KHA112 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Deindividuation, Social Loafing, Drive Theory
30 Jun 2018
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Psychology B week 8: Social Psychology
How the presence of others influence our performance
- the ice bucket challenge: doing it because of the influence of others
osocial influence
owould not do it isolated, social factors that lead us to participate in
oif you don’t participate in something that everyone else in involved in,
look like an outsider
- Definition: study of how people influence others behaviors, beliefs and
attitudes
oWe tend to think that everyone else is vulnerable to social influence,
but not us
oA social psychological phenomenon we think we are individuals in
control of our own decisions,
oAllport: examines the influence of social processes on the way people
think, feel and behave
Triad of: cognitions, emotions and behaviours (predisposition
toward a particular action)
oDon’t have to be in the presence of others for social impact ot have
effect, thinking about what your actions will make you appear
Still experience social effect
Social processes dont have to be real, its enough that we know
that they might be there
oStudying things that are tangible: love, attitudes, conformity,
persuasion (all behaviours in groups)
oHow people are effected by the actual, the imagined, or the implied
presence of others (what we are doing is not rooted in social situation
but is implied that someone in the future will look at it)
oLooking at individual behavior in a social context
- Social psychology broken into:
oSociology
oPsychology of individual:
Attributing dispositions
oSocial anthropology: cultures
oCognitive psychology:
What is it about a person that makes us more likely to
remember them
How do we organize our thoughts about people
Deals with how we organize our thoughts and cognitions
oSociolinguistics, language and communication
- Loos at these concepts in terms of norms:
oImplicit: not a written law but is expected
oExplicit: written in culture
oNorms are grown in culture
Are there cultures in which it is not necessary to say thanks
Look at norms and see what the norm involve in society
- Humans as social species: what makes us social
oWe are predisposed to forming intimate interpersonal networks that are
only so large
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
150 or so
oNeed to belong theory: biological based need for interpersonal
connections
Produce complexity in our world
When we know someone well, that reduces complexity
Need to feel associated with some sort of group in need to
Survival needs
Isolation or rejection:
Similar brain regions affected as in pain experience
More prone to engage in unhealthy behaviours
oAffiliation: to be physically and psychologically close to another
Over prolonged periods, being alone is disorienting and
damaging to physiological and psychological health
Studies where deprived of communication: deprivation of
social relations lead to death and mental illness
Harlow’s study with monkeys (comfort vs. food)
oOstracism: ignoring and excluding people form groups
Evidence that this is something that happens in all sorts of
groups
Children, animals, governments and institutions
Strengthens group cohesion by removing problem individuals,
teaches members what is acceptable behaviours and motivates
them to fit. Fear become strong motivator to fit in the group
Individuals when ostracized:
Paradigm: Ball Toss (K Williams et al)
Two people are confederates
After several turns the confederates stop throwing to the
subject and laugh and talk to each other
Same for cyber ball (Zadro, Williams, Richardson,
2004)
oWhy are we upset when ostracized:
Fundamental needs are threatened
Belonging
Self-esteem
Control: cannot predict, or do something to change the
situation
Recognition and meaningful experience:
Causes negative emotions: sadness and anger
- Most of social influence processes are adaptive under most circumstances: the
paramount behaviour when people are present usually paramount adaptive
behaviour
oMaladaptive when:
Blind unquestioned
oSocial facilitation:
Mere presence of others enhances performance
Triplett 1898: people ride faster when in group or
competing
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Triad of: cognitions, emotions and behaviours (predisposition toward a particular action: don"t have to be in the presence of others for social impact ot have effect, thinking about what your actions will make you appear. Social psychology broken into: sociology, psychology of individual: Attributing dispositions: social anthropology: cultures, cognitive psychology: What is it about a person that makes us more likely to remember them. How do we organize our thoughts about people. Deals with how we organize our thoughts and cognitions: sociolinguistics, language and communication. Loos at these concepts in terms of norms: implicit: not a written law but is expected, explicit: written in culture, norms are grown in culture. Are there cultures in which it is not necessary to say thanks. Look at norms and see what the norm involve in society. Humans as social species: what makes us social: we are predisposed to forming intimate interpersonal networks that are only so large.
