Introduction to Social Psychology

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Questions and Answers

What defines social psychology?

The ability of individuals to act independently without influence

The examination of cultural differences in behavior

The study of societal norms and laws

The influence of individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors by others (correct)

Which method allows researchers to manipulate an independent variable to observe its effect?

Lab experiment (correct)

Archival research

Field experiment

Case study

What is a disadvantage of field experiments compared to lab experiments?

Less control over extraneous variables (correct)

Inability to assess behavior objectively

Low ecological validity

Too much control over extraneous variables

What is the main difference between explicit and implicit methods in social psychology?

Explicit methods are aware and controlled, implicit methods are unaware and automatic Signup and view all the answers

What does a schema represent in social psychology?

A mental structure organizing information about a concept Signup and view all the answers

What does the Implicit Association Test measure?

Implicit associations through response times Signup and view all the answers

What does the lexical decision task assess in participants?

The accessibility of cognitions based on reaction times Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an advantage of using archival research?

It relies on pre-existing data collected by others Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'internal attribution' refer to?

Assigning causes to dispositional factors Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following represents the Fundamental Attribution Error?

Overemphasizing personality traits over situational factors Signup and view all the answers

The Correspondent Inference Theory suggests that individuals prefer to make inferences based on which types of causes?

Stable internal causes Signup and view all the answers

What is the main function of stereotype activation?

To apply stereotypes to judgments Signup and view all the answers

What does the Self-Serving Attribution Bias generally indicate?

Attributing positive outcomes to oneself and negative outcomes to external factors Signup and view all the answers

What does the stereotype content model classify stereotypes based on?

Society's perception of competition and capability Signup and view all the answers

In the context of social comparisons, what is downward social comparison?

Comparing to someone who is less successful Signup and view all the answers

Why do stereotypes persist according to cognitive theories?

They help justify social inequalities. Signup and view all the answers

Which technique involves making a large request that is expected to be rejected followed by a smaller request?

Door in the face Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of personality does the Big Five model NOT include?

Cognitive flexibility Signup and view all the answers

Milgram's obedience experiments primarily demonstrated the influence of what factor?

Authority's power over individuals Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes 'self-knowledge' in the context of social comparisons?

Gaining clarity about personal abilities and opinions Signup and view all the answers

What is one impact of physical attractiveness on impression formation?

Often benefits individuals in job hiring processes Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social psychology investigates how individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the presence (actual, imagined, or implied) of others
Examples include relationships and helping behavior

Experimental Methods:
- Manipulate an independent variable (IV) and observe its effect on a dependent variable (DV)
- Lab experiments provide high control over extraneous variables
- Field experiments have high ecological validity
- Both methods can establish cause-and-effect relationships
- Disadvantages of lab experiments include low ecological validity and demand characteristics; field experiments have less control over extraneous variables
Non-experimental Methods:
- Do not manipulate variables
- Observe correlations between variables
- Include case studies and archival research
- Cannot establish cause-and-effect relationships, but offer in-depth explorations of a single case or aggregated data

Implicit and Explicit Methods

Explicit: Participants are aware of the research study and have conscious control over their responses.
Implicit: Participants are unaware of the intended goal of the experiment, and responses are assumed to be automatic

Schemas

Mental structures organizing and storing information about something.
Highly accessible schemas are more likely to influence subsequent behavior and decision-making.

Implicit Association Tests (IATs)

Measure implicit associations by assessing how quickly individuals respond to pairings of different concepts.
Quicker responses indicate stronger associations.
Slower responses indicate weaker (or non-existent) associations.

Lexical Decision Tasks (LDT)

Measure the accessibility of concepts in participants' minds.
Reaction times to identify target words are used to assess accessibility.

Attributions

Causal attribution: The process of assigning causes to events or behaviors.
Dimensions of causal attributions:
- Locus of causality: Internal (dispositional) vs. external (situational)
- Stability: Stable (permanent) vs. unstable (temporary)
- Controllability: Controllable (changeable) vs. uncontrollable (unchangeable)

Heider's Naïve Scientist View

People attempt to understand the world and the behaviors of others by forming simple, rational explanations (e.g., attributions).

Correspondent Inference Theory

How people infer that a person's behavior corresponds to an underlying disposition or personality trait.
Emphasis on factors like choice, expectedness/social desirability, effects of actions.

Covariation Model

Explains the influences of consensus, consistency, and distinctiveness in making attributions to explain behavior.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overemphasize dispositional factors and underemphasize situational factors when explaining others' behavior.

Actor-Observer Effect

We tend to attribute our own actions to situational factors, but others' actions to dispositional factors

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to attribute our successes to internal factors and our failures to external factors.

Stereotypes

Generalizations about a group of people, often based on inaccurate or incomplete information.
Can affect how we perceive and interact with others

Stereotype Content Model

Stereotypes are categorized based on warmth and competence.
People from higher status groups are viewed as more competent and are viewed by others more favorably.

Illusory Correlation

Perceiving a relationship between two variables that does not actually exist.

Stereotype Activation and Application

Activation: The accessibility of a stereotype in memory.
Application: The use of an activated stereotype in judgments or behaviors.

Why People Stereotype

Cognitive efficiency: simplifies information processing.
Justification of social systems: maintain perceived fairness.

Personality Theories

Psychodynamic Theory: Emphasizes unconscious motives and early childhood experiences.
Humanistic Theory: Highlights free will, personal growth, and self-actualization.
Behavioral/Social Cognitive Theory: Examines the role of learning and environmental influences.

Big Five Model of Personality

Openness: Imagination, feelings, actions
Conscientiousness: Competence, self-discipline
Extraversion: Sociability, assertiveness
Agreeableness: Cooperation, trustworthiness
Neuroticism: Emotionality, volatility

Impression Formation

Central traits: Traits that have a major influence on our overall impression of a person.
Configural model: Impression formation involves integrating multiple pieces of information to form a unified impression.

Cognitive Algebra

Combines positive and negative information and forms impressions based on that totality.
Suggests people weigh different traits differently, and some traits might have more weight than others if they are perceived as particularly important or influential traits

Evaluating oneself in relation to others.
Upward social comparisons (comparing to someone better) can inspire motivation, but can also decrease self-esteem.
Downward social comparisons (comparing to someone worse) can boost self-esteem but can be misguided.

Conformity, compliance, and obedience are types of social influence, where individuals change their behavior (and/or attitudes) based on the real or imagined presence of others.
Obedience: Responding to a direct order from an authority figure
Compliance: Responding to a request from someone without formal authority
Conformity: Altering one's behavior to match the group's norms, patterns, or behaviors.

Friendship and Love

Social penetration theory suggests that disclosure of self is fundamental to achieving intimacy in relationships.

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Description

This quiz explores the fundamentals of social psychology, focusing on how individual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are shaped by the presence of others. It covers both experimental and non-experimental methods used in research, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. Test your understanding of key concepts and methodologies in social psychology.