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Questions and Answers
What percentage of participants in the Schachter 1959 Social Isolation Experiment felt uncomfortable due to lack of human contact?
Which of the following is NOT identified as a consequence of social isolation?
What does the 'Small World Phenomenon' imply about social connections?
Which factor helps explain why different individuals react differently to the same situation?
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What limitation was noted in the Schachter study regarding participant representation?
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Which of the following is a potential ethical issue in the Schachter 1959 study?
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Which of the following is NOT an environmental factor that can influence behavior?
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In the COVID life satisfaction study by Brindal 2021, what type of factors were shown to influence life satisfaction?
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What is a limitation regarding the measurement of psychological impact in the Schachter study?
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Which of the following factors is NOT a dispositional factor influencing behavior?
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Study Notes
Social Psychology Definition
- Defined as the scientific study of how individuals' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the presence of others, either real, imagined, or implied.
- This field of study emphasizes the dynamic interplay between individuals and their social context.
- Gordon Allport's 1954 definition highlights the core focus of social psychology: understanding how social influences shape our internal states and outward actions.
Social Isolation Experiment (Schachter 1959)
- A study involving five volunteers placed in a windowless room for an extended period.
- The experiment revealed that a significant majority (80%) of participants experienced discomfort and psychological distress due to the lack of human contact.
- This experiment demonstrates the fundamental role of social connection in human well-being, suggesting that most individuals cannot tolerate prolonged social isolation.
- The study's limitations include: a small sample size, lack of cultural diversity, potential outlier effects, unaccounted environmental factors like the windowless room, a lack of control groups, and unclear measurements of psychological impact and its duration, as well as ethical considerations.
Impacts of Social Isolation (Hawthorn 2006, Holt-Lunstad 2015, Shanker 2015)
- Research highlights the negative consequences of social isolation on physical and mental health.
- These consequences include high blood pressure, mental illness, physical inactivity, dementia, emotional distress, weakened immune function, smoking, sleep disturbances, decreased well-being, poor health behaviors, and increased risk of premature death.
The Small World Phenomenon
- Milgram's (1967) "6 Degrees of Separation" concept suggests that any two people in the world are connected through a maximum of five other individuals.
- This idea is popularly known as the "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" game, demonstrating how interconnected individuals are within a global network.
Environmental and Dispositional Factors
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Environmental Factors (External Influences):
- These factors explain why the same person might act differently in various situations.
- They include the presence of other people, objects, information, social systems, and events.
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Dispositional Factors (Internal Influences):
- Explain why diverse individuals react differently to the same situation.
- These factors include personality, demographics (age and gender), mood, cultural background, prior beliefs, and genetic predisposition.
COVID-19 Study (Brindal 2021)
- This study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on life satisfaction during different phases: before, during, and after the pandemic.
- It found that individual factors (disposition) played a significant role in shaping individual perceptions of life satisfaction.
- The study has limitations:
- It relied on self-reported data, potentially introducing subjective bias.
- It was conducted after the pandemic, potentially influencing retrospective reporting of life satisfaction.
Community Psychology
- This approach emphasizes the influence of environmental factors and political systems on behavior.
- It rejects individualism (focusing on individual change) and favors a collectivist perspective, addressing societal problems and fostering second-order change.
- Second-order change promotes community-based problem-solving and preventative measures, empowering communities to create sustainable solutions.
- Community psychology focuses on how broader societal forces, including media and environmental factors, shape individual lives.
Social Enterprise in Scotland (Kelly 2019)
- This study explored how social enterprise interventions in Scotland address social isolation through community activities.
- It underlines the importance and vastness of social connection and examines the negative ramifications of social isolation.
- It highlights how individual disposition influences a person's response to the social environment.
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Description
Explore the scientific study of social psychology, focusing on how individuals' thoughts and behaviors are influenced by others. This quiz dives into Gordon Allport's definition and the implications of Schachter's 1959 social isolation experiment. Understand the critical relationship between social connection and psychological well-being.
