Social Psychology Ch. 13: Dilemmas

Why do people fall into social traps?

- Differences in short-term vs. long-term consequences: short-term consequences are more salient in our mind so we are more likely to act on them - Ignorance of long-term consequences: we tend to ignore the long-term consequences we will face - Sliding reinforcers: behavior provides rewards in small doses but punishment in large doses or negative consequences are negligible in small doses but very punishing in large doses

What other factors lead to falling into social traps?

- Personality: more self-centered people act in the best interest of short-term consequences, people who are more prosocial think more about long-term consequences - Situations: if there are large immediate benefits we will try to get them, we may act quickly if we are worried the resource will be exhausted, in business holding out for long-term benefits can make you less competitive

What are the three types of social dilemmas?

1. Commons dilemma 2. Public good dilemma 3. Social loafing

What are the two problems common to social dilemmas?

1. Free riding: people believe their behavior doesn't have consequences and they can ride on the efforts of others 2. Sucker effect: we behave selfishly because we don't want to get ripped off if others are getting a free ride

What is social loafing?

A situation in which only few people are doing the work that benefits a larger group The dilemma is that if everyone starts loafing, nothing gets accomplished.

What is a social dilemma?

A situation in which the behavior that is in the best interest of the individual is not in the best interest of the group.

What is the public good dilemma?

Maintaining a publicly used entity A situation in which you benefit from something that you don't have to contribute to in order to keep it going

What are the pros/cons of scaring people to avoid social traps?

Pros: can be very effective Cons: People can avoid exposure, requires an obtainable solution to be presented

What are social traps?

Situation in which behavior that is most rewarding in the short-term has long-term negative consequences

What is the commons dilemma?

The dilemma of maintaining a finite but replenishing resource Ex: three shepherds each have a herd of cows they all want to bring in more cows to make more money but if all shepherds bring in a lot of cows, they will eat up all the grass and they won't be able to sustain the amount of cows they have.

What are some solutions for avoiding social traps?

1. Move the future to the present: make long-term consequences more salient in the present 2. Shift the focus from "us" to "we" 3. Activate social norms: subtle cues for people to follow norms and avoid social traps 4. Mandates: increasing the cost of unwanted behaviors makes it less likely that people will follow them 5. Scare people: helps people fear what would happen to them if they continue bad/destructive behavior

What are the pros and cons of activating social norms to avoid social traps?

Pros: recognizes that people are reactant when being told what to do, doesn't tell people to do just provides hints/cues Cons: Many people will still free-ride, for corporations if social norms cause less profit they won't follow them or encourage them

Describe the prisoner's dilemma.

The prisoner's dilemma involves two prisoners being interrogated and not knowing whether to blame one another or play dumb. Blaming the other person might let them off and force the other person to get in trouble. But, if the prisoner doesn't blame the other person they could be blamed and ripped off while the other person goes free.