Social Psychology Overview and Experiments

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Questions and Answers

Which statement about social psychology is most accurate?

People behave the same way regardless of social situations
Social psychology only focuses on emotions
People's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by social situations (correct)
Social situations do not affect individual behavior

What earlier study that also examined the effects of authority inspired the Stanford Prison Experiment?

Milgram's study on obedience (correct)
Kahneman and Tversky's studies on heuristics
Berkeley's studies of experience
The Stanford Prison Experiment was the first study of the effects of authority

What was 'the hole' in the Stanford Prison Experiment?

The 'holes' were the jail cells with cots that the prisoners stayed in
The escape hole that some prisoners dug
Solitary confinement; prisoners were put into it as a punishment (correct)
A term that prisoners used to describe their depression during the experiment

What is the main point of the quizmaster study?

People will overlook obvious situational influences on behavior (C) Signup and view all the answers

What was the major flaw in the Stanford Prison Experiment?

Zimbardo did not use a control group (A) Signup and view all the answers

What happened with Prisoner 416 in The Stanford Prison Experiment?

He felt as though he was losing his own identity and he went on a hunger strike, which the guards put him in the hole for (B) Signup and view all the answers

What happened with the 'jail break' in the Stanford Prison Experiment?

The prison riot didn't end up happening, and the guards had to rebuild the prison after they took it apart; they became even more domineering towards the prisoners (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is social psychology?

How people affect each other; how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by social situations. Signup and view all the answers

What are intrapersonal topics?

Topics that pertain to the individual, such as emotions and attitudes, the self, and social cognition. Signup and view all the answers

What are interpersonal topics?

Topics that pertain to dyads and groups, including helping behavior, aggression, prejudice and discrimination, attraction and close relationships. Signup and view all the answers

What is behavior a product of?

Situation and disposition. Signup and view all the answers

What does situationism suggest?

Your behavior and actions are determined by environment and situation. Signup and view all the answers

What does dispositionism state?

Behavior is determined by internal factors of a person, such as their personality and temperament. Signup and view all the answers

What is fundamental attribution error?

Observers tend to overestimate the role of disposition in determining behavior in strangers. Signup and view all the answers

What is groupthink?

The mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives. Signup and view all the answers

What is group polarization?

The tendency of group members to move to an extreme position after discussing an issue as a group. Signup and view all the answers

What is social facilitation?

People do well on a task in front of others that they are good at. Signup and view all the answers

What is the bystander effect?

The tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present. Signup and view all the answers

What is prosocial behavior?

Positive, constructive, helpful behavior. Signup and view all the answers

Why do prejudice and discrimination exist?

Due to social learning and conformity to social norms, learned from various sources. Signup and view all the answers

What is confirmation bias?

Paying attention to information that is consistent with stereotypes and ignoring information that is not. Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'ingroup' refer to?

A group with which we identify. Signup and view all the answers

What is social loafing?

The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort than when individually accountable. Signup and view all the answers

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Study Notes

Examines how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by social situations.
Implied and actual presence of others significantly affects behavior and attitudes.

Stanford Prison Experiment Insights

Inspired by Milgram's obedience study.
Major flaw was the lack of a control group and ethical considerations were changed post-experiment.
Solitary confinement referred to "the hole," a punishment for prisoners.
Prisoner 416 experienced identity loss and a hunger strike.

Fundamental attribution error: Tendency to overestimate dispositional influences in others while underestimating situational factors.
Actor-observer bias involves blaming actions on the situation for oneself, but on disposition for others.
Cognitive dissonance occurs when inconsistent attitudes lead to psychological discomfort.

Conformity and Obedience

Conformity driven by social influences, including normative (peer acceptance) and informational (group competence) factors.
Asch's study demonstrated significant conformity due to group pressure.
Milgram's shocking experiment revealed high levels of obedience, especially when authority was emphasized.

Group Dynamics

Groupthink: Desire for harmony can hinder realistic alternatives in decision-making.
Group polarization indicates that discussions can lead members to adopt more extreme positions.
Social facilitation improves performance on tasks due to audience presence, while social inhibition diminishes it.

Prejudice and Discrimination

Prejudice defined as negative attitudes owed to group membership; stereotypes are generalized beliefs about groups.
Discrimination involves negative actions directed against individuals from certain groups.
Implicit biases may be measured through tests that reveal unconscious associations.

Relationships and Attraction

Key determinants of relationships include proximity, homophily (similarity), reciprocity, and self-disclosure.
Sternberg's Triangular Theory identifies three components of love: intimacy, passion, and commitment.

Prosocial Behavior and Helpfulness

Bystander effect: People are less inclined to help when others are present due to diffusion of responsibility.
Altruism, empathy, and egoism can motivate prosocial behaviors.

Foot-in-the-door technique involves securing a small commitment before making a larger request.
Yale Attitude Change Approach highlights effective persuasive communication factors: source credibility, audience characteristics, and message features.