Social Psychology Chapter 1 Flashcards

Questions and Answers

What is the difference between sociology and social psychology?

Sociologists focus on entire groups/societal level; social psychologists strive to understand and explain how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.

What are the three main facets of social psychology?

Social perception, social influence, social interaction.

Describe social perception and give an example.

The process where individuals form impressions of others and interpret information about them. Example: seeing someone with a really nice car may lead one to perceive them as rich and successful.

Describe social influence and give an example.

The process through which people affect someone's thoughts or actions. Example: A person decides to be a doctor solely because his parents were doctors. Signup and view all the answers

Social influence results from what?

Social interaction, which refers to the relationships between two or more people. Signup and view all the answers

What was one of the earliest formal studies in social psychology?

The 1898 Norman Triplett's cycling study. Signup and view all the answers

What study documented the concept of social facilitation?

Norman Triplett's study of 40 children playing a simple game. Signup and view all the answers

Who conducted a study that illustrated social loafing? What was the study?

Max Ringlemann's rope study in 1883. Signup and view all the answers

What were the first textbooks published on the subject of social psychology?

Two published in 1908 by Edward Ross and two by William McDougall. Signup and view all the answers

Who was Floyd Allport?

A psychologist who published the 2nd version of Social Psychology in 1924. Signup and view all the answers

What event completely changed the structure and direction of social psychology?

World War II. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Interactionist Perspective?

Kurt Lewin's combination of internal factors from personality psychology and external factors from social psychology. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Muzafer Sherif?

A Turkish social psychologist who applied scientific methods to study social influence. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Solomon Ash?

A psychologist who showed that people often agree with the majority, even when incorrect. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Stanley Milgram?

A psychologist known for his experiment illustrating obedience to authority. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Leon Festinger?

A psychologist known for cognitive dissonance theory and social comparison theory. Signup and view all the answers

Who is Fitz Heide?

A psychologist known for Attribution Theory. Signup and view all the answers

What is Basic Research in Social Psychology?

The fundamental ideas behind behavior and cognitive processes. Signup and view all the answers

What is Applied Research in Social Psychology?

The use of social psychology ideas to address issues in various fields. Signup and view all the answers

What are the debates in social psychology?

Research Ethics Signup and view all the answers

What is Social Psychology and Stereotyping/Prejudice related to?

Gordon Allport's Scale of Prejudice; Latane and Darley's research on altruism; Clark and Clark's impact on desegregation of schools. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Cognitive Revolution?

Festinger's theory of Cognitive Dissonance, Kahnerman and Tversky's heuristics. Signup and view all the answers

Social Psychology is primarily considered a ______________ discipline.

Western-dominated. Signup and view all the answers

What are influences outside of the USA?

Individualistic cultures emphasize independence; collectivist cultures emphasize connectedness with others. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Sociocultural Perspective?

Focuses on the relationship between social behavior and culture. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Evolutionary Perspective?

Focuses on biological bases for universal mental characteristics shared by humans. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Social Cognitive Perspective?

Builds on behavioral theories to show that cognitive processes influence behavior. Signup and view all the answers

What is the Social Learning Perspective?

Stresses the power of learning through social rewards and punishments. Signup and view all the answers

What are confederates in research?

Individuals who are part of the research team and play a particular role. Signup and view all the answers

Why can psychologists not rely on common sense?

Because they must base their conclusions on evidence from systematic studies. Signup and view all the answers

What is hindsight bias?

The tendency to think you knew that something would occur all along. Signup and view all the answers

Why is common sense problematic to rely on to explain behavior?

It is subjective and can differ between individuals. Signup and view all the answers

What is the false consensus effect?

The assumption that everyone shares the same opinion as oneself. Signup and view all the answers

What is differential construal?

The act of judging circumstances differently. Signup and view all the answers

What are two ways in which false conclusions can be derived through biased actions or thoughts?

False consensus and hindsight bias. Signup and view all the answers

What is confirmation bias?

The tendency to notice information that confirms one's beliefs and ignore disconfirming information. Signup and view all the answers

What is the scientific method?

Approach to thinking that uses systematic observations, measurements, and experiments to assess information. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Sociology studies entire groups at a societal level.
Social psychology examines how individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by others' presence.

Comprises social perception, social influence, and social interaction.

Involves forming impressions and interpreting information about others.
Example: A person with a luxurious car may be perceived as wealthy and successful.

Refers to how individuals affect one another's thoughts or actions.
Example: A person opting to become a doctor because their parents are doctors.

Interaction between two or more individuals serves as the basis for social influence.

Norman Triplett's 1898 cycling study investigated performance when individuals work together; found competitive settings enhance effort.

Documented in Triplett's study showing children performed better in pairs than alone.

Demonstrated by Max Ringlemann's 1883 rope study; individuals exert less effort when tugging in a group versus alone.

Foundational Textbooks

Edward Ross and William McDougall published seminal textbooks in 1908 on social psychology.

Floyd Allport's Contributions

Authored the second version of Social Psychology in 1924, emphasizing external influences.

SPSSI

Founded in 1936 by Gordon Allport, focusing on social issues impacting groups and communities.

Impact of WWII

World War II drastically transformed the direction and structure of social psychology.

Interactionist Perspective

Kurt Lewin's approach merges internal personality factors with external social influences.

Muzafer Sherif's Research

Applied scientific methods to social influence in his 1936 autokinetic effect experiment, revealing conformity in group settings.

Solomon Asch's Study

In 1951, demonstrated that individuals often agree with incorrect majority opinions.

Stanley Milgram's Obedience Study

Conducted in 1963, showcased how individuals may compromise personal values for obedience.

Leon Festinger's Theories

Developed cognitive dissonance theory (1957) highlighting conflict between attitudes and behaviors.
Introduced social comparison theory (1954) explaining self-perception in relation to others.

Fitz Heide's Attribution Theory

Proposed in 1958, focusing on explanations for individual behaviors.

Investigates fundamental behaviors and cognitive processes.

Applies social psychology principles to address real-world issues in various fields.

Discussions around laboratory research effectiveness and ethical standards arose, particularly after the Milgram experiment.

Stereotyping and Prejudice

Gordon Allport's prejudice scale and the work of Latane and Darley on altruism have influenced social change, including in education.

Cognitive Revolution

Sparked by Festinger's theories and Kahnerman/Tversky's development of heuristics as mental shortcuts.

Dominance of Western Discipline

Social psychology is primarily considered a Western-dominated field.

Cultural Influences

Individualistic cultures emphasize independence; collectivist cultures focus on interconnectedness.

Sociocultural Perspective

Examines the relationship between individual behavior and cultural context, highlighting societal influences on behavior.

Evolutionary Perspective

Explores biological bases behind universal traits, emphasizing natural selection.

Integrates behavioral theories with cognitive processes impacting behavior.

Focuses on learning through social rewards and punishments; emphasizes observational learning.

Role of Confederates

Individuals in experiments who assume specific roles to influence participant behavior.

Need for Evidence in Psychology

Psychologists rely on evidence from systematic studies rather than common sense for conclusions.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe one could have predicted an outcome after it has occurred.

Common Sense Limitations

Subjectivity arises from diverse interpretations of what constitutes common sense.

False Consensus Effect

The belief that one's opinions are shared by the majority.

Differential Construal

The ability to interpret situations differently based on perspective.

Sources of Bias

False conclusions may stem from false consensus and hindsight bias.

Confirmation Bias

The inclination to favor information that supports existing beliefs while disregarding contrary evidence.

Scientific Method

A structured approach involving observation, measurement, and experimentation to evaluate information.

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Description

Explore the fundamentals of social psychology in Chapter 1 through these flashcards. Learn about the differences between sociology and social psychology, as well as the main facets of the discipline. Test your understanding of key concepts and theories applicable to individual and group dynamics.