18 Questions
What is the fundamental attribution error?
Attributing the behavior of others to internal, personal characteristics, while ignoring external, situational stimuli
When a person attributes their success to their own abilities, but blames external factors for their failures, it is an example of:
Self-serving bias
What is the term for the tendency to blame the victim of misfortune for their own problems?
Blaming the victim
What is the Bystander Effect?
A theory that states that individuals are less likely to help in an emergency situation when there are other people present
What is the term for the social group to which one belongs?
Ingroup
What is conformity in the context of social psychology?
Going along with a plan because it seems socially acceptable
What is the primary focus of the Asch Experiment?
To investigate the impact of social influence on conformity
What are the three components of an attitude?
Cognitive, emotional, and behavioral
What is the underlying reason for people's conformity in the Asch Experiment?
The need to conform to social norms
In the context of attitude formation, what does the cognitive component refer to?
Your thoughts about a given topic or object
What is the primary outcome of the Asch Experiment?
Participants conformed to the group's incorrect answer
What is the relationship between social norms and conformity?
Social norms influence conformity
What was the primary goal of the Stanford Prison Experiment?
To examine how people respond to authority figures, even when they are aware of wrongdoing
What was the outcome of the Robbers Cave Experiment when the groups were forced to work together towards a common goal?
The groups formed a hybrid identity, combining elements of both original groups
What was a key factor in the early termination of the Stanford Prison Experiment?
The participants were experiencing lasting psychological harm
What is a key takeaway from the Stanford Prison Experiment?
Authority figures can influence people's behavior, even when they know it's wrong
What was the purpose of the 'confederates' in the Stanford Prison Experiment?
To follow a script and influence the behavior of the real participants
What is a common theme between the Stanford Prison Experiment and the Robbers Cave Experiment?
The impact of social norms and authority on group behavior
Study Notes
Cognitive Biases
- Fundamental Attribution Error: attributing others' behavior to internal characteristics, while ignoring external situational stimuli.
- Blaming the Victim: attributing misfortune to the victim's actions or lack of prevention.
- Hindsight Bias: overestimating one's ability to predict an event's outcome after it has occurred.
- Just-World Hypothesis: assuming the world is fair and people get what they deserve.
- Self-Serving Bias: attributing success to internal causes and failure to external situational causes.
Ingroup and Outgroup
- Ingroup: a social group to which one belongs.
- Outgroup: a social group to which one does not belong.
Bystander Effect
- Bystander Effect: individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim in the presence of other people.
- Diffusing responsibility: standing by in an emergency situation.
Conformity
- Conformity: going along with a plan because it seems socially acceptable or others are doing it.
- Examples: sitting down for class, ordering from a menu at a restaurant, waving back to someone.
Attitude Formation
- Attitudes consist of three components:
- Cognitive component: thoughts about a given topic or object.
- Emotional component: feelings about something.
- Behavioral component: attitude reflected in action.
Asch Experiment
- Recruited college-aged males to test conformity.
- Participants and confederates were asked to compare line lengths, with confederates saying the lines were the same length despite obvious differences.
- Tested if participants would conform to the group's incorrect answer.
Stanford Prison Experiment
- Recruited male participants to test obedience to authority figures.
- Real participants were paired with confederates (planted people following a script).
- Participants took on roles of prisoners and guards, with the experiment revealing people's willingness to obey authority, even when it led to harmful actions.
- The experiment was stopped after six days due to psychological harm to participants.
Robbers Cave Experiment
- Recruited 22 boys (11-15 years old) to test intergroup conflicts and conformity.
- Boys were separated into two groups and performed tasks to bond, unaware of the other group.
- Once bonded, the groups were told about each other, leading to competition and hostility.
- The experiment showed that groups can work together towards a common goal, but it takes time and effort to merge identities.
Test your knowledge of the Stanford Prison Experiment, a famous psychology study that explored the boundaries of obedience to authority. Learn about the experiment's design, participants, and controversial results. See how far people would go to obey authority, even when they know things are wrong.
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