Social Psychology

What is the primary focus of Social Psychology regarding human behavior?

It examines how an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by social situations and interactions.

Why is 'conscious experience' considered an unreliable guide to behavior in social psychology?

Because people are often inaccurate about the reasons behind their actions and unaware of situational influences.

According to social psychology, what is the 'blind spot' regarding situational awareness?

Humans are not built to recognize their own blind spots or realize how situations shape their perceptions of others.

Contrast intrapersonal and interpersonal topics within the field of social psychology.

Intrapersonal topics focus on the individual (emotions, attitudes, self-perception), while interpersonal topics focus on group dynamics (relationships, communication, helping behavior, aggression).

What are the core components of the 'intrapersonal' level of social psychological study?

Emotions, attitudes, self-perception, and social cognition.

What specific group processes are categorized under 'interpersonal' social psychology?

Helping behavior, aggression, prejudice, discrimination, and communication between people.

How does the 'Individualism' perspective define the self?

The self is viewed as unique, with a primary focus on independence, self-reliance, and pride in personal achievement.

In which countries is the 'Collectivism' perspective the dominant cultural influence?

Venezuela, Colombia, Pakistan, Peru, Taiwan, and China.

What are the hallmarks of a 'Collectivistic' cultural orientation?

Interdependence, cooperation, lack of conflict, and pride in group success over individual achievement.

Define 'Social Role' as it pertains to social psychology.

A pattern of behavior that is expected of a person in a given setting or group, defined by culturally shared knowledge.

What is a 'Social Norm' within a group context?

A group's expectation of what is appropriate and acceptable behavior, thought, and attire for its members.

How does a 'Script' guide behavior in specific social settings?

It provides an individual with knowledge about the expected sequence of events in a setting, such as entering an elevator or a restaurant.

What central motivation drives the 'Need for Belonging' in humans?

The drive to form and maintain social connections and the motivation to adhere to social norms.

In the Stanford Prison Experiment ($1971$), how were the roles of prisoners and guards assigned?

Participants were randomly assigned to their roles by the researchers.

What specific behavioral changes were observed in the 'guards' during the Stanford Prison Experiment?

They began to harass the prisoners in an increasingly sadistic and authoritarian manner.

Why was the $14$-day Stanford Prison Experiment terminated after only $6$ days?

The prisoners showed signs of severe anxiety and hopelessness, and the guards' behavior became too degrading.

According to the original interpretation, what did the Stanford Prison Experiment reveal about social influence?

It demonstrated the overwhelming power of social roles, norms, and scripts in overriding individual personality.

What were the neurological findings of the $2003$ 'Cyberball' experiment regarding social exclusion?

Social exclusion activates the same brain regions associated with physical pain.

Define the concept of 'Attribution' in the context of social cognition.

The process of explaining one’s own behavior and the behavior of others by assigning causes to outcomes.

What are the three dimensions of Attribution Theory?

Locus of control, Stability, and Controllability.

Contrast 'Internal' and 'External' locus of control in attribution.

Internal causes relate to the individual's characteristics, while external causes relate to situational factors.

In Attribution Theory, what does the 'Stability' dimension refer to?

The extent to which the circumstances or situation surrounding an outcome are subject to change.

How does 'Controllability' function as a dimension of attribution?

It measures the extent to which the circumstances leading to an outcome can be controlled by the individual involved.

Define 'Situational Cause' with an example.

A cause of behavior attributed to external factors, such as attributing a late arrival to traffic delays.

What is a 'Dispositional Cause' of behavior?

An explanation of behavior attributed to internal factors, such as an individual's personality or character traits.

Define the 'Fundamental Attribution Error' (FAE).

The tendency to overestimate internal/dispositional factors and underestimate the power of the situation when explaining others' behavior.

In the 'Quizmaster Study,' why did participants conclude the questioner was more knowledgeable?

They committed the Fundamental Attribution Error by ignoring the situational advantage of the questioner creating the questions.

How does the tendency to commit the Fundamental Attribution Error vary across cultures?

Individualistic cultures have the greatest tendency to commit FAE, while collectivistic cultures are more likely to consider situational and cultural influences.

Explain the 'Actor-Observer Bias.'

The phenomenon where we attribute others' behaviors to internal factors but our own behaviors to situational factors due to having more personal context.

What is the primary function of the 'Self-Serving Bias'?

To protect the ego and boost self-esteem by taking internal credit for positive outcomes and blaming external factors for negative ones.

Define the 'Just-World Hypothesis.'

The belief that the world is a fair place where people get the outcomes they deserve—good things happen to good people and vice versa.

How does the Just-World Hypothesis contribute to victim-blaming?

It leads people to blame individuals for their misfortunes (like poverty) while ignoring systemic, situational, or cultural causes.

What are the three components of an 'Attitude'?

Affective (feelings), Behavioral (effect on behavior), and Cognitive (belief and knowledge).

What is 'Cognitive Dissonance'?

Psychological discomfort caused by holding two or more inconsistent attitudes, behaviors, or cognitions.

Identify three ways individuals can reduce cognitive dissonance.

Changing behavior, changing beliefs through rationalization/denial, or adding a new cognition to justify the inconsistency.

Define 'Conformity' in social psychology.

A change in a person’s behavior to align with a group, even if the individual privately disagrees with that group.

Describe the methodology of Asch’s $1955$ conformity experiment.

A participant was asked to match a target line with three others in a group of confederates who all intentionally chose the wrong line.

What percentage of participants in Asch's study conformed to the group's wrong answer at least once?

$76\%$.

Explain 'Normative Social Influence.'

Conforming to a group norm specifically to fit in, feel good, or be accepted by the group.

Under what conditions does 'Informational Social Influence' typically occur?

When the task or situation is ambiguous and an individual believes the group is competent and possesses correct information.

How does the 'presence of another dissenter' affect conformity rates?

Conformity drops to near zero when at least one other person in the group dissents from the majority.

Define 'Groupthink.'

The modification of group members' opinions to align with a perceived group consensus, often prioritizing cohesiveness over facts.

Identify three characteristics of Groupthink.

Possibilities include: Invulnerability, Rationalization, Stereotyping, Pressure, Self-deception, or Insularity.

What is the phenomenon of 'Group Polarization'?

The strengthening of an original group attitude after the discussion of views within that group.

Distinguish between 'Social Facilitation' and 'Social Impairment.'

Facilitation is improved performance with an audience; impairment is a negative impact on performance when others are present, usually during difficult tasks.

Define 'Social Loafing.'

The tendency for individuals to put less effort into a simple task when they are working as part of a group.

What is 'Compliance' in a social context?

Changing one’s behavior because of another person’s direction or request.

Explain the 'Foot-in-the-door' compliance technique.

Asking for a small commitment first, and then asking for a larger commitment once the small one is secured.

Contrast the 'Door-in-the-face' and 'Lowball' compliance techniques.

Door-in-the-face asks for a huge commitment (to be refused) then a smaller one; Lowball gets a commitment then increases the actual cost.

Define 'Obedience' as studied by Stanley Milgram.

A change in an individual’s behavior to comply with a direct demand from an authority figure.

What was the purported goal of Milgram’s experiment told to the volunteers?

A study on 'improving learning and memory' through the use of electrical shocks.

What percentage of participants in the Milgram experiment delivered the maximum shock of $450$ volts?

$65\%$.

What did Milgram's results suggest about human nature regarding authority?

People have a strong tendency to obey authority figures even when the demands conflict with their personal morals or approval.

The phenomenon where group consensus toward a viewpoint grows stronger after discussion is called _____.

Group Polarization

In the Asch effect, how does the size of the majority impact the likelihood of conformity?

Conformity is more likely to occur as the size of the majority increases.

True or False: In Milgram's experiment, the 'learners' actually received electrical shocks.

False; they were confederates and no shocks were administered.

How does 'Insularity' contribute to Groupthink?

It prevents the group from hearing disruptive but potentially useful information from people outside the group.

The 'Behavioral component' of an attitude refers to:

The effect that the attitude has on an individual's actual behavior.

Why is voting in private an effective safeguard against conformity?

Because conformity is significantly less likely when responses are made privately rather than publicly.

Describe the 'Locus of Control' in the context of winning a sports game.

An internal locus attributes the win to talent/hard work; an external locus attributes it to the other team's home-field advantage.