Words of the Day: ReviewWords of the Day: Review

AP Test Review #1- explain in your notebook what each term is, famous people who supported, etc.

• Structuralism• Functionalism

**Please have your notes from 695-709 out for me to check.

Answers:Answers:

• Structuralism- Early psychological perspective that emphasized units of consciousness and identification of elements of thought using introspective (Wundt, Hall, Titchener)

• Functionalism- Early psychological perspective concerned with how an organism uses its perceptual abilities to adapt to its environment (James, Calkins)

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

The study of how we think about, influence and

relate to one another.

Don’t give me attitude!!!Don’t give me attitude!!! We are always talking about attitude…We are always talking about attitude…

but what are we talking about??but what are we talking about?? AttitudeAttitude

A set of beliefs and feelings (usually liking A set of beliefs and feelings (usually liking or disliking something)or disliking something)

We have attitudes towards almost We have attitudes towards almost everything and these attitudes are very everything and these attitudes are very judgmental (either positive or negative)judgmental (either positive or negative)

Attitudes cont..Attitudes cont..Researching attitudes are a really big deal in Researching attitudes are a really big deal in

psychology and marketingpsychology and marketing

A company wants you to develop a A company wants you to develop a favorable attitudefavorable attitude toward their product toward their product and a and a negative attitudenegative attitude towards the towards the competitioncompetition And they spend a whole lot of money to get And they spend a whole lot of money to get

this donethis done Example – Coke vs. PepsiExample – Coke vs. Pepsi

What are your attitudes about What are your attitudes about these pictures?these pictures?

Advertisers are well aware of a psychological Advertisers are well aware of a psychological concept meant to change our attitudes concept meant to change our attitudes called called

the… the…

Mere-exposure effectMere-exposure effect States that the more you are exposed to States that the more you are exposed to

something the more you will come to like itsomething the more you will come to like it

That is why every other commercial is for That is why every other commercial is for some type of great tasting fast food!!!some type of great tasting fast food!!!• And to some small extent why psych is your And to some small extent why psych is your

favorite class….right???favorite class….right???

But it is not just amount of commercials But it is not just amount of commercials you see, but who is in them….you see, but who is in them….

There is a lot of research into this, but There is a lot of research into this, but to make a long story short… to make a long story short…

attractive (hot) people are more persuasive attractive (hot) people are more persuasive communicatorscommunicators

People look at hot (and famous) people People look at hot (and famous) people and say…and say… (1) I want to be like them or (1) I want to be like them or (2) I want to be with them(2) I want to be with them

Two Pathways to PersuasionTwo Pathways to Persuasion

Not only does attractiveness of the Not only does attractiveness of the person influence attitudes, but so does person influence attitudes, but so does

the technique used in persuasionthe technique used in persuasion

Two ways or routes to persuade a Two ways or routes to persuade a person to change their attitude person to change their attitude

Central Route to Persuasion (also Central Route to Persuasion (also know as Elaboration Likelihood know as Elaboration Likelihood Model)Model)

and the Peripheral Routeand the Peripheral Route

Central Route to Persuasion Central Route to Persuasion (ELM)(ELM)(remember techniques, used to change or influence (remember techniques, used to change or influence

someone’s attitude on something)someone’s attitude on something)

The individual is presented with data The individual is presented with data and facts and is motivated to and facts and is motivated to evaluate the content and arrive at an evaluate the content and arrive at an attitude changing conclusionattitude changing conclusion

So persuasion is based on… the content of the So persuasion is based on… the content of the message, reason, and thinking about the facts message, reason, and thinking about the facts

and informationand information

Peripheral Route to Peripheral Route to PersuasionPersuasion

The person focuses on surface The person focuses on surface characteristics of the message, such characteristics of the message, such as its length or the credibility of the as its length or the credibility of the sourcesource

the individual is encouraged to not the individual is encouraged to not look at the content but at the source look at the content but at the source

Central vs. PeripheralCentral vs. PeripheralThink about political campaigns or TV Think about political campaigns or TV

commercialscommercialsHow does Central vs. Peripheral play out??How does Central vs. Peripheral play out??

CentralCentral Inspires thoughtful consideration of arguments and Inspires thoughtful consideration of arguments and

evidenceevidence Presents strong arguments, facts, and logicPresents strong arguments, facts, and logic

PeripheralPeripheral Associates objects with positive or negative cues such Associates objects with positive or negative cues such

as looks or tastesas looks or tastes Hopes to persuade through emotional appealHopes to persuade through emotional appeal

This theory is useful in the study of attitude This theory is useful in the study of attitude change, as it helps define under what conditions change, as it helps define under what conditions people are likely to pay attention to content over people are likely to pay attention to content over

stylestyle

But there are other variables But there are other variables when Influencing Peoplewhen Influencing People

Source Variables•Credibility•Likeability•Similarity

Message Variables•One-sided vs.

Two-sided arguments•Repetition

Recipient Variables•Intelligence

•Self-confidence•Mood

Persuasion

Attitude and Behavior We use to assume that if you knew

someone’s attitude, then youcould predict their behavior

If I knew that Dennis hated video games, I could then predict that he would not buy an X-box.

But research has showed us that sometimes our attitudes or thoughts do not perfectly predict or match behavior

What are we to do in such cases??

How can I iron out the kinks between my cognition and my behavior? …for example…

The dissonance will often motivate people to change either their attitude or behavior to

match the other and to create balance

I believe spanking kids is wrong, so I will always stop myself from spanking them. (my behavior matches my attitude)

However, I found myself spanking my child one night for using my play-station and when I was done I felt sick…why??

When people’s attitudes and their behaviors do not match, they experience an uncomfortable mental

tension called Cognitive Dissonance•Theory based on the idea that people are motivated to have consistent attitudes and behaviors

For ExampleFor Example

Ø Jamie thinks studying is only for geeks. Jamie thinks studying is only for geeks.

Ø If he then studies 8 hours for a AP Psych If he then studies 8 hours for a AP Psych exam, his attitude will not match his exam, his attitude will not match his actions actions and he will experience what??and he will experience what??

Øcognitive dissonancecognitive dissonance

Since Jamie cannot change his actions (he has Since Jamie cannot change his actions (he has already studied for 8 hours) the only way to already studied for 8 hours) the only way to reduce the dissonance is to change his attitude reduce the dissonance is to change his attitude and decide that studying does not necessarily and decide that studying does not necessarily make someone a geekmake someone a geek

Be aware that this change in attitude Be aware that this change in attitude does NOT occur in conscious does NOT occur in conscious awareness – you may not be awareness – you may not be

aware aware that it is happeningthat it is happening

Ways of Reducing Cognitive Ways of Reducing Cognitive DissonanceDissonance

Discrepant Attitudes and BehaviorsAttitude: “I believe people should donate blood.”

Behavior: “I never donate blood.”

Cognitive Dissonance

Ways of reducing dissonance

Change Attitude“Giving blood is

not that important.They must have all

the blood they need”

Change Behavior

Giving blood at the next blood drive

Use self-justification

“I’d give blood ifonly it didn’t take

so long.”

Ignore theInconsistencies

“I’m too busy tothink about it now.”

Compliance Strategies A technique to get others to do what you

want them to do

There are three common compliance strategies you should know, many of you use them daily already and if you don’t, learn to use them wisely…

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

• The tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.

If you want to borrow $120 from a friend to pay for prom don’t ask for it all at once…If I you ask your friend for a dollar, what can happen next?

Door-in-face Phenomenon

• The tendency for people who say no to a huge request, to comply with a smaller one.

If I ask my parents for a new car? NO

But they may let me buy a 72 inch TV .

Norms of Reciprocity

• It is common courtesy to think that when someone does something nice for

you, it is your duty to do something in return

Ex: Here I make dinner for my boyfriend and give him a day at the golf course, then ask for my new car…

How do you try to explain someone’s behavior??

Let’s say that your friend walks by you in the hall without saying hi after you go out of the way to

get her attention

• Attribution TheoryAttribution Theory – A technique that tries to explain how we determine

the cause the cause for what we observe (or for what we observe (or other’s other’s behaviors)behaviors)

In this case there are basically two ways this theory would view her behavior

Attribution Theory

Was my friend a jerk because she had a bad day or is she just a bad person?

Attribution Theory We credit someone’s behavior either to the

situation (a product of the environment)

We call that situational attributionsituational attribution or….

We credit someone’s behavior to the person’s internal factors such as needs or traits

We call that personal or dispositionalpersonal or dispositional attributionattribution

The most common type of attribution error is called …

Fundamental Attribution ErrorFundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to underestimate the impact of a

situation and overestimate the impact of

personal disposition in others behavior.

How do you view your teacher’s behavior?

You probably attribute it to their personality rather than their profession.

Attribution At Work

The Effects of Attribution

• Social Effects

• Political Effects

• Workplace Effects

Another attribution error we make is called…

Actor-Observer Effect

• The tendency to attribute the causes of one’s own behavior to situational factors while attributing the causes of other people’s behavior to internal factors of dispositions

• The opposite of FAE

Not only are we biased in how we attribute Not only are we biased in how we attribute behaviors, but we are biased in just behaviors, but we are biased in just about about everything about us.everything about us.

Self-serving biasSelf-serving bias The tendency to take credit for good The tendency to take credit for good

outcomes and to try to explain away our outcomes and to try to explain away our failuresfailures

If I coach the softball team and we win, it is because If I coach the softball team and we win, it is because of my great coaching.of my great coaching.

When we lose it is 1. the bad playing conditions, or When we lose it is 1. the bad playing conditions, or 2. lack of team talent2. lack of team talent

Wrap UpWrap Up

On your note-sheet, come up with your On your note-sheet, come up with your own example of self-serving bias. Include own example of self-serving bias. Include a negative and positive outcome.a negative and positive outcome.