Social Psych 1st exam

Construals

the ways in which we perceive, understand, and interpret
social events and social cues

Personality vs Social psychology

The comparison of how individual traits influence behavior (personality psychology) versus how social contexts and group dynamics shape behavior (social psychology).

empirical science

Observations are translated into testable hypotheses

where do social psychologists conduct studies

1. lab studies

2. field studies

How do social psychologists gather information?

Self-report

i. Survey

ii. Questionnaire

iii. Interview

Observation

—i. Participant observation

1. Robber’s Cave

2. Ethnography

—ii. Non-participant observation

1. Naturalistic observation

2. Archival analysis

3. Unobtrusive / indirect measures

when to use each research design?

Observational: Description ⚫ What is the nature of the phenomenon? ⚫ Correlational: Prediction ⚫ From knowing X, can we predict Y? ⚫ Experimental: Causality ⚫ Is variable X the cause of variable Y?

natural vs quasi experiment

Natural experiments and quasi-experiments both lack random assignment, but natural experiments rely on unplanned, external events (e.g., disasters, policy shifts) that mimic random assignment, whereas quasi-experiments often involve researcher-selected, non-random groups based on pre-existing conditions

robbers cave

• Stage 1: In-group Formation (Bonding): Groups were kept separate and encouraged to bond through camp activities, creating their own norms, leaders, and names (Eagles vs. Rattlers).

• Stage 2: Friction Phase (Competition): Groups were brought together for a tournament (baseball, tug-of-war) with valued, all-or-nothing prizes, leading to intense rivalry, verbal taunts, flag burning, and cabin raids.

• Stage 3: Reducing Friction (Integration): Simple contact failed to reduce conflict, so researchers introduced superordinate goals—shared, urgent problems requiring collaboration, such as fixing the water supply and fixing a stalled truck.

inter-rater reliability

measures the consistency of scores assigned by different observers (raters) to the same phenomenon, ensuring that independent evaluators, such as in research or clinical settings, produce similar results

test-retest reliability

measures the consistency of a research instrument (e.g., survey, test) by administering it to the same participants at two different, often closely spaced, points in time

construct validity

measures how accurately a test or tool evaluates the theoretical, unobservable concept (construct) it is intended to measure, such as intelligence, anxiety, or customer satisfaction

internal validity vs external validity

Internal validity ensures a study accurately establishes a cause-and-effect relationship by controlling for confounding variables, focusing on internal consistency. External validity determines if these results generalize to other people, settings, and times, focusing on real-world applicability

psychological realism

prioritizes the internal motivations, complex emotions, and mental processes of characters over external plot events

mundane realism

how closely an experiment’s setting, materials, and procedures resemble real-life, everyday situations

Gilbert’s Theory of Automatic Believing

acceptance of a proposition is part of its very comprehension: understanding a proposition implies representing it as true.

Ironic Processing vs. Thought Suppression

Thought suppression is the conscious effort to avoid thinking about a specific, unwanted thought

Ironic Processing (or Ironic Process Theory) is the involuntary, automatic mental mechanism that monitors for the failure of that suppression, paradoxically bringing the unwanted thought to mind more frequently

automatic vs controlled attribution

Automatic attribution involves fast, unconscious, and spontaneous inferences about the causes of behavior, often defaulting to dispositional (personality) factors. Conversely, controlled attribution is slow, deliberate, and effortful, allowing for the correction of initial automatic inferences by considering situational context

spontaneous trait inference

a psychological phenomenon where people automatically and unintentionally infer personality traits from observing others' behaviors.

perceptual salience

the quality by which an item, stimulus, or person stands out relative to its neighbors, grabbing attention and dominating perception

actor/observer difference

where individuals attribute their own actions to external, situational factors (e.g., "I was late because of traffic"), while attributing others' behaviors to internal, dispositional traits (e.g., "They were late because they are irresponsible").

egocentric bias

when participating in a group, we exaggerate the amount and importance of our own contributions with respect to those of others

Self-serving bias

explanation for one's successes that credit internal, dispositional factors