Social Thought & Behaviors: Attitudes, Conformity, Obedience, Prejudice & Prosocial Acts

Core Concepts & Definitions

1. Social Thought: Attitudes

Definition: Attitudes are evaluations (positive, negative, or neutral) toward people, objects, or ideas. They shape our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Components of Attitudes (ABC Model)

• Affective: Emotional reactions (e.g., liking/disliking a political leader).
• Cognitive: Beliefs or knowledge (e.g., "Organic food is healthier").
• Behavioral: Actions influenced by attitudes (e.g., voting for a candidate).

Functions of Attitudes

How Attitudes Form & Change

• Classical Conditioning: Associating a neutral stimulus with a positive/negative one (e.g., Pavlov’s dogs → liking a brand after seeing a celebrity endorse it).
• Operant Conditioning: Rewards/punishments reinforce attitudes (e.g., praising a child for sharing → prosocial behavior).
• Social Learning: Observing and imitating others (e.g., copying a friend’s political views).
• Persuasion Techniques:
  • Foot-in-the-Door: Small requests first, then bigger ones (e.g., charity donations starting with a small ask).
  • Door-in-the-Face: Large request first, then a smaller one (e.g., "Can you donate $1000?" → "How about $50?").
  • Cognitive Dissonance: Reducing discomfort when attitudes/behaviors clash (e.g., smoking despite knowing it’s harmful).

2. Social Influence: Conformity & Obedience

Conformity (Asch’s Experiment)

• Definition: Changing one’s behavior to match a group’s norms, even if incorrect.
• Why it happens:
  • Normative Influence: Fear of rejection (e.g., laughing at a joke you don’t get).
  • Informational Influence: Uncertainty → relying on others (e.g., following a crowd in a new city).
• Asch’s Line Judgment Study (1951):
  • Participants judged which line matched a standard line. Confederates (actors) gave wrong answers.
  • Result: 75% conformed at least once.
  • Why? Group pressure, even when the answer is obvious.

Shows the line-matching setup and participant responses. (Image: Daniel Göhler, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Obedience (Milgram’s Experiment)

• Definition: Following orders from an authority figure, even if it conflicts with personal ethics.
• Milgram’s Shock Experiment (1963):
  • Participants were told to administer electric shocks to a "learner" (actor) for wrong answers.
  • Result: 65% obeyed until the "maximum" shock (450V), despite the learner’s protests.
  • Why? Authority figure (experimenter), gradual escalation, diffusion of responsibility.

Real-World Applications

3. Prejudice & Discrimination

Definitions

• Prejudice: Prejudgment or negative attitude toward a group (e.g., racism, sexism).
• Discrimination: Behavioral expression of prejudice (e.g., denying a job based on gender).
• Stereotypes: Overgeneralized beliefs about a group (e.g., "All Nepalis are poor").

Theories of Prejudice

Reducing Prejudice

• Contact Hypothesis: Positive interactions between groups reduce prejudice (e.g., school integration programs).
• Education: Teaching critical thinking (e.g., media literacy to counter stereotypes).
• Legal Measures: Anti-discrimination laws (e.g., Nepal’s 2015 Constitution prohibiting caste-based discrimination).

Shows in-group vs. out-group dynamics and self-esteem enhancement. (Image: Daniel Baxter, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

4. Prosocial Behavior

Definitions

• Altruism: Helping others without expecting rewards (e.g., donating blood).
• Cooperation: Working together for mutual benefit (e.g., community clean-up drives).
• Bystander Effect: The more people present, the less likely anyone helps (e.g., Kitty Genovese case).

Why Do People Help?

Bystander Intervention

flowchart LR
    A["Emergency Occurs"] --> B["Notice the Event"]
    B --> C["Interpret as Emergency"]
    C --> D["Assume Responsibility"]
    D --> E["Know How to Help"]
    E --> F["Decide to Help"]

• Barriers: Diffusion of responsibility, ambiguity, fear of negative consequences.

In the Real World

1. eSewa & Khalti (Digital Payments)

   • Attitudes & Persuasion: Both apps use foot-in-the-door tactics (e.g., "Pay a small bill first, then we’ll offer discounts") to build user trust.
   • Social Influence: Users conform to peer behavior (e.g., "Everyone is using Khalti, so I should too").

2. Pathao (Ride-Hailing App)

   • Obedience: Drivers follow app instructions (e.g., "Take this route") even if it’s less familiar, due to authority of the algorithm.
   • Prejudice: Some drivers discriminate against certain areas (e.g., avoiding "unsafe" neighborhoods), reinforcing stereotypes.

3. Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE)

   • Groupthink: Investors follow herd mentality (e.g., buying stocks because "everyone is doing it"), leading to bubbles or crashes.
   • Conformity: Analysts may avoid dissenting opinions to fit in with the majority view.

4. Traffic in Kathmandu

   • Bystander Effect: During accidents, multiple people may ignore a victim if others are present, assuming someone else will help.
   • Prejudice: Traffic police may unfairly target certain groups (e.g., motorcyclists), reflecting societal biases.

Worked Example: Social Media & Attitude Change

Scenario: A TU student sees ads for Daraz claiming "90% off on electronics." The student initially distrusts online shopping but later buys a phone due to peer recommendations.

Analysis:

1. Persuasion Technique: Daraz uses authority (customer reviews) and social proof ("10,000+ happy customers").
2. Cognitive Dissonance: The student resolves conflict by telling themselves, "I’m smart for saving money this way."
3. Conformity: Friends posting about their Daraz purchases reinforce the behavior.

Real-World Tie: This mirrors how Khalti gained users—initial skepticism → trust through word-of-mouth and ease of use.

Exam Tip

1. Define Key Terms Clearly:

   • Always start answers with definitions (e.g., "Conformity is...").
   • Use Asch/Milgram for conformity/obedience questions.

2. Apply Theories to Examples:

   • For prejudice, link to Nepal’s caste system or ethnic conflicts.
   • For prosocial behavior, use blood donation drives or community service.

3. Compare & Contrast:

   • Conformity vs. Obedience: Conformity = peer pressure; obedience = authority pressure.
   • Altruism vs. Reciprocal Altruism: Pure help vs. expected return.

4. Diagrams Are Your Friends:

   • Draw Asch’s line experiment or Milgram’s shock setup for high marks.
   • Use flowcharts for bystander intervention or attitude change processes.

5. Real-World Applications:

   • Always tie answers to Nepali contexts (e.g., Khalti, Daraz, NTC traffic rules).
   • Mention global examples (e.g., WhatsApp groups, YouTube algorithms) for broader relevance.

6. Common Pitfalls:

   • Don’t confuse prejudice (attitude) with discrimination (action).
   • Avoid vague answers—use specific studies (Asch, Milgram) and theories (Social Identity Theory).

Practice Questions for TU Exams

1. Short Answer:

   • "Explain the foot-in-the-door technique with an example from Nepali society."
   • "How does the bystander effect explain why no one helped in the 2015 earthquake relief efforts?"

2. Long Answer (10 marks):

   • "Discuss how social media platforms like Facebook use persuasion techniques to change users’ attitudes. Support your answer with theories of attitude change."
   • "Analyze the role of conformity and obedience in workplace safety violations, using Milgram’s and Asch’s experiments."

3. Case Study:

   • "A group of TU students refuse to join a protest against exam malpractice because their friends disapprove. Explain this behavior using social influence theories."