Introducing Social Psychology

Chapter 1

Dr. Edith Singer

Lauder Business School

What is Social Psychology?
Some big ideas in social
psychology
 We construct our social reality

1. Urge to explain behavior

2. Attribute behavior to a cause (e.g. consistent and distinctive
behavior – personality attribution)

3. Make life predictable, orderly, and controllable

In a way we are all intuitive scientists!

Our beliefs shape our perception, emotions, and action.

 Social intuitions are
powerful and perilious

 Our intuitions shape our fears, impressions, and

relationships.
 Unconscious mind – automatic processing; thinking occurs
offstage.
 Dual processing: conscious and unconscious level of
thinking, memory, and attitudes.
 We trust our memories more than we should.
 Social influences shape our behavior

 We are social beings and respond to our immediate contexts.

 Our cultures define our situations.
 Our attitudes and behavior are shaped by external social
forces.
Personal attitudes and dispositions shape
our behavior

 Our inner attitudes and dispositions also affect our behavior.

 We are both creatures and creators of our social worlds.
 Our worlds arise from the interactions between situations and
persons.
 Social behavior is also
biological behavior

 Inherited human nature (genes) – for survival and

reproduction
 Sensitive and responsive to social context
 Neurobiology: brain, mind, and behavior – social cognitive
neuroscience (e.g. stress hormones affect feeling and action;
social ostracism elevates blood pressure; social support
strengthens immune system)

We are bio-psycho-social organisms!

Social Psychology and Human Values (1)

 SP investigates how values form, why they change,

and how they influence attitudes and actions.
 Science is never purely objective. Scientists interpret
nature, using their own mental categories.
 We have a tendency to prejudge reality based on our
expectations – not „situation-as-it-is“, but „situation-as-
we-construe-it“.
 We agree because we are of the same culture – shared
beliefs called „social representations“.
Social Psychology and Human Values (2)

Psychological advice reflects the advice giver‘s

personal values.
 What is a good life?
 Define „terrorist“, define „freedom fighter“.
 How do these terms affect you: (a) „the loss of innocent
lives“, (b) „collateral damage“?
 How about (a) „welfare“ or (b) aid to the needy“? Or (a)
„nationalism“ vs. „patriotism“.
 Is social psychology common sense?

Problem with common sense: hindsight bias!

(„Life is lived forward, but understood backwards.“
Soren Kierkegaard)
Common sense is conducive to arrogance – an
overestimation of our intellectual powers.
Reflect: What are „stupid mistakes“?
Reflect: Which saying is correct?
Science helps us sift reality from illusion and
genuine predictions from easy hindsight.
Research Methods in
Social Psychology