Introduction to Social Psychology

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Questions and Answers

What is the Bystander Effect?

The decrease in likelihood of helping as the number of bystanders increases. (correct)

The tendency for individuals to feel a stronger responsibility to act alone.

The belief that one should act when others are present to guide their actions.

The phenomenon where individuals are more likely to help when in a crowd.

What does the Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis suggest?

Any frustration can lead to aggression regardless of the context.

Aggression is triggered by the perception of intentional action from others. (correct)

Anger is an immediate response to any unpleasant event without any cognitive processes.

Frustration leads to aggression only when it is caused by external factors.

What is pluralistic ignorance?

The tendency to assume others have a better-informed opinion while remaining silent. (correct)

A scenario where individuals confuse their actions due to group pressure.

The misunderstanding that visible discomfort in others indicates collective agreement.

A social phenomenon where everyone understands the situation yet chooses not to act.

How does the concept of diffusion of responsibility affect bystander behavior?

It makes individuals feel less accountable to take action when others are present. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What role do cognitive influences play in aggression?

They imply that unpleasant events provoke either a fight or flight response. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What type of influence describes acting in ways to be liked and accepted by others?

Normative Influence (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which technique involves starting with a small request before making a larger one?

Foot in the Door (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does the Contrast Effect rely on?

Comparison with another offer (D) Signup and view all the answers

What principle is exemplified when someone makes a large request followed by a smaller one?

Door-in-the-face (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which technique improves an offer before the person can respond?

That's-not-all (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following refers to changing behavior at the direct order of an authority figure?

Obedience to Authority (B) Signup and view all the answers

What psychological field focuses on how to persuade consumers to make purchases?

Consumer Psychology (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the principle of reciprocation in persuasion?

Feeling obliged to return favors (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of social psychology?

The influence of society on individual thoughts and behaviors (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a topic of interest in social psychology?

Groupthink (D) Signup and view all the answers

How does social psychology primarily differ from sociology?

Sociology focuses on societal evaluation and social psychology on individual coping (D) Signup and view all the answers

What do social perception and cognition involve?

Learning about others and making inferences (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is groupthink?

A phenomenon where group cohesiveness trumps realistic evaluation of facts (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which component of attitude deals with feelings towards an object or person?

Affective Component (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes conformity in social psychology?

Adjusting one's behavior or beliefs to align with group norms (A) Signup and view all the answers

What influences a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors according to social psychology?

Direct and indirect interactions with others (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is cognitive dissonance?

Discomfort arising from conflicting attitudes and behaviors (B) Signup and view all the answers

What does social influence refer to in the context of social psychology?

The impact others have on an individual's behavior (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary effect in impression formation?

First learned information has a stronger influence on judgments (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which component of attitude relates to a person's actions toward an object or situation?

Behavior Component (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which behavior is NOT typically explored in social psychology?

Economic Influences on Society (D) Signup and view all the answers

What occurs during impression formation?

Evaluating individuals based on initial knowledge (C) Signup and view all the answers

How do attitudes typically develop?

Based on experiences with people and situations (B) Signup and view all the answers

What role does social perception play in behavior?

It influences our observations, memory, and thinking. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the fundamental attribution error primarily associated with?

Forming general impressions based on situational cues (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does the mere exposure effect suggest about relationships?

Frequent interactions can increase affection towards someone (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes self-serving biases?

Seeing oneself as the main cause of positive results (B) Signup and view all the answers

What strategy is characterized by creating obstacles to performing well?

Self-handicapping strategies (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which factor contributes to liking someone according to the reciprocity of liking principle?

Whether the person likes you back (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does altruistic behavior emphasize?

Assisting others without expecting anything in return (D) Signup and view all the answers

In group situations, what often influences individual behavior?

What others are doing or not doing (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant motivator for individuals to help others in a societal context?

To enhance one's social reputation (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is group polarization?

The inclination of individuals to be more extreme in their views when in a group discussion. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What effect does social facilitation have on individual performance?

It can enhance performance when individuals are observed by others. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is social loafing?

The tendency of individuals to put in less effort when working in a group compared to working alone. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes deindividuation?

A reduction in self-awareness and personal responsibility. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary result of conformity?

People change their behavior to align with that of others. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was the purpose of Asch's (1951) social experiment?

To investigate the impact of group consensus on individual decision-making. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is one reason people conform to others?

To enhance their social status and acceptance within a group. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'in-group' refer to?

A group of people who share similar interests or beliefs and are favored by members. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social psychology examines how social factors influence behavior.
It focuses on attitudes, persuasion, and self-understanding, particularly how individuals interact and behave with others.
This field looks at how social context impacts individuals' feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.
Social psychology differs from sociology, as sociology focuses on the behavior of groups of people, whereas social psychology focuses on how individuals are shaped by social environments.

Lesson Objectives

Key objectives include explaining social factors impacting behavior, describing attitude formation through persuasion, and applying social psychology terminology to related experiences.

Separate yet connected fields.
Sociology studies society as a whole, while social psychology examines the impact of social factors on individual behavior within a social context.

Sociology examines society scientifically, evaluating its structure and behavior.
Social psychology studies how individuals interact with their social environment and how that influences them.

Primarily concerned with how other people affect the behavior, thoughts, and emotions of an individual in a particular situation.
It also looks at the effects of a group on an individual.

The Need to Belong

A fundamental human need, fulfilled by group affiliations (teams, clubs, or groups with similar beliefs).

Social psychologists focus on how individuals adapt to social norms.
Sociologists study group behavior within large social structures.

Conformity
Group behaviors
Persuasion and compliance
Obedience to authority
Social perceptions
Establishing relationships
Altruistic behavior
Aggression and violence

Group Behaviors

Social influence is observable in group settings.
Conformity is a key aspect of group behavior, but other factors are also influential.

Groupthink

Occurs when a group prioritizes cohesion over critical thought, potentially making poor decisions.
It occurs when a group feels it is better to maintain cohesiveness rather than consider all the facts in a situation.

Causes of Groupthink

Feeling that a group can do no wrong or always succeeds.
Negative stereotyping of group members with opposing views.

Group Polarization

During a group discussion, people generally take more extreme positions on an issue.
This relates to risky or cautious actions.

The presence of other people can positively affect an individual's performance.
Conversely, negative influences can lead to decreased performance.

Individuals tend to exert less effort when others are involved in a shared task.
Their effort is reduced when working with a group rather than when working alone.

Deindividuation

A reduction in personal identity when part of a group.
Individuals in groups may act in ways they wouldn't normally.

Conformity

Altering behavior to match the actions of others.
A change in behavior to mirror others'.

A social experiment regarding conformity to group opinion.
Participants were asked to match a line's length with others, even though they knew the answer was different.

Why Do People Conform?

Normative influence: wanting to be liked and accepted.
Informational influence: relying on others when faced with ambiguity.

Persuasion and Compliance

Strategies for influencing others.
Techniques used to change attitudes and encourage compliance.

Persuasion Techniques

Liking/similarity: People are more easily persuaded by those they like or perceive to be similar.
Reciprocation: Doing a favor may cause a sense of obligation to return the favor.
Contrast effect: An offer seems better (or worse) compared to another offer.
Foot-in-the-door technique: Starting with a small request and following with a larger request.
Door-in-the-face technique: Beginning with a large request (which is likely to be refused) then following with a smaller more reasonable request.
Bait-and-switch technique: Making an attractive offer then making it less attractive.
That's-not-all technique: Improving an offer before a person can respond.

Obedience to Authority

Changing behavior due to direct orders from an authority figure.

Milgram (1963, 1974) Experiment

A study on obedience to authority figures.
Participants were instructed to administer increasingly harmful shocks to others, demonstrating how far people can go to comply.

Social cognition and perception processes form impressions of others and guide actions.
The way people act with others is impacted by the information they have about them.

Processes used to gather knowledge and form judgments about others.

Attitude

Tendency to react positively or negatively toward an object, person, or situation.

Components of Attitude

Affective component: Emotional response.
Behavioral component: Action taken in response.
Cognitive component: Thoughts and beliefs concerning the issue.

Cognitive Dissonance

Feeling of discomfort resulting from conflicting attitudes and behaviors.

Impression Formation

Initial judgments made about others; forming first impressions.

Primacy Effect

First impressions have the strongest impact on overall impressions.
Initial information has a more significant impact than later information when forming impressions.

Impression Formation: Stereotypes vs Prejudice

Stereotypes are beliefs about groups of people, potentially inaccurate.
Prejudice is an unfavorable attitude leading to negative treatment.
Direct contact can help counter prejudice.

Attribution

Processes used to attribute causes to behavior, both personal and situational.

Attribution: Internal vs External

Internal attributions: Explanations based on a personal characteristic of an individual.
External attributions: Explanations based on the situation or outside forces.

Attribution Biases

Fundamental attribution error
Self-serving bias
Self-handicapping strategies

Establishing Relationships

Proximity effect: Friendships or relationships often form between those who frequently encounter each other.
Mere exposure effect: Familiarity with a person or thing often increases the likelihood of liking them.
Similarity: People often seek out those with similar backgrounds and interests.
Reciprocity of liking: Liking those who have demonstrated that they like you.

Altruistic Behavior

Helping others without the expectation of personal gain.
Helping kin and offspring is often part of altruistic behavior.

Why We Help Others

Cooperation and helping is necessary to maintain social relationships and gain necessities (wants)
Societal norms and trust contribute to altruism.
Often related to fairness.

Accepting or Denying Responsibility

Diffusion of responsibility: When others are present, feeling less responsible because others can help.
Pluralistic ignorance: When people conform to a silence around an issue, creating an incorrect perception of shared views.

Bystander Effect

The presence of others might discourage intervention in a crisis or emergency situation as everyone thinks someone else will help or intervene.

Aggression and Violence

Aggression: Intentional behavior that harms another person.
Anger and violence are a part of human experience and are often linked to feeling frustrated.

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Description

This quiz explores the foundational concepts of social psychology, focusing on how social influences shape individual behavior and attitudes. It distinguishes social psychology from sociology by emphasizing the impact of social contexts on individual experiences. Test your understanding of key terms and theories in this dynamic field.