PSYCH 121 TEST 1

What does Empiricism argue?

Knowledge comes from experience; environment shapes development.

What does Nativism argue?

Traits and abilities are inborn.

Who founded Structuralism?

William Wundt

What is Structualism?

The elements of human consciousness

Who founded Functionalism?

William James

 What does Functionalism study?

The purpose of mental processes.

What is Classical Conditioning?

Learning through association (Pavlov)

Who founded Behaviourism?

John Watson

What is Operant Conditioning?

Learning through consequences (Skinner).

 What did Asch study?

Conformity

What increases conformity?

More neutral trials before

Normative influence

Conforming to be liked

Informative influence

Conforming to be correct

Milgram studied what

Obedience to authority

: What concept explains why participants obeyed in Milgrams experiment?

Agentic state. (State where they feel like they have to obey)

What did Milgram and Zimbardo’s studies have in common?

Participants dehumanised their victims

What did Zimbardo study?

Power of roles; depersonalisation.

 Who criticised Zimbardo and studied burnout?

Christine Maslach.

Who invented the Bystander effect?

Bibb Latane

What is the Bystander Effect?

People are less likely to help when others are present.

What causes the Bystander Effect?

Diffusion of responsibility, audience inhibition, social influence.

 What is Social Loafing?

People put in less effort in groups.

 How do you reduce social loafing?

Make contributions identifiable; use small groups.

What is the Pygmalion Effect?

Positive expectations → better performance.

 What is the Golem Effect?

Negative expectations → worse performance.

 Who discovered the Pygmalion Effect?

Rosenthal.

What is Cognitive Dissonance?

Discomfort from inconsistent beliefs/behaviours.

Who developed Cognitive Dissonance theory?

Leon Festinger.

What is the Fundamental Attribution Error?

Over‑attributing others’ behaviour to traits.

What is the Just‑World Hypothesis?

Belief that people get what they deserve.

What did Bandura study?

Observational learning (Bobo doll).

What did Watson study?

Fear conditioning (Little Albert).

What is Machiavellianism?:

Manipulative, strategic, self‑interested personality.

Who developed Right‑Wing Authoritarianism?

Bob Altemeyer.

 What are the three components of RWA?

• Authoritarian submission

• Authoritarian aggression

• Conventionalism

 What is an Independent Variable?

The variable manipulated by the researcher.

What is a Dependent Variable?

The outcome measured.

What is a Confounding Variable?

An uncontrolled factor that affects results.

What is a Control Group?

A baseline group that does not receive the manipulation.