PSYC 2350 Exam 1 Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering core terms and definitions from Chapters 1 through 3 of PSYC 2350.

Social Psychology

The study of people's thoughts, feelings/attitudes, and behaviors in social settings.

B= f(pxs)

Behavior is a function of the Person $\times$ Situation.

A B C

Affect/attitudes = feelings; Behavior = actions; Cognition = thoughts.

Proximal vs. Distal

Proximal = close/immediate influence; Distal = farther/less immediate influence.

Social Cognition

How we think, process, and apply information about ourselves and other people in social settings.

Hindsight Bias

Thinking after something happens that you could have predicted it all along.

Independent Variable (IV)

The variable the researcher manipulates.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The variable the researcher measures.

Confounding Variable

Another factor that could affect the results of a study.

True Experiment

Random assignment + manipulation of the independent variable + experimental control.

Causality

A cause-and-effect relationship.

Correlation

A measure of the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables.

Correlation does not equal Causation

A relationship between two variables does not prove that one caused the other.

Positive Correlation

Two variables tend to move in the same direction.

Negative Correlation

Two variables tend to move in opposite directions.

Informed Consent

Participants are told what the study involves and voluntarily agree to participate.

Debriefing

A conversation after the study that explains what happened and clears up misconceptions.

Single-Blind Study

The participant does not know which condition they receive, but the researcher does.

Double-Blind Study

Neither the participant nor the researcher knows which condition the participant receives.

Social Identity

Your definition of yourself based on the social groups you belong to.

Self-Concept

An organized collection of your self-beliefs and self-perceptions.

Schematic Trait

A characteristic that is very important to how you define yourself.

Aschematic Trait

A characteristic that is not very important to how you define yourself.

Cocktail Party Effect

Being able to notice your name or another meaningful word in a loud/crowded environment.

Upward Social Comparison

Comparing yourself to someone doing better; associated with self-improvement.

Downward Social Comparison

Comparing yourself to someone doing worse; associated with self-enhancement.

BIRG

Basking in Reflected Glory; associating yourself with successful others.

CORF

Cutting Off Reflected Failure; distancing yourself from unsuccessful others.

Two-Factor Theory of Emotion

Emotion involves physical arousal plus the cognitive interpretation/label of that arousal.

Individualism

Emphasis on independence, autonomy, and self-sufficiency.

Collectivism

Emphasis on interdependence.

Self-Esteem

The emotional/affective component of the self; how you feel about yourself.

Sociometer

A system that processes social information and translates it into information related to self-esteem.

Terror Management Theory

Self-esteem can buffer fear of death by helping people feel valuable within their cultural standards.

Ideal Self

Who you want to be; your personal goals and aspirations.

Ought Self

Who you believe you should be; your duties and responsibilities.

Positive Illusions

The tendency to view information about yourself in a more positive way.