PSY403 Final Term Notes

PSY403 (Social Psychology) · Final Term Notes · Table of Contents

Lesson 22 Attitude and Behavior ................................................................................................. 10 Lesson 23 Attitude Change ........................................................................................................... 12 Lesson 24 Attitude Change (Continued) ...................................................................................... 14 Lesson 25 Prejudice and Discrimination ...................................................................................... 16 Lesson 26 Prejudice and Discrimination (Continued) ................................................................. 19 Lesson 27 Reducing Prejudice and Discrimination ...................................................................... 23 Lesson 28 Interpersonal Attraction ............................................................................................. 25 Lesson 29 Interpersonal Attraction (Continued) ......................................................................... 28 Lesson 30 Intimate Relationships ................................................................................................ 30 Lesson 31 Social Influence ........................................................................................................... 33 Lesson 32 Social Influence (Continued) ....................................................................................... 36 Lesson 33 Social Influence (Obedience & Compliance) .............................................................. 39 Lesson 34 Aggression ................................................................................................................... 42 Lesson 35 Aggression (Continued) ............................................................................................... 44 Lesson 36 Reducing Aggression ................................................................................................... 46 Lesson 37 Prosocial Behavior ........................................................................................................ 48 Lesson 38 Prosocial Behavior (Continued) .................................................................................. 50 Lesson 39 Group Behavior ............................................................................................................ 52 Lesson 40 Group Behavior (Continued) ....................................................................................... 55 Lesson 41 Group Behavior (Continued) ...................................................................................... 58 Lesson 42 Interpersonal Power & Leadership .............................................................................. 61 Lesson 43 Social Psychology in Court .......................................................................................... 63 Lesson 44 Social Psychology in Clinic ........................................................................................... 65 Lesson 45 Final Review ................................................................................................................ 67

What Is Social Cognition?

Social cognition is how we think about and understand people and social situations. It includes how we: Analyze and remember information Use it to make judgments

Two Ways We Process Social Information (Dual-Process Model):

1. Explicit Cognition – Thinking that is deliberate and conscious
2. Implicit Cognition – Automatic thinking we’re often unaware of

How Do We Make Sense of Social Information?

Categorization

We quickly form impressions by grouping people or things based on shared features. Categories help us manage large amounts of information (e.g., "insect" = 6 legs, external skeleton). Some categories are clear-cut, while others are "fuzzy" (e.g., gender roles in professions). We use prototypes—typical examples (like male engineer or female nurse)—to classify things, which can sometimes lead to mistakes.

Schemas

Schemas are mental frameworks we use to understand the world. They are structured ideas about people, roles, or events. Event schemas (or "scripts") guide what we expect to happen (e.g., a restaurant visit). When applied to groups, schemas can become stereotypes.

Benefits of Schemas:

Help us process and remember info Fill in missing details Speed up understanding Set expectations

Mental Shortcuts: The Cognitive Miser

We save mental energy by using shortcuts called heuristics.

Types of Heuristics:

1. Representativeness Heuristic

Judging someone by how much they look like a "typical" example (e.g., “He looks like an engineer, so he must be one.”). → Can lead to base rate fallacy (ignoring real statistics).

2. Availability Heuristic

Judging how likely something is based on how easily examples come to mind (e.g., Plane crashes seem common because they’re dramatic and memorable).

3. Anchoring and Adjustment

Relying too much on the first piece of information we hear (e.g., Thinking nuclear war is more likely if the question includes "90%" vs. "1%").

Thinking About the Past:

Hindsight Bias

After something happens, we feel like “we knew it all along.”

Counterfactual Thinking

Imagining “what could have happened.” More likely after bad or surprising events Can help with future planning or worsen distress (e.g., loss of loved ones)

How Expectations Shape Our Thinking:

False Consensus Effect

We overestimate how many people share our views or choices.

Confirmation Bias

We seek out info that supports our beliefs and ignore what doesn’t.