1. what is social psychology?:
• thoughts,
• feelings,
• and behaviors
are influenced by the:
• actual,
• implied,
• or imagined presence of others
The study of how people’s:
scientific
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social psychology

2. What is Social Psychology?
• “Social psychology involves the use of
scientific methods to explore the ways in
which a person’s thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors are influenced by the actual,
imagined, or implied presence of others.”
– Gordon Allport, 1954
• suggests a cause - effect equation
– cause (other people) - effect (an
individual)

3. Social Psychology
The scientific study of how
people think about,
influence, and relate to one
another

4. Social psychology
Is………
Social thinking:
How we perceive
ourselves
And others.
What we believe.
Judgments we make.
Our attitudes
Social Influences
Culture and biology.
Pressures to conform.
Persuasion.
Groups of people
Social relations::
Prejudice.
Aggression.
Attraction & intimacy.
helping

5. Broad Themes of the Course
• How the social world influences
the individual:
– one’s thoughts and feelings about the
world
– one’s thoughts, feelings, and actions
toward other people
– one’s thoughts and feelings about
oneself
– one’s attitudes, values, and beliefs

6. Social & cognitive processes
• Social processes involve:
 Individual/group reaction to the presence
of others
 How individuals behave when alone and in
groups
 Use of language in private and in public
 What people do & say (measurable)

7. Cognitive processes
 Ways in which our emotions influence our
thinking
 Ways in which our motives justify our
means
 Ways in which significant others, e.g.
family, society, influence our attitudes,
values and beliefs.
 Ways in which our perceptions influence
our reality

8. Social psychology & other disciplines
• Social psychology shares the same
research goals pursued by other
disciplines of Behavioural Sciences
To describe behaviour
To explain behaviour
To predict behaviour
To control/influence behaviour

9. What is Social Psychology?
Level of Analysis
Field Level of Causes Level of Effects
Sociology Social structure, group Groups
Social psychology Groups, individuals Individuals
Clinical psychology Individual disorders Individual emotional distress
Cognitive psychology Mental structure Individual thinking

10. Basic Principles of Social
Behavior
1. Social behavior is goal-oriented.
2. Social behavior represents a
continual interaction between the
person and the situation.

11. Social Goals
At the broadest level (ultimate), we can
categorize social goals into fundamental
motives
To establish and maintain social ties
To understand ourselves and others
To gain and maintain status
To defend ourselves and those we value
To attract and retain mates

12. Person-Situation Interactions
By person, behavioral scientists mean
the features or characteristics that
individuals carry into social situations.
situation indicates mean the
environmental events or circumstances
outside the person.
Persons and situations influence one
another in a number of ways.

13. Person-Situation Interactions
2. Situations Choose the Person
Example: A tall person is more likely
to be encouraged to play basketball.
Not everyone gets to enter every
situation they would like.

14. Person-Situation Interactions
3. Persons Choose Their Situations
Example: Violence-prone people
choose to watch violent films; less
violent people do not.

15. Person-Situation Interactions
4. Different Situations Prime
Different Parts of the Same Person
Example: Around your professor, you
may show your intellectual side;
around an old friend who did not go
to college, you may suppress it.

16. Person-Situation Interactions
5. Persons Change the Situation
Example: A highly extraverted person
can change a boring party into the
social event of the season.

17. Person-Situation Interactions
6. Situations Change the Person
Example: After four years of college,
your intellectual inclinations will
probably be more prominent.