branch of psych that studies how others influence our thoughts feelings and behaviors the process of forming

impressions of others organized clusters of ideas about categories of social events and people widely held beliefs that people hold certain characteristics because they belong to a certain group a bad opnion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge when people think that they have seen more of a social trait then they have actually seen. people believe that the social spotlight shines more brightly on them then it actually does. Ex. Thinking that people care about a stain on your shirt. a group that one belongs to a group that one doenst belong to inferences people draw about the cause of an event, others behavior and their own behavior saying that, that person failed because it was a hard test (luck, chance, opertunity) saying that, that person failed because they arent very smart (ability, effort, mood, fatigue) on error observers bias in favor of internal attributions in explaining others behaviors ex assuming that the person who is yelling at the waiter is doing so because they are an angry person and not because they have had terrible sevice. Actor-observer bias tendency to blame victims for their misfortune so that one feels lees likely to be victimized in a similar way

putting personal goals ahead of group goals and defining their identity in terms of personal characteristics not group memborship exact opposite as above positive feelings toward another

males and females of similar physical attractiveness will choose eachother as mates how similar one is to their partner in economic status, religion and personality liking those who show that they like you -enhancement -verification complete absorption in another person and the feelings of emotions of agony and ecstacy warm tolerant and trusting affection to another person whos life is deeply intertwined with your own warmth closeness and sharing intent to maintain a relationship in spite of all difficulties that may arive o Secure adults find it easy to get close to others, dont worry about abandonment and being relied on or relying on somebody o Anxious-ambivalent adults I find people relunctent to get close to me, I worry that my partner doenst love me I want to merge completely with another person and this often scares them away o Avoidant adults I am somewhat uncomfortable being close to others, I find it difficult to trust them, difficult to allow myself to depend on them, I become nervous when ppl get to close and ppl want me to be more intimate then I am comfortable being -cultural studies

+ or evaluation of objects of thought o Cognitive beliefes, ideas, gun owners shoot themselves more then theives o Affective (emotions feelings) guns make me sick o Behavioral predispositions to act, I always vote for gun control advocats -sided argument presenting both sides of an argument strengthens your position people are complled to do things if they are scared of what happens if they dont even just repeating your argument makes it more valid Learning theory the affective and emotional components of attitude can be created through classical conditioning dissonance theorey o Dissonance theory inconsistency among attitudes compels people toward attitude change o Cognitive dissonance related cognitions are inconsistent (you spent a lot of money on a new car and relize that it is uncomfortable but when people ask u about your car you say its amazing in every way. U say this because u just spent a lot of money on it so you think it has to be good even though it is not comfortable) richer perry, john cacioppo, there are two routs to persuation the centeral: when people carefully ponder the content and logic of a persuasive message peripheral: nonmesage factors like the attractivness and credibility of a source or on conditional emotional responses -Perception Theory people infer their attitudes from their behavior. If I said it it must be true studied conformity with the cards that had multiple lines on them when people yield to real or imagined social pressure studied obedience with his electro shoch experiment the power of the situation Simulation

when people follow direct commands two or more people who interact and are independent people are less likely to help when in a large group individuals productivity declines when in a large group o Loss of efficiency caused by a loss of coordination among workers o Social loafing a reduction of effort by individuals while in a large group group discussion strengthens a groups dominant viewpoint and produces a shift toward a more extreme decision in that direction people making a decision in a group emphasize concurrence at the expense of critical thinking -in-the-door phenomenon