Social Psychology Chapter Overview

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

According to evolutionary psychology, which factor primarily shapes human behavior?

Inherited traits that enhanced survival and reproduction in ancestors. (correct)
The conscious decisions individuals make to improve their social standing.
Cultural norms and expectations imposed by society.
Learned behaviors from the current environment.

What is the primary goal of social neuroscience?

To study the influence of social structures on brain morphology.
To simplify complex social behaviors into basic biological processes.
To understand the neural bases of social behavior by integrating biological and social levels of analysis. (correct)
To eliminate the consideration of social factors when studying the brain.

How do social neuroscientists view the relationship between the mind and body?

As separate entities that occasionally interact.
As the body determining all functions of the conscious mind.
As a single integrated system where each influences the other. (correct)
As the mind controlling the body's biological functions.

What does the concept of humans as 'bio-psycho-social organisms' emphasize?

The interplay of biological, psychological, and social influences on behavior. (B) Signup and view all the answers

In Kip Williams' computer game experiment, what was the main finding regarding social exclusion?

Feeling left out had dramatic effects on how people felt about themselves. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Why might some critics argue that social psychology is 'trivial'?

Because its conclusions often seem like common sense. (D) Signup and view all the answers

The author anticipates what reaction to the book?

Many of the conclusions will probably have already occurred to you (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why do people constantly observe people thinking about, influencing, and relating to one another?

To discern and explain relationships among social events. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is implied by the statement that philosophers, novelists, and poets have observed social behavior with keen insight?

These fields provide valuable, though unsystematic, observations about social behavior. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference between common sense understandings of social behavior and social psychology?

Social psychology uses the scientific method to test hypotheses, while common sense relies on anecdotal evidence. (A) Signup and view all the answers

A researcher finds a correlation between income and volunteer hours. Based on the statements provided, which conclusion aligns with the exercise?

Higher income individuals volunteer more due to greater resources or social networks. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Based on the information provided, what is a challenge social psychology faces in establishing itself as a distinct field?

The perception that it merely formalizes what people already know. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What critical point is made with the inclusion of the true/false exercise?

To illustrate that intuitive beliefs are often inaccurate when tested empirically. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What does a correlation coefficient (r) of -0.6 between self-esteem and depression scores indicate?

As self-esteem increases, depression decreases. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why is the ambiguity of results considered a disadvantage in correlational research?

It cannot determine cause-and-effect relationships between variables. (D) Signup and view all the answers

In a study, researchers found a correlation between self-esteem and achievement. However, when they statistically removed the effect of intelligence and family status, the correlation disappeared. What does this suggest?

Intelligence and family status are confounding variables influencing both self-esteem and achievement. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How can longitudinal research help address the limitations of basic correlational research?

By examining how relationships between variables change over time, potentially revealing cause-and-effect. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does a time-lagged correlation reveal in research?

Whether changes in one study variable precede or follow changes in another variable. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Identical twins having an intelligence scores correlation of +0.8 indicates which of the following?

As one twin's intelligence score increases, the other twin's intelligence score tends to increase. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary advantage of conducting correlational research in real-world settings?

It enables the study of variables in their natural context, increasing the ecological validity of the findings. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to repeat the idea that correlation does not equal causation?

Because people often mistakenly assume that correlation indicates causation. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why might people struggle to identify the true cause of their failures?

The real cause might be less obvious and overshadowed by more salient but ultimately irrelevant factors.. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What does the text suggest about 'stupid mistakes' and our judgment of past actions?

Hindsight makes past choices seem more obvious than they were at the time. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How does the text relate the concept of hindsight bias to medical diagnoses?

Knowing the outcome (cause of death) makes it easier to judge the initial diagnosis as incorrect. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main point the text is trying to make when discussing 'common sense'?

Common sense is often right after the fact, but not always accurate in predicting events. (C) Signup and view all the answers

The passage mentions the historical belief that the sun revolved around the Earth. What point does this illustrate?

Common sense can be misleading and overturned by scientific evidence. (A) Signup and view all the answers

How does the text use the example of bleeding as a treatment for typhoid fever to support its argument?

To show how accepted practices, even in medicine, can be wrong until tested scientifically. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is implied by the statement: 'No matter what we find, there will be someone who foresaw it'?

Predictions made after an event are often biased by knowledge of the outcome. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the most accurate interpretation of the text?

Conventional wisdom is useful after the fact. (A) Signup and view all the answers

In the obesity study, what was identified as the independent variable manipulated by Snyder and Haugen?

The photograph shown to the men (obese vs. normal-weight woman). (A) Signup and view all the answers

What did the analysis of the women's conversations reveal about the men's behavior based on the photographs they were shown?

The men spoke less warmly and happily to the women they believed to be obese. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Considering the initial study correlating obesity with lower marital status and income, what possible explanation did the text suggest after correcting for factors like aptitude and parental income?

Discrimination might explain the correlation between obesity and lower status. (B) Signup and view all the answers

In the context of experimental design, what is the primary purpose of random assignment, as described in the text?

To give the researcher confidence that any later difference is caused by the treatment. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the dependent variable in the experiment conducted by Snyder and Haugen?

The warmth and happiness perceived from the men's side of the conversation by independent observers. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to correct for factors like aptitude test scores and parental income when studying correlations, such as the one between obesity and income?

To determine if the correlation is causal or due to other underlying variables. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the most accurate conclusion that can be drawn from the study about obesity, marital status, and income?

There is a correlation between obesity and lower marital status and income, potentially influenced by factors like discrimination. (B) Signup and view all the answers

In the conditions described, consider that the men were shown a photo, but unaware the picture was not the person they were talking to. What type of experimental design element does this represent?

Deception to maintain experimental realism. (D) Signup and view all the answers

In experimental research, what is the primary purpose of random assignment?

To minimize pre-existing differences between participants in different conditions. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a critical component that distinguishes experimental research from correlational research?

Manipulating an independent variable and randomly assigning participants to conditions. (C) Signup and view all the answers

A researcher wants to study the impact of a new teaching method on student test scores. What is essential for this research to be considered an experiment?

Randomly assigning students to either the new method or the standard method. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why is controlling extraneous variables important in experimental research?

To ensure that the independent variable is the only factor influencing the dependent variable. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of manipulating the independent variable in an experiment?

To observe its effect on the dependent variable. (B) Signup and view all the answers

A study finds a correlation between exercise and happiness. Which conclusion can be definitively drawn from this study alone?

Exercise and happiness are associated with each other. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which scenario exemplifies a correlational study?

Observing the relationship between hours of sleep and academic performance in a group of students. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In an experiment examining the effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance, what would be the independent variable?

The amount of sleep participants get. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Evolutionary Psychology

A field that studies how evolution influences human behavior and thought processes.

Natural Selection

The process where traits that help survival and reproduction are passed on to future generations.