Social Psychology Tung Siew Hui, Jiji Ng, Jason Goh Kok Wei, Chin Cheong Soon

5 Concepts Incorporated in Class

▪ Discrimination▪ Halo Effect▪ Optimism Bias and Counterfactual Thinking▪ Self-fulfilling Prophecy▪ Social Loafing

Video Clip: First-hand Approach to University Environment

Stereotype-Discrimination: TattooIrrational behavioural disposition towards group or its members – disparagement: o based on society’s consequential valueso lack of mutuality between discriminating

and discriminated individuals.o impulsive categorization of

discriminating individual; not the actual values of discriminated individual.

Manifestations of hostility:o verbal: professing the barbarity of

tattooing individualo non-verbal: disrespected reflection in

facial and viewing expressionPrejudicial thinking:o avoidance of contacto renunciation of equality

Cognitive Bias–Halo Effect: New Relationship

Tendency to view peer holistically by means of social norms, initiated by peer’s positive, specific trait, is due to:o conceptual bias: nonconformity in

reasoning about ambiguous group’s belief, desire and intention.

o cognitive predisposition: deep-rooted perception of former trait.

Optimism Bias and Counterfactual Thinking: Academic Result Optimistic bias: exaggeration of

positive occurrence for difficult occasions, as in:o planning fallacy: tendency of

generating optimistic predictions about task management.

Counterfactual thinking: susceptibility of comparing situational alternatives with current occurrence via automatic and active cognition processing, as in:o downward counterfactual thinking:

comparison associated with positive feelings on present outcomes with less favourable ones

Self-fulfilling Prophecy: Academic Performance Self-fulfilling prophecy: Positive or

negative expectation affected target to create situations in the expectation’s fulfilment.o realisation and internalisation of

perceiver’s behaviour based on classification of behaviour, occasioning target being “socially reconstructed”, because:

o educator’s behaviour redirect student’s belief of learning in motivation, achievement and behaviour.

Social Loafing: Group AssignmentTendency of individuals to dedicate lesser effort in the contribution of group task, due to:o lacking motivation in task driveo unproductive group expectation on

member’s negligenceo diffusion of responsibility due to

bystander effect