PSY 1001 Social Psychology

What is social psychology?

The scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.

How is a social psychology perspective different from a personality perspective?

Focuses on how situations influence behavior, while personality psychology focuses on individual traits that affect behavior.

What was the research design of the Liberman, Samuels, and Ross (2004) study?

Participants were assigned to either a "competitive" or "cooperative" condition, where they played a game that encouraged or discouraged cooperation.

What were the findings of the Liberman, Samuels, and Ross (2004) study?

Participants’ behavior was influenced by the situation (whether they were in the competitive or cooperative condition), rather than their personality.

What is the fundamental attribution error?

The tendency to overestimate the role of personal traits and underestimate the influence of the situation when explaining others' behavior.

Where do our inferences about others come from?

We often rely on observable behavior and social cues, and we interpret them based on our previous experiences, cultural norms, and cognitive biases.

How can personality shape our perceptions of the situation?

It can influence how we interpret and react to situations, such as how we approach challenges, form judgments, and interact with others.

What is Kurt Lewin’s formula and what does that mean?

B = f(P, E) (Behavior = function of the person and their environment). This means that behavior is a result of both individual factors and situational influences.

To understand human behavior, you must examine the interplay of what?

The person and the environment, considering both internal and external factors that shape behavior.

What is a construal? How does social reality start in our heads?

A construal is an interpretation of the situation. Social reality starts in our heads because we perceive and interpret the world based on our mental frameworks.

What is social cognition?

The process by which people think about and make sense of themselves and others in social situations.

What is a flawed scientist, cognitive miser, and motivated tactician?

Flawed scientist: Someone who seeks objective truth but is often biased.

Cognitive miser: Someone who uses minimal cognitive effort to make decisions.

Motivated tactician: Someone who adapts their thinking strategy depending on goals and motivations.

What are the three types of information that a flawed scientist uses?

Consensual Information, Distinctiveness Information, Consistency Information.

What is a one-shot exposure?

A situation where an individual is exposed to something only once, making it difficult to draw conclusions or generalizations.

What is the actor-observer effect?

The tendency to attribute one’s own behavior to external, situational factors while attributing others’ behavior to internal, dispositional factors.

What is meant by the role of perceptual salience?

Perceptual salience refers to aspects of a situation or person that are more noticeable or attention-grabbing, influencing our attributions.

What did the Taylor & Fiske (1975) study about perceptual salience show?

It showed that individuals' perceptions of a conversation were influenced by who was more perceptually salient (i.e., more visible), affecting their attributions.

What are the two general routes of information processing?

Central route (careful, thoughtful) and Peripheral route (quick, automatic).

What motivates us when we are processing available information?

We are motivated by the desire to make accurate judgments, maintain a positive self-image, or conserve cognitive resources.

What is post-decision dissonance?

The discomfort or tension felt after making a decision, especially when the decision involves choosing between two equally appealing options.

What is a justification of effort?

The tendency to attribute more value to an outcome that we have put a lot of effort into achieving, even if it’s not as desirable.

What is meant by indirect social influence?

Indirect social influence refers to the subtle, unspoken ways in which individuals influence others through social norms, observational learning, and group pressures.

What did Darley & Latane demonstrate about the bystander effect?

Their research showed that the presence of others in an emergency situation reduces the likelihood of an individual helping, known as the bystander effect.

What is social facilitation? Does task difficulty affect social facilitation?

Social facilitation is the tendency to perform better on simple tasks when others are present, but task difficulty can affect this: complex tasks may suffer, while simple tasks improve.

What did the study of players playing pool at the student union show?

Skilled players performed better in the presence of others, while less-skilled players performed worse, showing the effects of social facilitation.

What is direct influence? How is it different from indirect influence?

Direct influence involves explicit attempts to change behavior through requests or persuasion. Indirect influence occurs through subtle social pressures, norms, or observational learning.

What is the central versus peripheral route of processing?

Central route involves careful, thoughtful processing of information, while peripheral route relies on superficial cues like attractiveness or authority.

What is the difference between persuasion and compliance?

Persuasion changes attitudes or beliefs, while compliance changes behavior in response to a request without necessarily altering attitudes.

What are Bob Cialdini’s Principles of Influence?

Reciprocity, Commitment, Social Proof, Authority, Liking, Scarcity.

What is the foot-in-the-door technique?

The foot-in-the-door technique involves getting someone to agree to a small request first, then following up with a larger, related request.

What is the door-in-the-face technique?

The door-in-the-face technique involves starting with a large, unreasonable request, followed by a smaller, more reasonable request that is more likely to be accepted.

What is the consensus technique? What are descriptive norms?

The consensus technique involves showing that others are doing something to persuade someone. Descriptive norms refer to the typical behaviors people engage in, which influence conformity.

What is obedience? What did the Milgram study show about obedience?

Obedience is following direct orders from authority figures. Milgram’s study showed that people often obey authority figures, even when it involves unethical actions.

What variables changed rates of obedience?

Several variables influenced rates of obedience: proximity of the authority figure, proximity of the victim, legitimacy of the authority figure, presence of dissenting peers, and gradual escalation of demands.

What is attribution?

Attribution is the process by which people explain the causes of their own and others' behaviors.

What is an internal versus an external attribution?

An internal attribution assigns the cause of behavior to internal factors such as personality or disposition, while an external attribution assigns the cause to external factors like the environment or situation.

What is the difference between situational factors and dispositional factors?

Situational factors refer to external, environmental influences on behavior, while dispositional factors refer to internal, personality traits or characteristics that influence behavior.

What are self-serving attributions?

Self-serving attributions are the tendency to attribute our successes to internal factors and our failures to external factors.

When does cognitive dissonance occur and what are the real-world consequences?

Cognitive dissonance occurs when there is a conflict between one’s beliefs and actions, leading to discomfort. People often resolve this by changing their beliefs or rationalizing their behavior, which can lead to attitude change in the real world.

What are social norms?

Social norms are unwritten rules about how to behave in a particular social group or culture.

What is conformity?

Conformity is the act of changing one's behavior or beliefs to align with the group or societal norms.

How did Asch study conformity and what did he find?

Asch studied conformity by having participants match line lengths in a group where confederates purposely gave wrong answers. He found that people were more likely to conform to the group’s incorrect answers, even when they knew the right one.

What variables influence whether or not people conform?

Conformity is influenced by factors such as group size, unanimity, the presence of an authority figure, and cultural norms.

What is group polarization?

Group polarization refers to the tendency for group discussion to lead to more extreme positions or decisions than individuals would make on their own.

What is 'groupthink' and how does an authoritarian or dominant leader play a role? What is the best treatment for groupthink?

Groupthink is a tendency for group members to conform to a consensus without critically evaluating alternatives, often due to pressure from a dominant leader. A strong, open dialogue and the presence of a dissenting viewpoint can prevent groupthink.

What is obedience?

Obedience is the act of following direct commands or orders from an authority figure.

What is the difference between obedience and conformity?

Obedience involves following explicit commands from authority figures, while conformity involves adjusting behavior to match the norms or expectations of a group.

How did Milgram study obedience and what were his findings?

Milgram studied obedience by having participants administer shocks to others (who were actually confederates). He found that people would follow authority figures, even when it meant causing harm to others.

What factors affect obedience (e.g., what changes in the research paradigm decreases obedience?)

Factors such as proximity to the victim, the presence of dissenting peers, and the legitimacy of the authority figure can all decrease obedience.

What percentage of participants administered at least some shocks?

In Milgram’s original study, 100% of participants administered at least some shocks.

What percentage showed complete compliance?

In Milgram’s original study, 65% of participants administered the maximum shock level, showing complete compliance.

When are people likely to help others?

People are more likely to help others when they feel empathy, when they are not distracted, when others are not present (reducing diffusion of responsibility), and when they feel competent to help.

What is pluralistic ignorance?

Pluralistic ignorance occurs when individuals in a group incorrectly believe that their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors are different from others', leading to inaction.

What is the diffusion of responsibility?

The diffusion of responsibility is the tendency for people to feel less responsible to act in an emergency when others are present.

What is the bystander effect?

The bystander effect is the phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help in an emergency when other people are present, due to the diffusion of responsibility.

What occurred in the Robber’s Cave study?

The Robber’s Cave study involved two groups of boys at a summer camp. The study found that intergroup competition created hostility, but cooperative tasks reduced this hostility and fostered positive relationships between the groups.

What is deindividuation?

Deindividuation refers to the loss of self-awareness and individual accountability in groups, which can lead to behavior that is inconsistent with personal norms and values.