Introduction to Social Psychology Flashcards
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Questions and Answers

What is social psychology?

  • The study of individual personality traits
  • The scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the presence of others (correct)
  • The exploration of environmental factors affecting behavior
  • The study of groups and societies

    • What is social influence?

    The effect that the words, actions, or mere presence of other people have on our thoughts, feelings, attitudes, or behaviors.

    What kinds of questions do social psychologists deal with?

    Empirical questions that can be derived from experimentation or measurement.

    Are we often influenced by the presence of others?

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How does social psychology differ from its closest cousins?

    <p>Social psychologists study social influence while personality psychologists focus on individual differences and sociology studies groups, organizations, and societies.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the fundamental attribution error?

    <p>The tendency to overestimate the role of personal factors and underestimate situational factors in explaining behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the study that Lee Ross conducted?

    <p>An experiment exploring how the name of a game ('Wall Street' vs 'Community') affected people's behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is behaviorism?

    <p>A school of psychology that focuses on the reinforcing properties of the environment in understanding human behavior.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    For social psychologists, what are people's behaviors dependent on?

    <p>The situation and their interpretation (or construal).</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is construal?

    <p>The way in which people perceive, comprehend, and interpret the social world.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What school of psychology does the concept of construal have roots in?

    <p>Gestalt psychology.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Who was the founding father of social psychology?

    <p>Kurt Lewin.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    According to Lee Ross, what is 'naive realism'?

    <p>The conviction that we perceive things as they really are.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Construals range from simple questions like 'How are you feeling?' to complex ones such as international negotiations.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What are the two main motives that concern social psychologists?

    <p>The Self Esteem Approach and the Social Cognition Approach.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is self-esteem?

    <p>People's evaluations of their own self-worth.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What do people often do to feel good about themselves?

    <p>They often justify their actions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What was the experiment that investigated why people justify their experiences with suffering?

    <p>Psychologists examined hazing and found that worse treatments led to more positive feelings about the group.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Human beings might prefer people and things for whom they have suffered over those associated with ease and pleasure.

    <p>True</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is social cognition?

    <p>How people think about themselves and the social world.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    How do researchers with the social cognition perspective understand social behavior?

    <p>They assume all people try to view the world as accurately as possible.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    We always interpret our social world accurately.

    <p>False</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?

    <p>When you expect that you or another person will behave in a certain way, which leads you to act in ways that make your prediction come true.</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Key Concepts in Social Psychology

    • Social Psychology: Scientific study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by others' presence, whether real or imagined.
    • Social Influence: The impact of others' words, actions, or mere presence on individual thoughts, feelings, attitudes, and behaviors.

    Research Focus

    • Empirical Questions: Social psychologists investigate empirical questions, deriving answers from experimentation and measurement rather than opinion.
    • Influence of Presence: Individuals are frequently influenced by the presence of others in social situations.
    • Social vs. Personality Psychology: Social psychology examines mutual influences among individuals, while personality psychology focuses on unique individual traits.
    • Social Psychology vs. Sociology: Sociology studies groups and societies broadly, in contrast to the individual-centric focus of social psychology.

    Behavioral Insights

    • Fundamental Attribution Error: A common misattribution of behavior to internal factors while downplaying situational influences.
    • Behaviorism: A psychology school emphasizing environmental reinforcement in understanding human behavior, prominently represented by B.F. Skinner.

    Influences on Behavior

    • Behavior Dependence: Behavior is contingent on situational factors and personal interpretation (construal).
    • Construal: The process of perceiving, comprehending, and interpreting social situations, influenced by Gestalt psychology.

    Historical Foundations

    • Kurt Lewin: Recognized as the founding father of social psychology, associated with Gestalt theories.

    Perception and Reality

    • Naive Realism: A shared belief that one's perceptions reflect reality accurately.
    • Complexity of Construals: Ranges from simple inquiries like "How are you feeling?" to complex situations like international negotiations.

    Motivational Factors

    • Self-Esteem Approach: The need to maintain a positive self-image.
    • Social Cognition Approach: The drive to achieve accuracy in understanding social scenarios.

    Self-Image and Justification

    • Self-Esteem: Individuals' evaluations of their worth, encompassing feelings of goodness, competence, and decency.
    • Justification of Actions: People often rationalize their behaviors to reinforce their self-esteem.

    Experimental Findings

    • Hazing Study: Research indicated that harsher initiation processes lead members to hold more favorable views of the group as a means of justifying their suffering.

    Preference Patterns

    • Preference for Challenging Experiences: Human beings may favor people and things associated with hardship over those linked with ease.

    Understanding Social Cognition

    • Social Cognition: Examines how individuals process and interpret social information to form judgments and decisions.
    • Assumption of Accuracy: Researchers assume that individuals strive for accurate worldviews, though this is often compromised by expectations.

    Prophetic Behavior

    • Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: The phenomenon where expectations lead to actions that ensure those expectations come true, influencing behavior outcomes.

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    Description

    Explore key concepts in social psychology with these flashcards. Learn definitions and important terms that highlight how social influence shapes human behavior. Perfect for students looking to enhance their understanding of social interactions and dynamics.

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