01 . Introduction

Social Psychology

Study of behavior in a social context.

Qualitative Research

Research using interviews to gather non-numerical data.

Quantitative Research

Research involving statistical analysis of numerical data.

Themes

Recurring ideas identified from qualitative data.

Meta-Theory

Theory about theories guiding research in social psychology.

Ethical Issues

Concerns regarding morality in conducting research.

Scientific Method

Systematic approach to inquiry and hypothesis testing.

Operationalise

Define variables in measurable terms for testing.

Valid Measures

Tests what it claims to measure accurately.

Reliable Measures

Consistently produces the same results under similar conditions.

Psycho-analysis

Study of unconscious drives, founded by Sigmund Freud.

Anthropology

Discipline focused on human culture and societies.

Sociology

Study of society and social institutions.

Humanities

Disciplines studying human culture, like literature and history.

Postmodern View

Belief that truth is socially constructed by powerful groups.

Rationalist View

Belief that truth can be discovered through logic.

Contested Subjective Decisions

Debates over what research is funded and published.

Confounding Variable

An extraneous factor affecting study results.

Replication

Repeating studies to confirm findings' reliability.

Statistical Parameters

Guidelines determining significance in research results.

Cultural Contexts

Different societal backgrounds influencing study outcomes.

Non-Experimental Methods

Research approaches lacking controlled manipulation of variables.

Archival Research

Analysis of existing data from previous studies.

Case Studies

In-depth analysis of unique individual cases.

Surveys

Questionnaires designed to gather participant opinions.

Correlations

Statistical relationships between two or more variables.

Deception in Research

Misleading participants about study purpose or methods.

Behaviourism

Focus on observable behavior over internal states.

Cognitive Theories

Study of mental processes in understanding behavior.

Social Neuroscience

Linking cognitive processes to brain functions.

Evolutionary Theories

Explaining behavior through evolutionary advantages.

Personality Theories

Behavior linked to stable personality traits.

Social Forces

Cultural influences shaping human behavior.

Social cognition

Behavior influenced by stereotypes and prejudices.

Social neuroscience

Understanding behavior through brain function analysis.

Evolutionary theory

Human behavior shaped by ancestral hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

Reductionism

Simplifying complex phenomena to basic components.

Positivism

Emphasis on scientific methods in psychology.

Empirical approach

Use of observation and experimentation in psychology.

Cultural replication

Repeating studies across diverse cultural settings.

Group behavior

Understanding behavior requires considering group dynamics.

Flawed human mind

Human biases affect scientific objectivity in psychology.

Interviews

Qualitative method for gathering personal insights.

Focus groups

Group discussions to explore collective opinions.

Objective measurement

Quantitative assessment minimizing personal bias.

Stereotypes

Oversimplified beliefs about groups of people.

Folk Psychology

Origins of social psychology in Germany.

Collective Mind

Emergence of shared thoughts in groups.

Gustav le Bon

Introduced irrational crowd behavior in 1896.

William McDougall

Proposed inherited group mind in 1920.

Freud's Group Psychology

Explored unconscious influences on group behavior.

Mead's Dramaturgical Self

Contrasted Freud's views on self in society.

Wilhelm Wundt

Pioneer of experimental psychology in the 19th century.

Tripplett's Study

First social psychology experiment on fishing reels (1898).

Floyd Allport

Advocated for experimental methods in social psychology.

Attitude Scales

Developed in the 1930s for measuring opinions.

Sherif's Robber's Cave

Famous study on group conflict and cooperation.

Asch's Line Study

Examined conformity through line length judgments.

Milgram's Obedience Study

Investigated authority influence on obedience (1963).

Zimbardo's Stanford Study

Explored power dynamics in simulated prison environment.