Chapter 11: Social Psychology

What is Social Psychology ?

Social Psychology is a scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, behaviors are influenced by the presence of others. 

How do we attach meaning to other's behavior, or our own? This is called attribution theory. For example, is someone angry because they are bad tempered or because something bad happened? Attribution theory is concerned with how and why ordinary people explain events as they do. There are two types of attribute that affects our behavior. 

     1. Internal attribution: The process of assigning the cause of behavior to some internal characteristic, rather than to the situation or events. When we explain the behavior of others we look for their internal attributions, such as personality traits. For example, we attribute the behavior of a person with his personality or motives.

     2. External attribution: The process of assigning the cause of behavior to some external situation or event rather than internal characteristic. When we try to explain our own behavior we tend to make external attributions, such as situational factors.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

People try to seek consistency in their thoughts, beliefs and opinions. So when there are two different opinions, people will take steps to reduce the discomfort that they are suffering to. For an example, if you are a regular smoker, and you have a thought of "Smoking is bad" then u might rationalized your behavior to reduce the inconsistency of your thoughts.

Compliance

Why we comply? What is compliance? Compliance is an acting or behavior that you really unwanted to do but request by someone. It usually occurs in our daily life, such as your friend request for help, a salesman tries to persuade you buying something or your mum ask you for helping her complete household works. In psychology field, compliance refers to the changing of behavior because the request of other person or group. The changing of behavior is to fit their own in group or social although they are disagree with the request. Different with forcing peoples, compliance does not involve any individual that in position of power over you and threat you to change your behavior. Thus, to influence and persuade the person Compliance Techniques are used in marketing especially for seller.

Compliance Techniques

• Foot- in – the- door
• Door- in- the- face
• Low- ball
• That’s- not –all

 Foot- in- the- door- This technique is almost work in the first request (small) asked by others. After the first request has done or complied, the second request (large) is presented. Thus, the large request is asked after the complied of first request. For example, a children ask his mother for allowing him play computer for 1 hour. After his mother promised him, he asked for more 1 hour. (2 hour)

Door- in- the- face- This technique is opposite to Foot- in- the- face, its request is from large to small. The first request is asked with a large commitment which is an unreasonable request after the first request been rejected, the second request which is reasonable than the first request is mention. For example, a teenager ask his parents to buy a car for him as his birthday gift. After rejected, he ask his parents to buy a motorcycle as gift.

Low- ball- It is similar with Foot- in- the- door technique. The people who asked first request will make sure that you will comply it before he add another offer that may increasing costs or pressure in secondary request. For example, a teenager order some nuggets and drinks in fast-food restaurant, but he did not realise there is a combo set for nuggets with drinks, the worker prepared his order without mention him the combo set.

That’s- not –all- This technique is usually useful in persuade people, the second request of this theory is larger than previous but it is more attractive and less costly. In the first request an attractive offer is given, the second offer or party is given before you make a decision. For example, a stationary seller promote his pen in a reasonable price that cheaper than others pen brand, he add another party which is ink refill to persuade the customers.

Conformity

Conformity is a type of social influence involving a change of behavior or beliefs in order to fit in a group. The term conformity is often used to indicate an agreement to the majority position. There are some types of conformity.

     Normative Conformity

• Yielding to group pressure because a person wants to fit in with the group. E.g Asch Line Study. 
• Conforming because the person is scared of being rejected by the group.
• If the group is unanimous, the conformity will increased.

     Informational Conformity

• This usually occurs when a person lacks knowledge and look to the group for guidance. 
• Or when a person is in an unclear situation and compares their behavior with the group. E.g Sherif's study.

   
What is Social Psychology, Cognitive Dissonance Theory. Conformity
By: Ling Kok

Compliance
By: Xin Wei