Psychology and Social Change
 Focus
on the individual
 How can you change someone's behaviour?
 Ask
the question- do you have to change attitudes
before behaviours can change?
Psychology: Example Questions
 What must people do to successfully change their
behaviours?
 What factors make behaviour-modification programs
successful?
 Do most people need help changing behaviour, or
can they be self-changers?
Cognitive Dissonance Theory

People desire cognitive consistency- they want their attitudes
to match their behaviour

Eg- you smoke but you know its bad for you

When your attitudes and beliefs don’t match your behaviour
you are in a state of cognitive dissonance.

Can motivate a change in behaviour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=korGK0yGIDo
(4:54) ‘A Lesson in Cognitive Dissonance’
Operant Conditioning- B.F. Skinner style
 Positive reinforcement of
desired behaviour will
result in it happening
again- learning theory
Important aspects of Operant
Conditioning
Reinforcement must follow the
desired response
2. Once learned, desired behaviours
should continue without the need for
the reward
3. Occasionally reinforcing the
behaviour (partial reinforcement) is
very effective (slot machines) and will
lead subject to keep trying behaviour
more and more to get expected
reward.
1.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_ctJqjlrHA (3:57) ‘Operant Conditioning’