Intro to Social Psychology

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Questions and Answers

How might an individual's 'working self-concept' influence their behavior in different social environments?

The working self-concept emphasizes context-dependent aspects of self-knowledge. An individual will adapt their behavior to align with the norms, expectations, or focus points dictated by the specific social environment they’re currently in.

In the context of self-perception, how do self-enhancement and self-verification motives sometimes conflict, and what strategies might people use to reconcile these competing desires?

Self-enhancement may lead to unrealistically positive self-views, conflicting with the desire for self-verification which seeks to view oneself accurately. People may reconcile these by selectively choosing social interactions that confirm their positive views, or by reinterpreting negative feedback in a way that is self-enhancing.

How does 'social comparison theory' explain the impact of social media on individuals' self-esteem, and what psychological mechanisms are involved?

Social comparison theory suggests that individuals evaluate themselves by comparing themselves to others. Social media often exposes people to idealized versions of others, leading to upward social comparisons. This can decrease their self-esteem due to perceived inadequacy.

How do promotion and prevention focuses, as described in self-regulation theory, differ in their impact on goal-setting and achievement, and how might cultural factors influence these orientations?

Promotion focus aims to achieve positive outcomes, leading to eager goal pursuit, while prevention focus aims to avoid negative outcomes, resulting in vigilant behavior. Independent cultures are more likely to have a promotion focus, while interdependent cultures are more likely to have a prevention focus. Signup and view all the answers

How does the concept of 'self-handicapping' illustrate the interplay between self-presentation and self-regulation, and what underlying motivations drive this behavior?

Self-handicapping demonstrates how self-presentation can undermine self-regulation. By creating obstacles to success, individuals protect their self-esteem by attributing potential failures to external factors rather than their own lack of ability. Signup and view all the answers

How might an individual's level of self-monitoring affect their choice of career, and what advantages or disadvantages might high or low self-monitors experience in certain professions?

High self-monitors, who adapt their behavior to fit the situation, may be drawn to careers requiring flexibility and social skill, such as sales or public relations. Low self-monitors, who behave consistently across situations, may prefer careers demanding authenticity, like research or creative arts. Signup and view all the answers

Explain how 'implementation intentions' could be strategically used to overcome procrastination, and illustrate with a specific example.

Implementation intentions create 'if-then' plans that link a specific situation to a goal-directed behavior. To overcome procrastination, one might plan: 'If I feel like putting off studying, then I will set a timer for 25 minutes and focus solely on studying. Signup and view all the answers

Describe how 'self-schemas' influence how people interpret ambiguous feedback and how this can contribute to the confirmation bias?

Self-schemas guide how people interpret information, favoring interpretations consistent with existing self-beliefs. In ambiguous situations, people may unconsciously interpret feedback in ways that confirm their self-schemas. This leads to confirmation bias, where people seek and interpret information that supports their pre-existing beliefs. Signup and view all the answers

How might the concept of the 'sociometer hypothesis' explain the psychological impact of social exclusion, such as cyberbullying, on an individual's self-esteem?

The sociometer hypothesis posits that self-esteem acts as an internal gauge of social acceptance. Exclusion, like cyberbullying, signals low social acceptance. This leads to a drop in self-esteem, which serves as a warning. The individual may become motivated to seek social inclusion. Signup and view all the answers

Explain how the historical context of the World Wars and the Great Depression influenced the development and focus of social psychology.

These events raised critical questions about society's influence on individuals, such as conformity, obedience to authority, and prejudice, prompting research into how societal factors shape individual behavior and attitudes. Signup and view all the answers

In what ways could an individual's 'independent self-construal' influence their approach to conflict resolution compared to someone with an 'interdependent self-construal'?

An individual with an independent self-construal may prioritize their own needs and assert their viewpoints directly. Those with an interdependent self-construal may prioritize maintaining harmony and seek solutions that benefit the group. Signup and view all the answers

How might understanding the principles of 'self-regulation' be applied to design effective interventions to promote healthy behaviors, such as smoking cessation or weight loss?

Effective interventions could incorporate goal-setting, self-monitoring, and implementation intentions to help individuals resist temptations and persist in pursuing their goals. Targeting both promotion and prevention focuses might be an effective approach. Signup and view all the answers

How do the levels of personality analysis, 'like all other men', 'like some other men' and 'like no other man' relate to personality psychology?

These levels of personality analysis consider personality in nature, society, and culture. "Like all other men" refers to aspects of personality that are universal to all humans, such as basic human needs. "Like some other men" refers to aspects shared with certain groups, such as cultural norms or personality traits common. "Like no other man" considers uniqueness, such as individual experiences. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the role of 'socialization agents' in the development of an individual's self-concept, and provide examples of how different agents might exert conflicting influences.

Socialization agents shape self-concept by teaching socially appropriate attitudes and behaviors. Conflicting influences can arise when family values clash with peer group norms, or when cultural expectations diverge from media portrayals. Signup and view all the answers

How does the concept of 'strategic self-presentation' explain why individuals might behave differently in an interview versus when they are out with friends, and mention the underlying motives driving their behavior?

Strategic self-presentation involves managing impressions to create a desired public image. In an interview, individuals may present themselves as competent, motivated, and agreeable to impress the interviewer. With friends, they might prioritize being seen as fun-loving and authentic. Signup and view all the answers

How can recognizing correlation of behaviors across different situations help future behavior. Give an example.

Recognizing and organizing traits and behaviors can help predict future behavior. For example, recognizing a pattern of early sociopathic behavior can help prevent future crimes. Signup and view all the answers

How might an individual's cultural background influence the specific domains in which they prioritize self-esteem, and what are the potential consequences of mismatch between culturally valued domains and personal strengths?

Cultural background shapes the values in which self-esteem is related to. For example, Western cultures often value independence and achievement, while Eastern cultures often value interdependence and harmony. A mismatch between cultural values and personal strengths can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Signup and view all the answers

How does an individual's understanding of 'personality psychology' affect their judgements of another person's character and behaviors?

Understanding personality psychology helps individuals recognize that behavior is influenced by traits but can vary based on context. Trait theories posit that internal characteristics influence behavior however personality is complex and behavior can depend on decision rule processes given a specific input. Signup and view all the answers

Explain how the focus on 'social context' in social psychology distinguishes it from other fields, such as personality psychology, in understanding human behavior.

Social psychology focuses on how the current social environment influences behavior, while personality psychology focuses on the internal traits of the individual. Social psychology takes place in social context, looking at looking at society's influence to understand why decisions are made. Signup and view all the answers

Describe how the Stanford Prison Experiment highlights the power of 'social context' in shaping individual behavior, and discuss the ethical considerations raised by the study.

The Stanford Prison Experiment showed how roles and situational factors can drastically alter behavior, leading ordinary individuals to act in cruel or submissive ways. The study raised ethical concerns due to the psychological distress experienced by participants and the lack of adequate protection from harm. Signup and view all the answers

How might someone's decisions be largely influenced by society even if made privately?

Behavior and decision making are largely influenced by society even if made privately due to the impact of laws, cultural norms, and internalized social expectations. Signup and view all the answers

How does the interplay between personal experience and social interactions contribute to the development of self-knowledge, and what are some potential biases that can arise in this process?

Personal experiences provide direct information about one's preferences and traits, while social interactions offer reflected appraisals from others. Biases can arise from selective memory, self-serving interpretations, and inaccurate perceptions of others' opinions. Signup and view all the answers

In social identity theory, how does 'group membership' influence an individual's self-concept, and what psychological mechanisms underlie the phenomenon?

Group membership contributes to self-concept by providing a sense of belonging and shared identity. Social categorization, identification, and comparison processes lead individuals to define themselves in terms of their group affiliations. Signup and view all the answers

How does 'Self-Discrepancy Theory' explain the emotional consequences of discrepancies between the ‘actual self’, ‘ideal self’ and ‘ought self’?

Self-Discrepancy Theory outlines that discrepancies between these selves can lead to specific emotional responses. Feeling there is a separation between the actual self and ideal self may lead to sadness or disappointment. When there is a separation between the actual self and ought self, may lead to fear or anxiety. Signup and view all the answers

How could 'social facilitation theory' be applied to optimize performance in team-based work environments, and what factors might moderate its effects?

Social facilitation suggests that performance improves with the presence of others. This suggests to leverage team contexts to enhance individual performance. Moderate factors include task complexity, individual skill, and the level of competition. Signup and view all the answers

Describe Normal Triplett's experiment.

Normal Triplett performed the earliest experiment in social psychology. In this experiment, children wound up a fishing rod and were more likely to complete the task in the presence of other children. Signup and view all the answers

How does 'self-verification theory' explain people's tendency to seek relationships with others who confirm their negative self-views, and what are the potential consequences of this behavior?

Self-verification theory posits that people are driven to have other people see them as they see themselves, even when those views are negative. If someone views themself negatively but receives positive feedback, that isn't helpful to their identity. However, this can maintain a sense of coherence and predictability, validating self-views and keeping relationships. Signup and view all the answers

In what ways does the discipline of personality psychology affect universal human nature, individual differences and uniqueness?

Personality psychology helps us see universality in human nature, pinpoint group differences, and unique individual aspects of personality. It helps us understand the broad scope and individual instances of behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What are some basic beliefs in social psychology?

Some basic beliefs are that behavior is used to assess someone's personality, that experiments may be conducted to back up theories, and that behavior helps achieve certain goals. Signup and view all the answers

How do the concepts of 'freedom vs determinism' and 'heredity vs environment' relate to the study of personality psychology, and what implications do these debates have for our understanding of human behavior?

These topics relate to the extent we are the product of our choices versus other factors. The debate helps determine whether people do or do not have free will. Heredity v. environment looks at biological and environmental influences, shaping our understanding of behavior. Signup and view all the answers

Contrast social psychology and personality psychology.

While personality focuses on internal traits driving behavior, social looks at external factors. Social psychology is the study of humans in behaviors influenced by society. Signup and view all the answers

Explain how 'lack of self-knowledge' can arise from non conscious mental processes and what implications this has for understanding one's own motivations and behavior.

Nonconscious processes can lead to alternative, incorrect explanations for behavior, limiting self-awareness. This has implications for people to actually explain their own motivations and behaviors. Signup and view all the answers

How do an individual's values impact how they think of themselves?

Individuals tend to think highly of themselves by to overestimating their highly valued traits. Certain values may be more important to someones identity so they think more positively of it. Signup and view all the answers

How might an individual's 'self-concept' affect their reaction to stereotype threat, and what strategies can be used to mitigate the negative effects of this phenomenon?

Individuals may internalize stereotypes, leading to anxiety and underperformance. Strategies can be used to promote their perceived skills and strengths to challenge the stereotype. This involves shifting focus to positive aspects of self. Signup and view all the answers

Explain the difference of internal versus external traits.

We have better knowledge of our internal traits but other people have better knowledge about our external traits. Since we can't fully know ourselves and our behaviors we might not be the best at thinking of our external traits. Signup and view all the answers

How did the social context of the 1960s and 1970s, including 'shocking experiments,' shape the development of ethical guidelines in social psychology research?

The 1960's and 1970's included shocking experiments. These experiments influenced developing the ethics around social psychology research to better protect human subjects. Signup and view all the answers

How would a behavior be considered 'proactive verse reactive' and how does this relate to personality psychology?

A proactive person acts on their initiative whereas a reactive person responds only to certain stimuli. Personality psychology seeks which one defines an individual. Signup and view all the answers

How might public health officials leverage principles of self-presentation to encourage vaccination?

Since self-presentation is managing impressions, they could work vaccine messaging to appeal to social values such as community responsibility. Signup and view all the answers

How does the concept of 'personal experience' in self-knowledge influence how an individual responds to new and unfamiliar situations?

Personal experience shapes our values and behaviors. When an individual has already gone through a situation, they can act accordingly. When an individual has not already experienced a situation, they will respond differently than if they have. Signup and view all the answers

Distinguish the difference between being 'unique' and 'universal.'

Being unique is specific to only one individual, unlike universal, which is specific to the majority of people. Unique aspects aren't seen by many while universal is felt by most. Signup and view all the answers

How might a person's self-construal influence their adherence to implementation intentions in different cultural contexts?

Individuals with independent self-construals may be more promotion-focused, aligning their actions with ideal selves, while those with interdependent self-construals might be prevention-focused, avoiding negative outcomes to maintain social harmony. Signup and view all the answers

In what ways might self-enhancement and self-verification motives conflict, and how might individuals resolve this conflict in their self-evaluations?

Self-enhancement, the desire to see oneself positively, can clash with self-verification, the desire for others to view oneself accurately. Individuals may prioritize one motive over the other based on the situation or relationship, potentially leading to biased self-assessments. Signup and view all the answers

How do self-schemas influence the interpretation of new self-relevant information, and what implications does this have for personal growth and change?

Self-schemas, functioning as cognitive frameworks, guide the assimilation of self-related data, potentially reinforcing existing beliefs. This can either promote consistency or impede openness to new experiences and perspectives, therein shaping capacity for personal growth. Signup and view all the answers

Discuss how social comparison can both positively and negatively impact an individual's self-esteem, providing specific examples of upward and downward comparisons.

Upward social comparison can lower self-esteem if one feels inferior to others, while downward social comparison may increase self-esteem by making one feel superior. For example, comparing oneself to a successful peer might decrease self-esteem, whereas comparing oneself to someone less fortunate might increase it. Signup and view all the answers

How can understanding the principles of self-presentation be used to mitigate negative outcomes associated with self-handicapping?

Recognizing self-handicapping as a self-presentation strategy allows individuals to consciously avoid creating excuses for potential failures. Instead, they can focus on positive self-presentation techniques that showcase competence and effort, rather than anticipating and rationalizing poor performance. Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

What is social psychology?

The study of how humans behave and interact with each other, mainly in specific situations, influenced by social context.

Self-knowledge

Understanding an individual has about their own thoughts, feelings, motivations, desires, personality traits, strengths, weaknesses, and overall identity.

Personal Experience (source of self-knowledge)

Making sense of our own experiences, preferences, and traits.

Social Interactions (source of self-knowledge)

Relationships, interactions with others, and their reactions contribute to self-knowledge. Also known as “reflected self-appraisal”.