Social psychology
| English | 中文 | Pinyin |
|---|---|---|
| attribution/ətrɪˈbjuːʃn/ | 归因 | guī yīn |
| conformity/kənˈfɔːmɪti/ | 从众 | cóng zhòng |
A decision before an answer
- You blame a classmate’s personality for lateness but explain your own lateness by traffic. The difference is an attribution problem.
- Your goal: Analyse attribution, attitudes and social influence.
Read the relationship
- Attribution concerns explanations for behaviour. Situational and dispositional causes should be distinguished.
- Distinguish conformity, obedience and group processes.
Following a direct authority instruction is usually described as:
The authority relationship defines obedience.
Use the defining rule
- Conformity concerns group pressure; obedience concerns an authority’s instruction. Both require a clear social context.
- Evaluate interpersonal and intergroup evidence.
Agreeing to avoid group rejection is an example of:
The motive is social acceptance.
Check the conditions
- Attitude and behaviour links depend on measurement and situation. A stated intention is not identical to observed action.
- Evaluate interpersonal and intergroup evidence.
A participant agrees with a group’s visibly wrong answer. If the person privately doubts it but complies to avoid rejection, normative influence is a plausible explanation. Accepting the group as a source of information is informational influence.
Explaining behaviour through personality uses a ____ attribution.
Dispositions are relatively stable personal characteristics.
Apply the task format
- Group research must consider social norms, selection and ethical constraints before generalising its findings.
- Evaluate interpersonal and intergroup evidence.
Do not infer a person’s stable trait from a single constrained action.
Which answer fits this case?
Analyse attribution, attitudes and social influence
A correlation between attitudes and actions proves attitudes caused every action.
Other factors and measurement limitations can account for the association.
Keep the distinctions
- attribution 归因 — An explanation for behaviour.
- conformity 从众 — Changing behaviour or judgement in relation to a group.
- Analyse attribution, attitudes and social influence.
- Distinguish conformity, obedience and group processes.
- Evaluate interpersonal and intergroup evidence.
Match each term with its precise meaning in this lesson.
Keep the distinctions stated in the teaching example.
Put this lesson’s reasoning or event sequence in order.
The order follows the stated process; check each stage before the next.