PSYC 221 - Social Psychology Overview

These flashcards cover fundamental concepts, terminology, and methods from the PSYC 221 lecture on Social Psychology.

Social Psychology

The scientific study of the causes and consequences of people's thoughts, feelings, and actions regarding themselves and other people.

Intuition

The ability to understand something immediately, without the need for conscious reasoning; susceptible to biases.

Correlation

A measure of the relationship between two variables, indicating the extent to which they are associated.

Independent Variable (IV)

The variable that is manipulated in an experiment to assess its effect on the dependent variable.

Dependent Variable (DV)

The variable that is measured in an experiment, which is affected by changes in the independent variable.

Confound

A variable other than the independent variable that may influence the dependent variable, leading to alternative explanations for the effect.

Longitudinal Study

A research design that involves repeated observations of the same variables over long periods.

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts that ease the cognitive load of making decisions, often leading to biases.

Counterfactual Thinking

The mental process of imagining alternative scenarios and outcomes that did not happen.

Emotions as Adaptive Tools

Emotions provide information and feedback that can influence decisions and social relationships.