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Social Psychology: Attributions, Social Influence, Cults, and Cognitive Dissonance - Prof., Lecture notes of Psychology

University of Oklahoma (OU)Psychology
Prof. Jenel Cavazos

This document delves into the fascinating world of social psychology, exploring how we interpret the behavior of others and ourselves. It examines attribution theory, fundamental attribution error, self-serving bias, and the dunning-kruger effect. The document also explores social influence, conformity, groupthink, and persuasion, highlighting the power of social norms and the impact of authority figures. Finally, it delves into the psychology of cults, examining the characteristics of cults, the influence of charismatic leaders, and the dynamics of control and manipulation. Real-world examples and case studies, such as the jonestown massacre and the doomsday cult, to illustrate key concepts.

Typology: Lecture notes

2023/2024

Uploaded on 02/11/2025

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11.1 Social Psychology
Attributions: Interpreting the Behavior of Others
Attribution Theory: a framework that helps us understand the reasons behind the actions of
others and ourselves
Dispositional/Internal Cues: whether another’s behavior is assumed to be a result of their
personality traits and characteristics
Situational/External: whether another’s behavior is assumed to be a result of environmental
causes that are beyond one’s control
- We are more likely to attribute the behavior of others to dispositional or internal causes
(characteristics)
- In contrast, when we look at our behavior or someone we know well, we are more likely
to make situational or external attributions (environmental)
- Consistency: whether the behavior of an individual in a given social situation is similar
over time.
- Control: whether the individual had any control over the situation surrounding the
behavior.
Fundamental Attribution Error
Fundamental Attribution Error: The tendency to attribute the behavior of others to
internal/dispositional causes and one’s own behavior to external/environmental causes
- Overestimate the importance of internal causes and underestimate the importance of
external causes when we first get to know someone
- We lack background information when we first meet someone
oEx: you were much more likely to assume that a grumpy professor was simply a
mean person when meeting her on the first day than you would have several
weeks later
- Making internal attributions is more advantageous to our survival; thus has evolved as
our “default” attribution
Other Attributional Errors
Self-fulfilling prophecy
- When expected outcomes regarding the actions of others are more likely to occur because
individuals unwittingly act in ways to bring about the behavior.
- The behavior you expect from others changes the way you treat them, and that treatment
elicits the behavior you already believed they would have
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Download Social Psychology: Attributions, Social Influence, Cults, and Cognitive Dissonance - Prof. and more Lecture notes Psychology in PDF only on Docsity!

11.1 Social Psychology

Attributions: Interpreting the Behavior of Others

Attribution Theory : a framework that helps us understand the reasons behind the actions of others and ourselves Dispositional/Internal Cues: whether another’s behavior is assumed to be a result of their personality traits and characteristics Situational/External: whether another’s behavior is assumed to be a result of environmental causes that are beyond one’s control

  • We are more likely to attribute the behavior of others to dispositional or internal causes (characteristics)
  • In contrast, when we look at our behavior or someone we know well, we are more likely to make situational or external attributions (environmental)
  • Consistency: whether the behavior of an individual in a given social situation is similar over time.
  • Control: whether the individual had any control over the situation surrounding the behavior.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Fundamental Attribution Error: The tendency to attribute the behavior of others to internal/dispositional causes and one’s own behavior to external/environmental causes

  • Overestimate the importance of internal causes and underestimate the importance of external causes when we first get to know someone
  • We lack background information when we first meet someone o Ex: you were much more likely to assume that a grumpy professor was simply a mean person when meeting her on the first day than you would have several weeks later
  • Making internal attributions is more advantageous to our survival; thus has evolved as our “default” attribution

Other Attributional Errors

Self-fulfilling prophecy

  • When expected outcomes regarding the actions of others are more likely to occur because individuals unwittingly act in ways to bring about the behavior.
  • The behavior you expect from others changes the way you treat them, and that treatment elicits the behavior you already believed they would have

o Ex: you’re at a party and your friend introduces someone but warns you first that this person is rude and judgmental. You might (unconsciously) be a bit colder and less friendly than you otherwise would be. The Self-Serving Bias

  • Attributing one’s successes to internal causes and one’s failures to external causes (helps preserve self-esteem) o When individuals credit successes to internal/dispositional causes and their failures to external/situational causes o By perceiving your successes to be internal and your failures to be the result of external causes, your self-esteem is preserved  Ex: by assuming you got an A because you’re smart but a D because your professor is wrong allows you to preserve your self-esteem The Dunning-Kruger Effect
  • People who know very little tend to believe that they know a great deal more
  • When we first begin to learn about something new, we begin by only scratching the surface, it’s only when you begin to learn a great deal more that you realize how much there actually is left to learn. Imposter Phenomenon: the feeling of being a fraud or not belonging because of a sense of inadequacy
  • The polar opposite of Self-Serving bias with individuals feels as though their good grades are just due to luck The Halo Effect (Beautiful-is-Good Stereotype)
  • The attributional error that occurs when we assume that more attractive people also possess other desirable personality traits. o Ex: in addition to being pretty, beautiful people are also assumed to be kinder, more trustworthy, more intelligent, and more capable than their less physically attractive counterparts

Persuasion

  • Conformity occurs in the absence of direct request for compliance (persuasion); involves an increased level of social pressure. 3 Characteristics of Persuasive Messages
  1. The message source: we are persuaded by authority. a. Ex: persuasive ads that use actors wearing official-looking clothing (lab coat or other uniform).
  2. Characteristics of the Message: messages that use fear are particularly persuasive, but only to a point. Fear is most effective when used initially to make the audience afraid before explaining that your candidate or company or product will erase fear.
  3. Characteristics of the target: the younger you are, the easier you are to persuade. Foot-in-the-door technique: a small initial request followed by larger request(s) later. o Ex: if you need a ride to a distant airport that is 200 miles away, most people will explicitly say no. Realizing that there is a high rejection rate, you might start by asking your friend to the store (smaller request). Door-in-the-face technique: asking for something extravagant that you know is going to be rejected, followed by a smaller request that is then accepted. The smaller request should be the actual target.

Obedience to Authority

  • People are heavily influenced by the power of the situation and the social roles they are assigned. Nuremberg Code : set of ethical guidelines that were put forth after Nazi concentration camps during WWII.
  • Most young men fighting for Germany were forced to fight for their country and if not, their families were placed in grave danger or were considered to be political prisoners and placed in work camps.
  • This is an extreme example of how people can act in unimaginable, horrific ways under pressures of authority.

The Milgram Experiments

11.3 Cults and Cognitive Dissonance

Why would someone join a cult?

Cult : a religious group outside the mainstream religion.

  • Usually involves a prophet/prophecy, isolation from outsiders, and great monetary, physical, and or social sacrifice.
  • Commonly based on the forecast of apocalyptic events by a prophet/prophecy.
  • Directed men and women to engage in extramarital relations and forced some to publicly perform intimate acts one another.
  • He would often times, in private, engage in private sexual acts with disciples of his choosing.
  • By separating families and friends, Jones made it difficult to object or speak ill of him because all followers were required to immediately report any such behavior. o Members had no idea who to trust so many remained silent for fear of being reported and punished.
  • High rates of conformity and fear made members feel trapped because if an individual was dissatisfied with Jones, they would first look to others for social cues. o The fear of being alone amplified feelings of isolation and helplessness. Jeanne and Al Mills:
  • After spending 6 years with the cult, they escaped and tried to get members of the US government to go to Jonestown to see the horrors.
  • Eventually a congressman with 3 other journalists traveled to the site and as they were departing, Jones sent well-armed devotees of his security team to kill the congressman and those with him.
  • Jones realized he was in trouble so he convinced his followers that the only way they could truly be free would be to depart the earth by committing suicide.
  • This suicide was recorded where he explained the reason of their action, Jones rallied the group to willingly drink the cyanide-laced Kool-Aid.

The Doomsday Cult

  • 20 years before the People’s Temple, a cult built by Marian Keech grew around her reported communications with extraterrestrial beings and prophecies of the world’s destruction
  • Leon, Harry, and Stanley joined the cult as “regular” people to do an undercover investigation.
  • Acting as new recruits, these researchers carefully documented and analyzed the actions of the cult leaders and members.
  • The cult was formed based on messages that Marian Keech claimed were sent to her by spiritual beings. o She claimed that she received messages about a cataclysmic flood that would destroy the plant on December 21, 1955. o Obviously, no spaceships or floods appeared but most members remained with the cult even more committed now that they had all “saved” the world.