01:830:101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Psy, Group Polarization, Fritz Heider

• School: Rutgers University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: 01:830:101
• Professor: L.Jacobs

Document Summary

Scientific study of behavior and mental processes. Concerned with way your thoughts, feelings, behaviors are influenced by. The branch of psychology concerned with the way individuals" thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by others. Focus is on the individual within the group. (the rules that establish expected and accepted behavior) by which we conduct ourselves in situations. Norms prescribe proper behavior, what is considered normal. All cultures have their expectations of appropriate behavior. The process of forming impressions of others others. They are interested in the ways people influence and are influenced by each other. Social psychology is a diverse field incorporating the study of attitudes and perceptions, persuasion, and typical behaviors of relatively normal people in their relationships with others. Social psychologists seek to explain why at times compete with each other for resources while at other times we cooperate, even engaging in altruistic behavior, accepting some disadvantage to ourselves in order to help others.