Social Psychology

1
Social Psychology

• Karen Thomson
• Department of Psychology
• Glasgow Caledonian University

2
Definition of Social Psychology-How the
presence of (imagined or real) others influences
our thoughts, feelings and behaviours

• Topics to be covered-
• Communication - non-vocal behaviour
• - paralanguage
• Attitudes - nature formation measurement
• - cognitive dissonance
• - persuasion
• Aggression altruism
• The Self - self concept and self esteem
• Groups and identity - leadership
• Social Influence - conformity
• - compliance
• - obedience

3
Communication

• Verbal communication in the form of language, is
  better for conveying logical or abstract ideas.
• Non-verbal communication is regarded as better
  for conveying emotions, the type of relationship
  existing between two people and regulating/
  manipulating interpersonal interaction.
• Basic facial expressions (Ekman, 1980)
• Personal Space
• Paralanguage
• Detection of deception (DePaulo et al., 2003)
• Non verbal communication mental health (Hall,
  1966 Jourard, 1966 Argyle Ingham, 1972)

4
Consider typical communication disruptions for
the following disorders...

• Sensory Impaired
• Autistic Spectrum Disorders
• Other Childhood Disorders
• Cognitive Disorders
• Schizophrenia

5
Attitudes The nature of attitudes

• An attitude is a mental and neural state of
  readiness, organised through experience, exerting
  a directive or dynamic influence upon the
  individuals response to all objects and
  situations with which it is related
  (Allport, 1935 198)
• Structural Approach (Fishbein Ajzen, 1975)
• Cognitive Component
• Affective Component
• Action Tendency Component
• It is assumed that each of these components may
  vary in strength quite independently of the
  others

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Attitudes The formation of attitudes

• Acquiring Attitudes via Social Learning
• Classical Conditioning
• Instrumental Conditioning
• Modelling
• Acquiring Attitudes via Direct Experience
• Stronger
• Respond more quickly
• More resistant to change

7
Attitudes The Measurement of Attitudes

• Direct Measures
• Self-reports - verbal and non-verbal
• Attitude scales - Thurstone scale (1928)
• - Likert scales (1932)
• - Semantic Differential scale
• (Osgood, Suci Tannendaum, 1957)
• Observations
• Indirect Measures
• Subtle measurements - projective techniques
• Bogus lie detectors

8
Attitudes The relationship between attitudes
behaviour

• LaPierre (1934)
• Wicker (1969) reviewed 47 studies between 1934
  and 1969 and found a very weak correlation
• Intervening Factors
• Attitude Specificity - a specific attitude
• - a general attitude

9
Attitudes Cognitive Dissonance Theory

• When people become aware that their attitudes
  are inconsistent with their behaviour an
  uncomfortable state of tension occurs - this is
  called cognitive dissonance (Festinger,
  1957)
• Festinger Carlsmith (1959)
• Dissonance is reduced by -
• Changing attitudes so they are consistent with
  behaviour
• Changing beliefs about behaviour
• Acquiring new information
• Minimising the importance of the inconsistency.

10
Attitudes Persuasion

• The traditional approach to persuasion (The Yale
  Model)
• Source There are 8 characteristics
• Communication of the source,
• Audience communication audience
• The cognitive approach concentrates on-
• what we think about when being exposed to appeals
• how our thoughts determine whether, and to what
  extent we experience attitude change
• cognitive heuristics

11
The Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) Two
routes to persuasion
Degree of attitude change depends on quality of
argument
Careful processing of information
High elaboration
Central route
Persuasive message
Attitude change depends on presence of persuasive
cues
Careful processing of information does not occur
Low elaboration
Peripheral route
(Petty Cacioppo, 1986)
12
Persuasion Fear-Based Appeals

• VD study (Watson Lashley, 1921)
• Using storyline techniques is risky since viewers
  follow the action rather than the information
• Young people respond with flippancy to sex
  information
• Only work in the short term
• Incorrect information is retained
• Adolescents think they are invincible
• Baggaley (1991) Reviewed all media campaigns on
  HIV/AIDS

13
When Attitude Change Fails Resistance to
Persuasion

• Reactance - Protecting ones personal freedom
• Forewarning - Prior knowledge of persuasive
  intent
• Selective Avoidance - A tendency to direct our
  attention away from information that challenges
  our existing attitudes