The funny things we do...

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The funny things we do...

• Kate Niederhoffer
• Social and Personality Psychology
• University of Texas at Austin
• 4/06/04

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Introduction

• Classic Rocks in Social psychology
• The cool psychology

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Mood and Math

• n 6-8
• Mood Math
• Introductions
• Place of origin
• Embarrassing moments
• Rating self vs. others questionnaire (appearance,
  intelligence)
• Mat test

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The very next day

• Same group
• Favorite childhood moment
• Favorite food and why
• Self vs. others
• Someone in this room
• Who is it?
• How many people will guess right?

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The Spotlight Effect

• People tend to believe the social spotlight
  shines more brightly on them than it actually
  does
• Repeat offender study
• Bad hair days
• Embarrassing t-shirts
• Absenteeism

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Wegner On being a bat

• On seeing life from the perspective of an animal
  that can't see
• "We're all in that position with regard to other
  minds, generally -- we don't really know what
  it's like to be other people. Much of what social
  psychology is about is being able to think and
  talk about experience in a way that helps us
  bridge the gap from one mind to another.

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Enough about me

• Compared to other UT students (same year and
  sex), rate yourself on the following attributes
• Leadership
• Creativity
• Energy Level
• Sincerity
• Athleticism

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Above Average Effect
Ability ppl above average
Getting along with others 89
Written expression 64
Spoken expression 63
Leadership 70
Athletics 60
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How You Rank
Ability Chase students above average
Leadership 91
Athletic Ability 70
Energy Level 71
Creativity 90
Sincerity 89
Intelligence 79
Trustworthiness 93
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Fundamental Motives

• Need to feel good about ourselves
• Seeing ourselves and anything connected to us in
  positive light.
• Seek connectedness
• Strive for mastery

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Fundamental motives

• Need to feel good about ourselves
• Seek connectedness
• Creating and maintaining feelings of mutual
  support, liking and acceptance.
• Strive for mastery

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On fitting in Video
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Imagine...
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Which of the comparison lines is the same as the
standard line?
Asch, 1955
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What did participants do?

• 76 went along with the clearly incorrect
  majority at least once
• In all, Ps conformed 37 of the time
• However, 24 NEVER conformed

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More movies
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Also in the name of connectedness

• We want to be seen as likable (AA)
• To fit in (Elevator)
• To gain approval (Picketing)
• To conform to others preferences
• Affiliation, friendship, intimacy

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Misattribution of Arousal Dutton Aron (1973)

• Capilano Canyon Suspension bridge
• 5 feet wide, 450 feet long
• Wooden boards attached to wire cables -spanning a
  height of 250 feet
• Scenic Attractions on Creativity

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The effects of scenic attractions on creativity
Vs.
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Misattribution of Arousal (Dutton Aron, 1973)
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Real World vs. Road Rules
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Fundamental motives

• Need to feel good about ourselves
• Seek connectedness
• Strive for mastery
• Understanding ourselves and world around us.
  Trying to predict and control outcomes.

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For the next 3 minutes Write down your
thoughts. Anything that comes to mind
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Emotional Expression

• Increases in Health
• Better grades
• Faster to find jobs
• Better immunological functioning
• Increasing causal insight words, moderate
  positive and negative emotions

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Changes in Handwriting
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For the next 3 minutesTry not to think of a
white bear
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For the next 3 minutesGo ahead and think of a
white bear
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Rebound Effect
GROUP PHASE 2 Rings PHASE 3 Rings
Experimental 6 16
Control --- 11
Phase 1 5min Verbalization. Phase 2 Dont
think of White Bear (experimental only) Phase 3
Think about White Bear
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Trying to control our minds

• Dont think of a white bear
• Dont swing the pendulum on the forbidden axis
• Dont eat chocolate

"They mentioned a white bear about once a
minute," Then, if I asked them to think about
anything at all, they would mention white bears
more often than if I had initially asked them to
think about white bears on purpose. Irony Easy
to change our mind, get new ideas, see new
perspective, but when we try NOT to think about
something
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Hard to tell ourselves not to do something

• BUT, easy to be told what to do

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When to help?

• The greater number who see an emergency
• more/less likely to help?
• Where would you rather have a bike accident?
• 38 ppl watched Kitty Genovese and did nothing
• Darley Latané Seizure study

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Helping Darley Latané

• I-er-um-I think I I need-er-if-if could er-er
  somebody er-er-er-er-er-er give me a
  little-er-give me a little help here
  because-er-I-er-Im-er-h-h-having a-a-a real
  problem er right now and I-er-if somebody could
  help me out it would- it would-er-er s-s-sure be
  good because-er-there-er-ag cause I er-I-uh-Ive
  got one of the-er-seier-er-things coming on
  and-and-and I could really use some help so if
  somebody would-er give me a little
  h-help-uh-er-er-er-er c-ould somebody-er
  er-help-er-uh-uh-uh choking sounds Im gonna
  die-er-er help-er-er-seizure chokes, then
  quiet

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Bystander Intervention
participants responding with help
Seconds from start of seizure
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Social Psychology

• The scientific study of how peoples thoughts
  feelings and behaviors are influenced by the real
  or imagined presence of others
• The power of the situation