Psychology Class Debate: Humanistic Perspective

Questions and Answers

Which of the following criticisms of the humanistic perspective can you cite?

The description of self-actualizing people reflects Maslow's personal values (correct)

It encourages too much individualism, leading to self-indulgence

It fails to recognize life satisfaction for those focusing beyond themselves

None of the above

Critics of Carl Rogers are likely to voice objections because:

It encourages too much individualism, which can lead to self-indulgence

It encourages too much individualism, leading to erosion of moral restraints

It fails to recognize that people focusing beyond themselves find more life satisfaction

All of the above (correct)

What does humanistic psychology emphasize the importance of?

A positive self-concept

Which criticism of the trait perspective can you cite?

Behavior varies from one situation to the next Signup and view all the answers

Vale is sociable, fun-loving, and affectionate. She would likely score very high on a personality test measuring what?

Extraversion Signup and view all the answers

What evidence suggests that extraverts seek stimulation due to low brain arousal?

Extraverts exhibit less activity in a frontal lobe area involved in behavior inhibition Signup and view all the answers

The 'fundamental attribution error' refers to our tendency to?

Explain others' actions in terms of traits Signup and view all the answers

The fundamental attribution error occurs more often in which cultures?

Western Signup and view all the answers

When making self-serving attributions, we tend to attribute our success to _ factors and our failures to factors.

Both A and B are correct Signup and view all the answers

The technique of asking for a small favor before requesting a larger one is known as?

The foot in the door phenomenon Signup and view all the answers

Cynthia thinks her new neighbor is mean and snobbish. This _____ will likely influence her to act negatively toward her neighbor.

Attitude Signup and view all the answers

According to cognitive dissonance theory, soldiers reduce guilt about killing innocents by?

Dehumanizing their victims Signup and view all the answers

Jonathan talked about cognitive dissonance in terms of one's ___ being _ to their _ as ___ people.

Actions; contrary; self-perception; sensible Signup and view all the answers

In a study by Sherif (1936), participants watched a dot of light in a dark room, which appeared to move. This phenomenon is known as the _____.

Autokinetic effect Signup and view all the answers

In Asch's line judgment paradigm, if you have 4 unanimous majority members saying the wrong line, adding another person to the majority will result in conformity _____?

Not increasing or decreasing Signup and view all the answers

Participants in Stanley Milgram's obedience experiments were willing to administer shocks due to their concern that the experimenter would be disappointed. Such concerns reflect the power of _____ to induce obedience.

Normative social influence Signup and view all the answers

In Milgram's obedience experiments, participants often sought cues from the experimenter on how to proceed in confusing situations, identifying _____ as a source of their destructive obedience.

Informational social influence Signup and view all the answers

Across Milgram's studies on obedience, which factor never consistently affected participants' behavior?

Plea for help from the victim Signup and view all the answers

Bonnie pedals an exercise bike much faster when other patrons are using nearby equipment. This best illustrates?

Social facilitation Signup and view all the answers

Under what conditions would your performance playing a song on the piano be best?

Playing the song for a group of people Signup and view all the answers

What do deindividuation and social loafing have in common? In both, _____ actions are not identifiable.

Individuals' Signup and view all the answers

_____ refers to an attitude toward a distinguishable group of people based solely on their group membership.

Prejudice Signup and view all the answers

Jessica isn't invited to a Super Bowl party because she's a woman. Jessica is experiencing?

Discrimination Signup and view all the answers

A German civilian remarked about prisoners at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, 'What terrible criminals these prisoners must have been.' This reaction is explained by?

The belief in a just world phenomenon Signup and view all the answers

According to the social-psychological definition of 'aggression,' what is the best example of aggression?

A child throws a temper tantrum and tries to hit her father. Signup and view all the answers

A neurotransmitter whose lack is associated with anger is?

Serotonin Signup and view all the answers

In a study related to the mere exposure effect, students liked a confederate best when she had attended?

More classes Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Humanistic Perspective Criticism

Self-actualizing individuals' descriptions reflect Maslow's personal values, potentially limiting objectivity.
Critics argue that an emphasis on individualism can lead to selfishness and erosion of moral responsibility.
Humanistic approaches overlook that focusing beyond oneself might result in greater life satisfaction.

Carl Rogers and Individualism

Rogers questioned the satisfaction of living authentically, sparking criticism.
Critics highlight concerns of excessive individualism, leading to potential moral decline and self-indulgence.
Acknowledges the value of selflessness in achieving life satisfaction.

Humanistic Psychology Focus

Emphasizes the significance of maintaining a positive self-concept for personal development.

Trait Perspective Criticism

Consistency in behavior is questioned; individuals may not act predictably across different situations.

Extraversion in Personality

Vale is described as sociable and affectionate, indicating a high likelihood of scoring on extraversion measures.

Extraverts and Stimulation

Extraverts like Eli seek stimulation due to relatively low brain arousal, indicated by less activity in frontal lobe regions responsible for behavior inhibition.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Refers to the tendency to explain others' actions by attributing them to their traits, disregarding situational influences.

Cultural Influences on Attribution

Fundamental attribution errors are more prevalent in Western cultures compared to others.

Self-Serving Attribution Bias

Individuals attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external factors, reinforcing positive self-image.

Psychological Techniques in Persuasion

The foot-in-the-door phenomenon describes gaining compliance by initially requesting small favors before larger requests.

Attitudes Influencing Behavior

Cynthia's negative perception of her neighbor illustrates how attitudes can dictate social interactions.

Cognitive Dissonance and Guilt Reduction

Soldiers may alleviate guilt for wartime actions by dehumanizing their victims, according to cognitive dissociative theory.

Cognitive Dissonance and Perception

Cognitive dissonance relates to actions being contrary to self-perceived sensible behavior.

Sherif's study demonstrated the autokinetic effect, explained by informational social influence.

Conformity in Group Settings

Adding a member to a unanimous majority in Asch’s experiment neither increases nor decreases conformity levels.

Milgram's Obedience Studies

Participants often obeyed commands to administer shocks due to normative social influence, reflecting conformity to authority pressures.

Sources of Destructive Obedience

In uncertain situations, individuals look to authority figures for guidance, highlighting informational social influence.

Consistency in Milgram's Studies

Pleas for help from victims did not affect obedience rates consistently across Milgram’s experiments.

Bonnie demonstrates social facilitation by performing better in the presence of others, enhancing her exercise effort.

Performance Under Observation

Familiar tasks benefit from social facilitation; performance improves when playing the piano in front of an audience.

Both phenomena are characterized by individuals' actions becoming unidentifiable in group contexts.

Concept of Prejudice

Prejudice refers to negative attitudes towards distinguishable groups based solely on group identity.

Jessica's exclusion from the Super Bowl party illustrates discrimination based on gender.

Just World Phenomenon

The belief in a just world can lead individuals to rationalize injustices faced by persecuted groups.

Aggression Definition

Aggression is defined as behavior intended to harm; a child's temper tantrum is a clear example.

Neurotransmitters and Aggression

Serotonin deficiency is linked to increased levels of anger and aggressive behavior.

Mere Exposure Effect

A confederate's popularity increased after attending more classes, demonstrating the mere exposure effect in social perception.

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Description

Engage in a thought-provoking debate about the humanistic perspective in psychology. This quiz challenges you to critically analyze and articulate criticisms against this viewpoint, including issues raised by notable psychologists like Maslow and Rogers.