C82SAD: Social and C82SAD: Social and Developmental PsychologyDevelopmental Psychology

C82SAD: Social and C82SAD: Social and Developmental PsychologyDevelopmental Psychology

2-hour lectures once per week in both 2-hour lectures once per week in both semesterssemesters

Wednesdays 9am-11am Biology A150 Wednesdays 9am-11am Biology A150 (here!)(here!)

Semester 1: Social psychologySemester 1: Social psychology Semester 2: Developmental Semester 2: Developmental

psychologypsychology Handouts, glossariesHandouts, glossaries Module resources can be found at Module resources can be found at

www.martinhagger.comwww.martinhagger.com

Social Psychology (Semester Social Psychology (Semester 1)1)

Course textCourse text

Hogg, M.A. & Vaughan, G.M. (2007). Social Psychology (5th Ed.). Harlow: Prentice Hall

Important: Look at the chapter headings.

What is Social Psychology?What is Social Psychology?

Numerous definitionsNumerous definitions Why? Different strands - based on methods, Why? Different strands - based on methods,

assumptions and questions raisedassumptions and questions raised Concerned predominantly with:Concerned predominantly with:

Understanding how we interact/communicateUnderstanding how we interact/communicate Understanding how our social environment Understanding how our social environment

shapes our cognitions and judgements/choicesshapes our cognitions and judgements/choices Understanding human interactionUnderstanding human interaction

Different approaches to posing and Different approaches to posing and answering questions that ariseanswering questions that arise

““The scientific investigation of how the The scientific investigation of how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of individuals are influenced by the individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence actual, imagined, or implied presence of others”of others”

Allport (1935)Allport (1935)

What is Social Psychology?What is Social Psychology?

Two strands of social Two strands of social psychologypsychology

PsychologicalSocial Psychology

SociologicalSocial Psychology

STRAND

CONTINUUM

ORIGIN

PREVAILINGPROCESSES

METHODOLOGICALAPPROACH

KEY AUTHOR(S)

Logical Empiricism Social constructionistHumanisticSocial Cognition Language and Culture

Quantitative/Hypothetico-deductivee.g. Experimental

Inductive/Qualitativee.g. Discourse analysis

c.f. Mr. Spock c.f. Hercules Poirot

Popper (1968) Gergen (1973)Shotter (1975)

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

Social psychologists don’t study Social psychologists don’t study animalsanimals

Some Important Considerations and Some Important Considerations and AssumptionsAssumptions

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

Social psychologists don’t study Social psychologists don’t study animalsanimals

Some Important Considerations and Some Important Considerations and AssumptionsAssumptions

People don’t behave in a social ‘vacuum’People don’t behave in a social ‘vacuum’ The The individualindividual is the is the unit of analysisunit of analysis Other people, social contexts, the groups Other people, social contexts, the groups

we belong to all affect our decisions and we belong to all affect our decisions and behaviour in social contextsbehaviour in social contexts

Experimental psychologists use ingenious Experimental psychologists use ingenious experiments to look at social phenomenaexperiments to look at social phenomena

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

Observable behaviorObservable behavior Non-observable phenomena: Non-observable phenomena:

thoughts opinions, attitudes, beliefs, thoughts opinions, attitudes, beliefs, intentions, goals etc.intentions, goals etc.

What makes social psychology What makes social psychology socialsocial is that it deals with real or is that it deals with real or impliedimplied presence presence

Some Important Considerations and Some Important Considerations and AssumptionsAssumptions

Social PsychologySocial PsychologySome Important Considerations and Some Important Considerations and

AssumptionsAssumptions

Que?

We ‘think’ with ‘words’We ‘think’ with ‘words’ Most of us don’tMost of us don’tdrop litterdrop litter

Social Psychology and Social Psychology and Questions?Questions?

What are the questions that social What are the questions that social psychology intends to answer?psychology intends to answer?– Examples:Examples:

How do we make sense of our decisions and How do we make sense of our decisions and expectations in the social world?expectations in the social world?

How do the choices we make influence our behaviour?How do the choices we make influence our behaviour? What effects do our decisions have on others and how What effects do our decisions have on others and how

do others decisions effect us?do others decisions effect us? How does our membership of a group influence the How does our membership of a group influence the

way we behave?way we behave?

Topics of Social Topics of Social PsychologyPsychology

ConformityConformity DiscriminationDiscriminationPersuasionPersuasion StereotypingStereotypingPowerPower Crowd behaviourCrowd behaviourGroup normsGroup norms Group identificationGroup identificationSocial influenceSocial influence Social conflict/harmonySocial conflict/harmonyObedienceObedience Social changeSocial changePrejudicePrejudice Decision makingDecision makingIntergroup relationsIntergroup relations LeadershipLeadershipCommunicationCommunication AttitudesAttitudesImpression managementImpression management Self-presentationSelf-presentationSocial facilitationSocial facilitation Attraction and Attraction and

friendshipfriendship

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

Scientific methodsScientific methods Hypotheses formed on the basis of Hypotheses formed on the basis of

knowledge, assumptions and causal knowledge, assumptions and causal or systematic observationor systematic observation

E.g. hypothesize that a dancer E.g. hypothesize that a dancer performs better before an audience performs better before an audience than alonethan alone

Experimental designExperimental design

Methodological IssuesMethodological Issues

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

Experimental methods in laboratoryExperimental methods in laboratory Careful control of independent Careful control of independent

variables and its effect on a variables and its effect on a dependent variabledependent variable

Example 1: Deci and Ryan’s (1985) Example 1: Deci and Ryan’s (1985) experiments on intrinsic motivationexperiments on intrinsic motivation

Aimed to examine effects of rewards Aimed to examine effects of rewards on intrinsic motivationon intrinsic motivation

Methodological IssuesMethodological Issues

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

Deci and Ryan’s (1985) experiments on Deci and Ryan’s (1985) experiments on intrinsic motivationintrinsic motivation

Effects of rewards on puzzle solvingEffects of rewards on puzzle solving Independent variable: Reward, no-reward Independent variable: Reward, no-reward

conditionsconditions

Methodological IssuesMethodological Issues

Dependent variables: Amount of Dependent variables: Amount of time spent on puzzle in free choice time spent on puzzle in free choice paradigm and enjoymentparadigm and enjoyment

Uses one-way mirror room to Uses one-way mirror room to observe participants observe participants

Results of Deci and Ryan’s Results of Deci and Ryan’s ExperimentExperiment

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

No reward Reward

TimeEnjoyment

Intr

insi

c M

oti

vati

on

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

Example 2: Bandura et al.’s (1961) Bobo DollExample 2: Bandura et al.’s (1961) Bobo Doll

ExperimentExperiment Independent variable: Children exposed to two ‘models’ Independent variable: Children exposed to two ‘models’

of behaviour =of behaviour =– aggressive ‘model’ (e.g. adults aggressive ‘model’ (e.g. adults punched, kicked, hit punched, kicked, hit

doll, tossed it in the air, while saying “Hit him down”, doll, tossed it in the air, while saying “Hit him down”, “Sock him in the nose” etc.)“Sock him in the nose” etc.)

– nonaggressive adult model (both verbal and physical)nonaggressive adult model (both verbal and physical) Dependent variable: Amount of aggressive actions Dependent variable: Amount of aggressive actions

children performed when freely interacting with the children performed when freely interacting with the Bobo DollBobo Doll

Methodological IssuesMethodological Issues

Bandura et al. (1961): Children watched an adult Bandura et al. (1961): Children watched an adult playing with ‘Bobo doll’ (5-foot inflated plastic playing with ‘Bobo doll’ (5-foot inflated plastic doll).doll).

Bobo Doll ExperimentBobo Doll ExperimentMethodMethod

MethodMethod

0

5

10

15

20

25N

um

ber

of

agg

ress

ive

acts

Live Videotape Cartoon Control

Condition

Source: Bandura & Walter (1963)

Bobo Doll ExperimentBobo Doll Experiment

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

Experimental methods in fieldExperimental methods in field Naturalistic settings outside laboratoryNaturalistic settings outside laboratory Field experiments have high external Field experiments have high external

validityvalidity Less control over extraneous variablesLess control over extraneous variables More difficult to obtain subjective More difficult to obtain subjective

measures (usually relies on observed measures (usually relies on observed behaviour)behaviour)

Methodological issuesMethodological issues

Dutton & Aron (1974) examined the mis-interpretation of Dutton & Aron (1974) examined the mis-interpretation of arousal according to environmental feedbackarousal according to environmental feedback

MethodMethod: Male participants crossed either: Male participants crossed either a wobbly suspension bridge high over a canyon = high a wobbly suspension bridge high over a canyon = high

anxietyanxietyOROR or a solid bridge only 10 feet above a brook =low anxietyor a solid bridge only 10 feet above a brook =low anxiety

As each participant crossed the bridge, an attractive female As each participant crossed the bridge, an attractive female research assistant approached andresearch assistant approached and

administered questionnaire about some ambiguous administered questionnaire about some ambiguous pictures of peoplepictures of people

gave him her phone number in case he had questions gave him her phone number in case he had questions about the study about the study

Field ExperimentField ExperimentSocial PsychologySocial Psychology

Social PsychologySocial PsychologyField ExperimentField Experiment

Dutton & Aron (1974) Dutton & Aron (1974) ResultsResults: Participants : Participants on the suspension bridge found more sexual on the suspension bridge found more sexual themes in pictures and were also much themes in pictures and were also much more likely to call the womanmore likely to call the woman

ConclusionConclusion: The arousal that occurred on the : The arousal that occurred on the wobbly suspension bridge was fear, but wobbly suspension bridge was fear, but participants misattributed it to sexual participants misattributed it to sexual arousal because of the presence of the arousal because of the presence of the attractive research assistantattractive research assistant

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

Nonexperimental methodsNonexperimental methods Case studiesCase studies

– In-depth analysis of a single caseIn-depth analysis of a single case– Interviews, questionnaires, behavior observationInterviews, questionnaires, behavior observation– Rich data but less generalizable to populationRich data but less generalizable to population

Survey research and field studiesSurvey research and field studies– Questionnaire studies and correlations between constructsQuestionnaire studies and correlations between constructs– Large samples of respondents looks at group responsesLarge samples of respondents looks at group responses– Generalizable, but cannot infer causality because data is Generalizable, but cannot infer causality because data is

CORRELATIONALCORRELATIONAL– Doesn’t involve CHANGING variables/conditions of peopleDoesn’t involve CHANGING variables/conditions of people

Methodological issuesMethodological issues

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

BehaviourismBehaviourism Neo-behaviourists (e.g., Bandura) need to evoke Neo-behaviourists (e.g., Bandura) need to evoke

unobservable constructs to explain behaviourunobservable constructs to explain behaviour E.g. Social Modelling imitation of behaviour and shaping E.g. Social Modelling imitation of behaviour and shaping

by vicarious learningby vicarious learning Cognitive psychologyCognitive psychology Representations and cognitive consistency, E.g. Lewin’s Representations and cognitive consistency, E.g. Lewin’s

(1951) Field theory representations of social (1951) Field theory representations of social environment affect motivationenvironment affect motivation

Aronson (1984), Festinger and Carlsmith – cognitive Aronson (1984), Festinger and Carlsmith – cognitive dissonance (arousal) evoked attitude changedissonance (arousal) evoked attitude change

TheoriesTheories

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

TheoriesTheories Evolutionary social psychologyEvolutionary social psychology Important behavioural tendencies evoked a survival benefit Important behavioural tendencies evoked a survival benefit

and therefore became part of human genetic makeupand therefore became part of human genetic makeup More recently in the form of sexual selection e.g. fitness More recently in the form of sexual selection e.g. fitness

indicator theory, sensory bias theoryindicator theory, sensory bias theory PersonalityPersonality Stable, generalized, heritable traits that influence behaviour Stable, generalized, heritable traits that influence behaviour

in a number of contextsin a number of contexts Little evidence for true heritable traitsLittle evidence for true heritable traits Collectivist theories: people behave according to social Collectivist theories: people behave according to social

contextcontext

Social cognitionSocial cognition Information processing is central to the theoryInformation processing is central to the theory Examines the effects of social information on decision Examines the effects of social information on decision

making and behaviourmaking and behaviour Assumes all individuals process information in the Assumes all individuals process information in the

same mannersame manner

Social PsychologySocial Psychology

TheoriesTheories