Social Psych Chapter 1

Action Research

The application of scientific principles to social problem solving in the real world.

Anthropology

The study of culture and human behavior over time.

Clinical/ counseling psychology

A psychology subfield that helps people with maladaptive or problematic thoughts and behaviors.

Critical thinking

The ability to analyze, apply, and explore ideas in new and open-minded ways.

False dichotomy

A situation is presented as two opposing and mutually exclusive options when there are additional options or a compromise.

False positives

Occurs when we think an event or condition is present when it is not.

Interactions

The combination of several influences on an outcome, such as the influence of personality and environment on behavior

Intersectionality theory

The study of how multiple identity factors (such as race, gender, and socioeconomic status) combine to form how people are perceived and treated by others.

Nature

Influences on our thoughts and behaviors from biology or physiology, such as genetics and hormones.

Nurture

Our thoughts and behaviors are influenced by our life circumstances, upbringing, experiences, and environment.

Positive psychology

The scientific study of human strengths, virtues, positive emotions, and achievements.

Replication crisis

A recent concern in psychology is that the results of some studies aren’t found again when scientists try to repeat them.

Social Psychology

The scientific study of how people influence each other’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior.

Sociology

The study of human society and social behavior at the group level.

Type I Error

The incorrect conclusion that a difference or effect exists when it does not, often represented as a false positive in hypothesis testing.

Which statement would Lewin most likely agree with?

Individual behavior can be predicted based on a person’s personality and the specific situation they are in.

Manuel needs to make a decision about which house he would like to buy. He has narrowed it down to two choices. Which decision-making process is reflective of the fast thinking system?

Manuel chooses House B because he has a feeling that one house is “home” when he is there.

A person is analyzing new information to make a judgment about its validity and how that information may be applied if true. This person is engaged in ______.

critical thinking

Dr. Tagavi has recently completed a research study. His data seems to imply a certain finding but he is not sure. He decides to repeat his experiment and ask a colleague to do the same. Which is Dr. Tagavi trying to protect against?

false positives

True or False: Social influences are obvious to human beings.

False

True or False: When studying social psychology, it is important to be objective and take the personal experiences out of the equation.

False

Dr. Jansen is conducting a research study and wants to ensure that others in the field can trust the results when she publishes them. What step can Dr. Jansen take to provide confidence that the study findings were accurate?

include the raw study data

True of False: The only two domains of social psychology are social thinking and social behavior.

False

Katrina is taking a social psychology class. She has begun to wonder more and more about the people she observes every day. In the coffee shop, for example, she notices that certain people always sit in the same place. What would be her first step to explain this behavior?

form a hypothesis

True or False: A few well-known social psychologists were found to have fabricated their data to prove their theories which became one reason for the replication crisis.

True

Dr. Lei is conducting a study to look at the virtue of courage. He is putting together a survey to understand what people believe underlies bravery and to see if they feel that they portray this strength in their everyday lives. This study would be categorized as a(n) ______ study.

positive psychology

Why should you ask yourself, “What would I do in this situation?” while you are reading your social psychology textbook?

to connect with the content and aid with understanding

Which statement about the influence of nurture on human behavior is true?

It, combined with nature, accounts for almost all behavior.

What was the significance of Wilhelm Wundt starting the first psychology laboratory?

It applied the scientific method to the study of psychology.

What benefit does completing the self-report measures in each chapter have for you?

They will help you learn more about yourself.