Social Psychology: Influences on Attitudes, Persuasion, and Nonverbal Communication

1. Social Psychology Chapter 13 • “People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” Barbra Streisand • “Hell is other people.” Jean-Paul Sartre

2. Social psychology is the scientific study of how the individual is influenced by the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of other people Social Psychology

3. Attitudes are feelings and beliefs about other people, ideas, or objects that are based on a person’s past experiences, and shape future behaviour The cognitive dimension of an attitude consists of thoughts and beliefs The emotional dimension of an attitude involves evaluate feelings (such as like or dislike) The behavioural dimension of an attitude involves how beliefs and evaluations are demonstrated Attitudes

4. It is possible that behaviour shapes attitudes A dramatic demonstration of this was the “Stanford Prison Experiment” in which well-adjusted college students were asked to act and dress as prisoners or guards Within days, “guards” were harassing “prisoners” and prisoners were caving in and becoming obedient The study showed a person may quickly adopt attitudes consistent with one’s roles Does Behaviour Determine Attitudes?

5. Persuasion: Changing Attitudes • Carl Hovland was one of the first social psychologists in the 1950s to identify the key components of attitude change

6. Persuasion: Changing AttitudesThe Communicator • To be persuasive, the communicator must show integrity, credibility, and trustworthiness • Perceived power, prestige, prominence, modesty, celebrity, and attractiveness are also extremely important

7. Physical or emotional distress One simple explanation Unconditional love, acceptance, and attention New identity is created Entrapment Information access is controlled Coercive Persuasion

8. The Communication • The means by which a communication is presented is called its “medium” • Openness to attitude change is related in part to age and education • Change is far more likely if the person doing the persuading is a friend

9. Foot-in-the-Door Technique Door-in-the-Face Technique Ask-and-You-Shall-be-Given Technique Lowballing Technique Modelling Incentives Technique Techniques to Change Attitudes

10. Cognitive Dissonance • Cognitive dissonance is a state of mental discomfort that arises from a discrepancy between two or more of a person’s beliefs, or between beliefs and behaviour • Leon Festinger believed that people try to reduce cognitive dissonance by changing one’s attitudes or behaviours

11. Figure 13.3 Cognitive Dissonance

12. Assessing the World Using Nonverbal Communication (Social Cognition) • Impression formation often begins with nonverbal communication, the communication of information by physical cues or actions, facial expressions, body language, and eye contact

13. Facial Expressions • Across cultures, six basic emotions are distinguished in facial expressions • When a person smiles, both the muscular activity around the eyes and the smile help determine if the person is happy, or masking another feeling

14. Body Language • Information about moods and attitudes is conveyed through body language • Gestures and aspects of body language have different meanings in different societies

15. Eye Contact • The eyes convey a surprising amount of information about feelings • People tend to judge others based on the eye contact they engage in

16. Nonverbal Communication: Flirting