Developmental and Social Psychology (25-26)

What is social psychology?

The way we behave we behave with other people or the origins of our behaviour or the way we exchange and process in discourse

What is Manstead and Hewstone definition of social psychology?

The scientific study of how individuals think, feel, and behave in social situations

Why is social psychology important?

People dont exist in a vacuum, many social functions as humans, used for persuasion

What are the ways social psychology investigated?

Lab experiments, observations, questionnaires, interviews

Quantitative methods?

Experimental (observation of outcome), correlation (relationship between two variables)

Qualitative methods?

Interviews, observations

Analytical methods?

Thematic (core themes), discourse (communication of info), grounded theory (objective to perspective)

What is social learning theory?

People learn new behaviours by observing and imitating others

What is constructivism?

Individuals create their own knowledge through learnt experiences in the world

What is the ‘standard social science model’?

Describes the dominant approach of social sciences by Tooby & Cosmides

What are cognitive constraints?

Social behaviour driven by cognitive processing factors

What is evolutionary social psychology?

If specific behaviour enhances reproductive success genetics more likely to be passed on as allows for reproductive success

What are the two types of variation?

Random (recombination, sexual reproduction, mutation) and systematic (natural and sexual)

What does WEIRD stand for?

Western, Educated, Industrial, Rich, Democratic

What is wrong with EP?

Controversial

What is the minimal group paradigm? (Taifel, 1970)

2 groups asked to choose between two groups and these arbitrary groups begin to act in group like ways

What was Dunbar’s idea about living socially?

He believed it was a major driving force in the evolution of the human brain

What did Dunbar believe the number of people you can be social with?

150

Why are other people important? (3 points)

Health, cooperation, cultural transmission

How is health affected by people?

Social support protects against major depression, those with fewer relationships more likely to die

Why is cooperation important with people?

Trading, hunting, warfare (summer camps prejudice experiment)

Why is cultural transmission important with people?

42% time spent grooming, gossiping in humans, social learning, informational conformity

What does Rubin (1970) say about love?

Not simply lots of liking

What is Sternberg’s (1986) Triarchic Model of Love?

Intimacy, passion and commitment

What happens during arousal?

Autonomic arousal with increased heart rate, pupils dilated

What was Dutton and Aron (1974) experiment?

High bridge vs low bridge, those experiencing adrenaline found women more attractive

What is the Passionate Love Scale (Hatfield and Sprecher 1986)?

Cognitive, affective, behavioural

What did Fisher split romantic passion into?

Lust (testosterone) attraction (dopamine) and attachment (oxytocin)

What are the three factors that affect who we are friends with?

Proximity, similarity and reciprocity (No physical attraction)

What experiment shows that exposure increases liking?

Repeated words placed in list and basic familiarity was seen to be less difficult for the brain

What was Newcombe (1961) similarity experiment?

Student accommodation study that predicted friendships

What did Byrne and Clore in 1974 believe about liking/attraction?

Similarity in attitudes directly relates

What did Tan and Singh (1995) believe about disliking people?

Those who actions/beliefs differ from our own

What is the Balance Theory by Heider/ Newcomb?

We like things to be balanced so both like

What is social comparison theory by Festinger?

People evaluate their own abilities and ideas by comparing to others

What does Dittes and Kelley experiment show?

We like people who like us as group discussion took place with approval rating

What did Collins and Millers meta-analysis about reciprocity show?6f

Disclosing personal information makes you feel more trusted

What is the social exchange theory?

Based on the principle of rewards and costs in any relationships interaction

What are some examples of rewards and costs in the social exchange theory?

Rewards - love, laughter, respect, sexual gratification

Costs - time, conflict, stress, loss of esteem

What is the way to measure the outcome of a relationship in the social exchange theory?

Outcome (profit) = Rewards - Costs

What is a comparison level in the SET?

What we expect and feel we deserve from our relationships

How do we find out our satisfaction in the social exchange theory?

Satisfaction = Outcome - CL

What are the two types of comparison levels?

High CL - expect rewarding relationships

Low CL - expect troublesome relationships

What is the comparison level for alternatives?

What we realistically expect we could get elsewhere

How do we measure dependence in the SET?

Dependence = Outcome - CLalt

What is dependence?

Degree to which we feel psychologically linked to our relationship

What is equality in relationships?

Partners obtain equal rewards from the relationship

What is equity in relationships?

Ratio of rewards/costs proportional

What is the equity theory?

Partners are concerned with fairness, inequality causes distress and partners will take steps to restore equity

What is the computer dating paradigm by Walter et al?

Randomly paired couples and only physical attraction predicted liking and intention of asking out

Why is attractiveness desirable?

Huge halo effect, positive life outcomes

What is the matching hypothesis?

Similarity of attractiveness determines length of relationship

3 answers to the question if beauty is objective?

High level of agreement across cultures, certain features always attractive, babies prefer attractive faces

What is shown by Tovee et all research with the Zulu people?

Zulus in SA prefer larger bodies compared to those living under beauty standards

What is the cognitive approach to attraction?

‘Averageness’ is most attractive as easy to cognitively process

Evolutionary approach to attraction?

Sexual selection - reproduction, opposite sex prefers traits that are beneficial to offspring

What is monogamy?

One female one male

What is polygyny?

Several females, one male

What is polyandry?

Several males, one female

What is promiscuity?

No bonded relationships

What is obligate parental investment?

Unavoidable energy exposure

What are the female obligate parental investments?

Large gametes, mating, gestation, giving birth, lactation, extended care

What are male obligate parental investments?

Gamete small, mating

What are female priorities in both short and long term relationships?

Short - good genes, visibly healthy

Long - resources, generosity

What are male priorities in both short and long term relationships?

Short - fertility

Long - youth, fertility and faithfulness

What are fertility cues in females?

Waist-hip ratios, femininity, youth, good genes

Why is symmetry attractive?

Shows health, shows immunity to current pathogens, avoidance of infection, symmetry is more average

What did Kreisler et al. Experiment about symmetry vs averageness show?

Averageness more important than symmetry

What are three types of variation?

‘Market value’, ornamentation, parental characteristics

What is market value in mating?

Overall desirability as a partner within that local ‘mating market’

Why does ornamentation improve mating?

Exaggerates attractive features

Why are parental characteristics attractive?

Good gene complexes and increases parents relatedness to own children

What is sex?

Biological traits which divide humans into two groups

What is gender?

Socially defined psychological identity

What are gender roles?

Behaviours considered appropriate for males and females

What is gender identity?

Perception of oneself as male or female

What does dichotomous vs continuous?

D - just male and female

C - continuum of male and female

What does essentialist vs conditionalise mean?

E - fixed properties that cant be changed

C - can be changed

Why is sex not dichotomous?

Sex chromosome atypicalities, atypical hormone exposure in utero, many men’s t level indistinguishable from women

What did Joel et al (2015) reserach about the differences between the two sexes brain show?

Lots of diff measures need to clarify however 80% can be suggested

What percentage identify as gender variant?

1.3% in the UK

How are differences in sex quantified?

D scores to show effect

How are sex differences measured?

Lab based test, pencil and paper tests, meta-analysis

What does Su et al (2009) show about how sex differences affects career aspirations?

Women more interested in people and men more interested in ‘things’

How did the Bem Sex Role Inventory attempt to measure masculinity vs feminity?

List of words and asked about desirability

Why do differences exist in social behaviour?

• Social role theory

• Learning theory and gender schema theory

• Evolutionary arguments

• Biological development

What is the ‘Standard Social Science Model’?

Sex is irrelevant and gender is learned and then socially imposed

What is the Social Role Theory (Eagly 1987)?

Gender roles and stereotypes emerge from the social division of labour

What is the Learning theory (Mitchell 1966)?

Boys and girls encouraged and rewarded for behaving differently

What is the social learning theory (Bandura 1973)

Children and model what they see others doing

Why does evolutionary theory shows differences in sex?

Sexual selection (some sex prefer some traits or some are better competitors)

What was Darwins argument about parental investment?

The sex with the higher PI tends to be more choosy (females) and with lower tends to need to compete (males)

What is the interactionist perspective?

Human behaviour is due to both biological and social factors (T in this case)

What is aggression?

Any form of behaviour directed toward the goal of harming or injuring another living being who is motivated to avoid such treatment

What are the three main methods of studying aggression?

Observation, laboratory, self-report questionnaire

What are the types of aggression?

Verbal vs. Physical

Direct vs. Indirect

Instrumental vs. Expressive

What is the difference between direct and indirect aggression?

Direct - Aggressor is identifiable and can be attacked back

Indirect - Aggressor remains hidden

What is the difference between instrumental vs. expressive aggression?

Instrumental - In order to achieve a goal

Expressive - Aggression as anger

What is Freuds psychoanalytical theory about aggression?

Id, ego and superego - weak ego forms tension so drive towards catharsis (Thanatos)

What is catharsis?

Process of releasing strong repressed emotions through expression