SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (SOCP311)

PRELIMS A.Y. 24-25

Instructor: Mr. Vladimir Marc Batayan

WEEK 1 - INTRODUCTION TO SOCIAL integrating sociological perspectives into

the study of social interactions.
PSYCHOLOGY  Asian Social Psychology
o Cultural Psychology
WHAT IS SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY? o Relational orientation, in contrast to the
- a science that studies how people think about, individual orientation of Western social
influence, and relate to one another. psychology
- Social psychology bridges the gap between o Contrasts Western individualism with Asian
psychology and sociology, examining individual collectivism, showing how culture influences
behavior in social contexts. social behavior and identity.

HOME VS. OUTSIDE SOME BORING HISTORY…

- This visual helps differentiate between Sikolohiyang Pilipino
personal experiences and the broader  Hiya- Shame. Shyness, timidity,
social environment, showing how our embarrassment, sensitivity to others.
thoughts and behaviors can change  Hiya reflects the importance of social
depending on the context. harmony and the influence of others'
WHAT DO WE STUDY IN SOCIAL PSYCH? perceptions in Filipino culture.
1. Social Thinking  Utang na Loob- “Debt of Gratitude”,
-Perception reciprocity
-Beliefs  A deep sense of obligation to repay
-Attitudes kindness, reflecting the strong
- How we perceive others and ourselves, interpersonal bonds in Filipino society.
the beliefs we hold, and how our attitudes shape  Pakikisama- SIR, conformity, being/going
our interactions along with
2. Social Influence  The value of smooth interpersonal
-Culture relationships, often requiring individuals
-Pressures to conform to group norms.
-Persuasion  Kapwa- Shared identity, outsider (ibang tao)
-People or one-of-us (hindi ibang tao).
- Examines how culture and social  The concept of shared identity, where
pressures influence our behaviors and decisions, people are seen as part of a collective
and how persuasion works in social settings. "us" or as an outsider.
3. Social Relations  Pakikiramdam- sensitivity or heightened
- Prejudice awareness, empathy
-Aggression  An intuitive sense of others' feelings and
-Attraction & Intimacy needs, highlighting the importance of
-Helping empathy in social interactions.
- Focuses on the dynamics of
relationships, including why people help or harm OVERARCHING IDEAS IN SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
each other, and the factors that lead to attraction  We construct our social reality
and intimate connections.  Our perceptions of reality are shaped by
our beliefs and expectations, which in
SOME BORING HISTORY.. turn influence our social interactions.
 North American Social Psychology  Our social intuitions are often powerful but
o Norman Triplett sometimes perilous
o Cognitive Dissonance, Social Comparison  While intuitions can guide us effectively,
Theory, Attitude they can also lead to errors in judgment and
o Highlights key figures and theories from decision-making
North America that have shaped the  Personal attitudes and dispositions shape
field, such as Triplett's work on social our behavior
facilitation and Festinger’s theory of  Would you still smoke if you know it can
cognitive dissonance. potentially kill you?
 European Social Psychology  Magmamahal ka pa din ba kung alam mong
o “People in Groups”, “Group Performance nasaktan ka na dati?
and leadership”  These examples illustrate how personal
o “Sociological” Social Psychology attitudes and past experiences influence
o European social psychology emphasizes our decisions and behaviors.
group behavior and leadership dynamics,  Social influences shape behavior
 Yolanda ph
  In times of crisis, social influence can - People often believe they could have predicted an
significantly impact behavior, such as outcome after it has occurred, which social
how communities come together during psychology reveals as a common cognitive bias.
natural disasters.
 Social behavior is also biological bahavior So common sense is not going to make sense
 Under-the-skin → Biological + Between- anymore?
skins → Social We are bio-psycho-social It will make sense after the fact
organisms
 Our social behavior is influenced by both CONCLUSION
biological factors (like genetics) and - Social Psychology goes beyond common
social contexts, emphasizing the sense, providing scientifically-backed
integrated nature of our actions. insights into how we interact with the world
 Key Idea: We are bio-psycho-social and each other.
organisms! - Understanding social psychology allows us to
Social Psychology’s principles are better navigate our social world, improving
applicable in everyday life! our relationships and decision-making.
Social Psychology & Human Values
 The insights gained from social
psychology can be applied to various
aspects of life, from personal relationships
to understanding societal issues.
 Subtopics:
 How social psychology intersects with
human values
 Our cultural values and beliefs guide
the topics we study and how we
interpret social phenomena.
 How values and cultural differences shape
research and behavior.
 Research in social psychology is not
value-neutral; it reflects the cultural
and historical contexts in which it is
conducted

OBVIOUS WAYS VALUES ENTER

PSYCHOLOGY
 Values enter the picture when social
psychologists choose research topics.
 Values differ not only across time but also
across culture.
 Asian practices vs. European
 E.g. “NUNG PANAHON NAMIN”← tita’s of
Manila
 OBVIOUSLY, our values that are determined
by the culture, affect our preferences

NOT-SO-OBVIOUS WAYS VALUES ENTER

PSYCHOLOGY
Subjective Aspects of Science
 Scientists and philosophers agree; Science is
not purely objective.
 It is colored by our own biases.
 HOWEVER, we people share common
viewpoints– Social Representations

“Social Psychology is just common sense in

fancy words?”
Opposites do attract?
Birds of the same feather flock together?

Hindsight Bias
- The tendency to exaggerate, after
learning an outcome, one’s ability to have
foreseen how something turned out. A.K.A. I-
knew-it-all-along phenomenon.