movement)- reveals

emotional states, status, cultural emblems touching- reveals affection, interest, dominance, caring,

threat, aggression

2.5Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

Facial Expressions and Social Facial Expressions and Social ThoughtThought

Cognitive tuning model (Schwarz, 1990) when others smile, we sense that the current situation

is safe so we process information superficially (heuristic processing)

when others frown, we sense that careful thought about their words is required (systematic processing)

2.6Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

Facial Expressions and Social Facial Expressions and Social CognitionCognition

-0.37

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0.81

1.76

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Neutral Angry Happy

Expressions Shown by Speaker

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Ideology

Based on data from Ottati, Terkildsen, & Hubbard, 1997

Attribution TheoriesAttribution Theories

Attribution- seek to determine causes behind others’ behavior

Correspondent inference- infer others’ traits from observing their behavior, especially. when behavior: is freely chosen

person rallying for women’s rights is feminist

is socially undesirable (or unusual) teacher who wears tie-dye shirts is free spirit

yields noncommon effects (one cause only) woman who marries rich, stupid, ugly man is probably

marrying for money2.7Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

Inferences Using Noncommon Inferences Using Noncommon EffectsEffects

Prestigious SchoolClinical ProgramDesirable LocationLots of Requirements

Prestigious School

Desirable LocationLots of Requirements

Inferences Using Noncommon Inferences Using Noncommon EffectsEffects

Prestigious SchoolClinical ProgramDesirable Location

Prestigious SchoolLots of Requirements Desirable Location

Attribution Theories (con’t)Attribution Theories (con’t) Causal attribution theory- we attribute the cause of

others’ behavior to internal or external factors1

internal- caused by person’s traits (disposition) external- caused by situation

To explain other’s behavior we use: consensus- extent others behave in same way consistency- extent person always behaves this way distinctiveness- extent person acts differently in other

situations1Other dimensions include: stable/unstable; controllable/uncontrollable

2.8Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

Why Was Student Late?Why Was Student Late? Internal attribution (e.g., student is lazy) made

if: Low consensus: no one else came in late High consistency: in the past, student has come in late Low distinctiveness: student is late to other classes

External attribution (e.g., more time needed between classes) made if: High consensus: other students came in late High consistency: in the past, student has come in late High distinctiveness: student is only late to this class

2.9Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

Why did student do well on Why did student do well on exam?exam?

Handling Multiple CausesHandling Multiple Causes When multiple causes are present the following may

occur: Discounting Principle- tendency to downplay

importance of one cause if others exist Why is woman claiming harassment? Good Samaritan

or spurned lover?

Augmenting Principle- tendency to increase importance of one factor when behavior occurs in the presence of an inhibitory factor

Woman claims sexual harassment even though she strongly supported the president is more believable

2.10Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

Attributional ErrorsAttributional Errors

Attributional Errors Fundamental attribution error (correspondence

bias)- tendency to overestimate internal causes of other’s behavior while ignoring external causes

Actor-observer effect- tendency to attribute own behavior to external causes, but others to internal

Self-serving bias- tendency to take credit for success and blame failures on the situation

Western (individualistic) cultures are more susceptible to these biases than Eastern (collectivistic) cultures

2.11Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

Attributional Errors (con’t)Attributional Errors (con’t)

Actor-observer effect occurs because: differences in perceptual salience

to actor- the situation is most salient to observer- the actor grabs attention

difference in information observers have no access to actor’s behavioral history

western culture- predisposes us to assume that people, not situations cause events

Self-serving bias occurs because: need to protect and enhance our self-esteem

2.12Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

Applications of Attribution TheoryApplications of Attribution Theory

Attribution and Depression depressed persons often show a self-defeating pattern

of attributions opposite of the self-serving bias attribute positive events to temporary, external causes attribute negative events to internal causes

cognitive therapy that reverses pattern is effective Attribution and Rape

people with a strong belief in a just world (“bad things happen to bad people”) are more likely to blame the rape victim

2.13Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

Impression FormationImpression Formation

Impression Formation- how we form impressions of others central traits (e.g., warm-cold) strongly shape the

overall impression of a stranger primacy effect- information presented first often

has stronger impact on impressions impressions of others consist of both exemplars

(examples of specific behavior) and abstractions (mental summaries of general behavior)

2.14Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

Impression ManagementImpression Management

Impression Management- efforts to produce a favorable first impression

Techniques include self-enhancement- boost one’s appeal

boost physical appearance, use immodesty

other-enhancement- induce positive moods in others flattery, express liking, agree with target’s views

if overdone, however, “slime effect” can occur

techniques not always under conscious control

2.15Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon

Impression AccuracyImpression Accuracy

Social perceptions of others are often accurate because: physical and psychological traits stem from same

genetic factors psychological traits cause physical traits to develop

actions may be reflected in our faces

physical traits cause psychological traits to develop attractive people are treated differently

people gradually develop the traits others expect them to have (self-fulfilling)

2.16Baron & Byrne- Social Psychology 9/e, Allyn and Bacon