The discussion today will begin our focus on social psychology, including many of the social influences and interactions that determine who and what we "are"; the forces that shape our thoughts and behavior. The slides for the new material are here.

Our major focus today will be on the study of attitudes (how they are formed, maintained and changed). Attitudes include cognitive (belief) aspects, evaluative aspects (they have a "for" or "against" component) and tendencies to behave (policy orientations). The major theme of the lecture is about how we strive for consistency among our various attitudes; the amazing lengths to which we go in order to maintain that consistency.

• Selective exposure
• Selective interpretation
• Selective memory/forgetting
• The culmination of this is consistency theory, for example, Heider's balance theory.
• How all this plays a role in stereotyping and prejudice

• Characteristics of the source of a message.
• Characteristics of the message.
• Characteristics of the recipient.

• Justification of the request for compliance.
• Reciprocity-create an obligation.
• Low-ball (obtain committment before upping the ante/price.
• Foot in the door.
• Door in the face.
• "That's not all"--add something to sweeten the deal at the last moment.
• "Hard to get/exclusive"--"You are only one of five people to get this special offer..."
• Prestige suggestion--Everyone (or famous people) are doing it.