SOCL 306 Exam 1 notes

What are the three main areas of social psychology

Social thinking, social influence, social behavior

The three areas of social psychology converge to make what?

Applied social psychology

What is applied social psychology

Using what we learn in real life

What are the similar but different fields of social psychology

Sociology, anthropology, clinical/counseling psychology

Who are the early founders of psychology

Wilhelm Wundt and Sigmund Freud

Prior to WWII, what did European psychology labs focus on

Personality, abnormal behavior, senses, and memory

Prior to WWII, what did US psychology labs focus on

Learning with non human animals

Who is social psychology’s pioneer

Kurt Lewin

What did Kurt Lewin study

Leadership styles

What is the Lewinian Equation

B = f(P,E)

What is B in the Lewinian equation

Behavior

What is P in the Lewinian equation

The person

What is E in the Lewinian equation

the environment

What is the meaning of the Lewinian equation

Behavior is a multiplicative function of the person (anything that has to do with the person) the environment (anything outside of the individual) and the interaction between the two

Who did Harvard refuse to give a graduate psychology degree to, only for her to become the first female president of the APA

Mary Whiton Calkins

Who was the married couple that researched the effects of racism on school children’s wellbeing and has their work cited in Brown v Board of education

Mamie Phipps Clark and Kenneth Clark

Who is the Egyptian man who studied conformity

Muzafer Sherif

What did Alice Eagly study

gender roles and stereotypes

What is significant about Alice Eagly’s research

It suggests that social roles shape behavior more than biology alone

Who researched cognitive psychology

Shelley E. Taylor and Susan Fiske

Who is the duo that studied stereotypes

Claude Steele and Mahzarin Banaji

What was significant about Claude Steele’s research?

He researched prejudice and stereotype threat

What is the first big question is social psychology

Is personality or the environment more influential

What tool examines the influence of personality and the environment on behavior

The Lewinian equation (B=f[P,E])

Most thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by what?

A mix of personality and the environment

According to the second big question in social psychology, are we shaped by nature or nurture?

We are shaped by both

What influences the question “Are people basically good or basically evil”

Beliefs about what is good or evil influence perceptions and behavior

What study is related to basic human nature

The robber cave study

How do people decide whether to maintain romantic relationships

The number one predictor of if you will be in a relationship with someone is proximity

How do people find a good match

People experiment

What is a group

Two or more people interacting who have interdependence and shared identity

Why do people form groups

People are social animals that regularly connect with others

What are the advantages of living in a group

Support, having more resources, more knowledge, protection

What are the disadvantages of living in a group

Group think, social loafing, radicalization, competition

What is prejudice

An umbrella term for stereotypes and discrimination

What is discrimination

Having an action fueled by a negative stereotype

What is another name for the Lewinian Equation

Field theory

Why do stereotypes and prejudice persist

People are often looking for information that confirms their stereotypes

Why do we constantly look at our phones

We are reinforced by the dopamine hit

How do media outlets shape our thoughts and behaviors

The constant flow of information can be overwhelming

By default, do we think logically or intuitively

Intuitively

When certain situations arise, do we think logically or intuitively

Logically

How are humans special

The little things make us different

What is sociology

The study of groups of people against one other using quasi experimental designs

What is anthropology

The study of cultures using observational methods

What is clinical/counseling psychology

The study of abnormal versus normal social behavior

What are the things all science should value

Empiricism, Skepticism, Tentativeness, Public/Sharing, Replication

What is empiricism

Demanding evidence that is observable and measurable

How does social psychology study things that can’t be seen by behavior

Use self report assessments that use a roundabout way to study an original focus

What is skepticism

When a claim is wild, we demand more evidence

What is tentativeness

The idea that findings in science are subject to change based on new evidence

What is public/sharing

Findings are reviewed by professionals and are usually sent back to “revise and resubmit”

What is replication

Others being able to get your results

What is a hypothesis

An explicit, testable condition

What is a theory

A framework for understanding and explaining data in an observable phenomenon

Research can be ______ or _________

Basic or applied

What is basic research

Research that generates knowledge for the sake of knowing

What is applied research

Research used to address specific problems in the real world

What is a conceptual variable

An abstract concept you want to test

What is an operational definition

How you measure the variable

In social psychology, how do we measure variables

Self reports, observations

What is an observation

When you watch actions and measure variables

What are the goals of science

Describe behavior, predict behavior, explain behavior, control behavior

What are the ways we can describe behavior

Observational studies, archival studies, surveys, correlational research

What are the dimensions of an observational study

Overt/covert, participative/non participative

What is an over observation

When you realize you are being observed

What is a covert observation

When you don’t realize you are being observed

What is a potential downside of overt observations

You may act differently if you know you are being observed

What is a potential downside of covert observations

Can have ethical concerns since you’re not getting consent

What is participative research

You engage with the people you’re studying

What is a potential downside of participative research

People may still act differently even if it’s covert observation

What is non participative research

You merely observe the people you’re studying

What are archival studies

Examining existing records of past data that was collected for a different purpose

What is a survey

When someone answers questions about attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors

What is an upside of surveys

You can collect a lot of data in a little bit of time

What is the downside of surveys

Social desirability bias

What is social desirability bias

People will answer in a way they think will make them look better based on others’ answers

How do you overcome social desirability bias

Administer surveys confidentially

What is correlational research

Measuring relationships between variables using observational, archival, or survey methods

What is r²

The coefficient of determination

What is the coefficient of determination

The percentage of the second variable described by the first variable

What is the disadvantage of correlation research

Correlation is not causation

What are the components of an experiment

Independent variable, dependent variable, random selection, random assignment

What is the independent variable

The variable you change

Why should you consider adding more IV groups

It can show a non linear relationship

What is the dependent variable

The variable measured by the experimenter

What is random selection

Each person in the population of interest has an equal chance in being part of the study

What is random assignment

Each person in the study has an equal chance of being in any experimental group

How do we understand the inner self

With self reflection

How is the outer self formed

Social and environmental factors

What are the components of the self

Affect, behavior, and cognition

In regards to the self, what is affect

The emotional component; how we evaluate ourselves, enhance our self-images, and defend against threats to our self esteem

In regards to the self, what is behavior

How we regulate our actions and present ourselves according to the demands of interacting with people

In terms of the self, what is cognition

How we know ourselves, develop a self concept, and maintain a stable sense of identity

What is self concept

The sum of total beliefs that people have about themselves

What are self concepts made of

Self schemas

What is a self schema

A cognitive framework that guides processing of self-relevant information

What is the first step in the development of self concept

Self recognition

How is the self relational

The way we see ourselves is different depending on who we are around

What is the looking-glass self

Viewing yourself through the eyes of others and making judgements about yourself based on what they think of you