Uncover the Secrets of Social Psychology

Definition of Social Psychology

• Social psychology examines how individual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the presence of others and social contexts.

I-Knew-It-All-Along Phenomenon

• This phenomenon refers to the tendency for individuals to believe that they predicted an event's outcome after it has already occurred, reflecting hindsight bias.

Research Methods in Social Psychology

• Common research methods include experiments, surveys, observational studies, and case studies, each providing unique insights into social behavior.

Cognitive Dissonance

• Cognitive dissonance is a psychological state arising when a person experiences conflicting beliefs or behaviors, leading to discomfort and motivation to reduce the inconsistency.

Halo Effect

• The Halo Effect describes a cognitive bias where an individual's overall impression of a person influences judgments about their specific traits, such as assuming a kind person is also intelligent.

Key Focus of Social Psychology

• A primary focus of social psychology includes understanding how social influences shape individual behavior and thoughts in various contexts.

Correlational vs. Experimental Studies

• Correlational studies identify relationships between variables but do not establish causation, while experimental studies manipulate one variable to observe effects on another, allowing for causal inferences.

Overall Judgment Phenomenon

• The phenomenon where one positive or negative trait influences overall judgments about a person is often referred to as the Halo Effect.

Stanford Prison Experiment

• Conducted by Philip Zimbardo in the 1970s, this controversial experiment demonstrated the impacts of perceived power and situational variables on human behavior, resulting in ethical discussions around research practices.

Test your knowledge of social psychology and its research methods in this quiz. Explore how our situations influence us and how we view and affect others. Discover the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon and learn about the ways social psychologists organize their studies.