Social Psychology

Essay # 99504

Psychology > Social
Psychology > Theory
Sociology > Theory

Social Psychology

This paper discuses social psychology theories and reported experiments.

2,345 words () | 7 sources | APA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper begins by discussing the author's experiences at a party, where alcoholic beverages were served, when he was in highschool. The author relates his thoughts at that time about whether to consume the alcoholic beverages and examines them from a social psychology perspective. The author continues to discuss why he decided not to drink at the party and then points out that the primary goal of fear-arousing communications is persuasion, which may result in a change in attitude, intentions or actions. Additionally, the paper explains that impression management is the defensive, protective and preventive measures which individuals use to attempt to control the perception of themselves by other people in order to attain an overall favorable result or what is called "saving-face".

From the Paper:

"The hypothesis in Festinger and Carlsmith's (1959) classic study explained one perspective on cognitive dissonance. It stated that the magnitude of cognitive dissonance in an individual is a ratio of his total dissonance (D) to the sum of his dissonance (D) and consonance (C), and that opinion change is most effective (i.e. overt behavior is exhibited) when the pressure applied was just enough to achieve that change while the magnitude of the resulting dissonance was kept to a minimum. In their experiment, this was made functionally operant by using reward (consonance) in measured amounts to alter the individuals' opinions."

Sample of Sources Used:

Bohner, G & Wanke, M. (2002). Attitudes and attitude change. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis, Inc.
Das, EHHJ, de Wit, JBF & Stroebe, W. (2003). Fear appeals motivate acceptance of action recommendations: evidence for a positive bias in the processing of persuasive messages. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(5), 650-664. Retrieved September 20, 2006 from http://psp.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/29/5/650
de Hoog, N, Stroebe, W & de Wit, JBF. (2005). The impact of fear appeals on processing and acceptance of action recommendations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31(1), 24-33. Retrieved September 20, 2006 from http://psp.sagepub.com/cgi/reprint/31/1/24
Festinger, L & Carlsmith, JM. (1959). Cognitive Consequences of Forced Compliance. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 58, 203-210. Retrieved September 14, 2006 from http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Festinger/
Goffman, E. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. New York: Doubleday, 1959.