Introduction to Social Pyschology
Page 1: Introduction to Social Psychology
Course Title: Introduction to Social Psychology
Institute: NYU London
Term: SPRING 2025
Section: Session 3
Page 2: Group Dynamics and Expectations
Page 3: Inquiry in Social Psychology
Research Approaches
Inquiry Components:
Personal experiences, observations, discussions, in-class practices, case studies.
Types of Evidence: Research findings, lectures, readings.
Theoretical Framework: Understanding human thought and behavior, focusing on external validity.
Page 4: Research Methods in Social Psychology
Research Methodologies
Observation: Systematic observation and recording of behaviors.
Correlational/Cross-sectional Method: Measuring two or more variables to identify relationships between them.
Experimentation: Changing one or more factors to assess effects on outcome variables.
Page 5: Mediation Model in Social Psychology
Explanation of Mediation Model
Purpose: Identifies mechanisms linking independent and dependent variables through a mediator variable.
Example Variables:
Independent Variable: Economic Inequality
Dependent Variable: Health and Well-Being
Mediator Variable: Status Anxiety
Page 6: Moderation Model in Social Psychology
Explanation of Moderation Model
Purpose: Examines how the relationship between two variables is affected by a third variable (moderator).
Example Variables:
Independent Variable: Economic Inequality
Dependent Variable: Health and Well-Being
Moderator Variable: Socioeconomic Status
Page 7: Course Outline
Defining “Social Psychology”
Investigating biases in social cognition
Effectiveness of social context in cognition
Page 8: Defining Social Psychology
Key Concepts
What is Social Psychology?
Focus on scientific methods employed to analyze and explain the interplay of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in social settings.
Page 9: Definition of Social Psychology by Experts
Allport (1954): Focuses on the influence of the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others on individuals.
Manstead & Hewstone (1995): Studies reciprocal influences between individuals and their social contexts.
Page 10: Social Psychology Framework
Core Aspects:
Culture
Social Context
Relationships
Self
Page 11: Importance of Culture in Psychology
Analogy: "Culture is like the water surrounding a fish."
Issue: Mainstream psychology often overlooks cultural differences, focusing predominantly on WEIRD populations (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic).
Page 12: Defining Culture
Definition by Berry et al. (2002): A shared way of life among a group of people.
Definition by Hofstede (2001): Collective programming of the mind differentiating groups.
Page 13: Dimensions of Culture
Types of Culture
Explicit Culture: Observable, tangible aspects of culture.
Implicit Culture: Intangible aspects inferred from self-reports, existing within individual cognition.
Page 14: Hofstede’s Value Dimensions
Cross-Cultural Value Dimensions
Values represent what is considered important in life.
Collected data from over 100,000 subjects across 50 countries in the 1960s-70s.
Dimensions include:
Individualism vs. Collectivism
Power Distance
Uncertainty Avoidance
Masculinity vs. Femininity
Page 15: Individualism vs. Collectivism
Core Concepts
Individualism: Emphasis on personal interests over group interests.
Collectivism: Prioritizes in-group interests over individual interests.
Page 16: Bias in Social Cognition
Social cognition involves shortcuts in thinking.
Example: Availability heuristics and anchoring heuristics.
Page 17: Availability Heuristics Defined
Definition
Judgments made based on the ease with which specific information can be recalled.
Page 18: Research on Availability Heuristics
Study Details
Participants: 40 female students
IVs: Recall behavior (assertive vs non-assertive), Number of examples (6 vs 12).
DV: Self-reported assertiveness on a scale of 10.
Page 19: Results on Assertiveness Study
Findings
Participants claiming ease in recalling assertive behaviors rated themselves as more assertive.
Page 20: Anchoring Heuristics Defined
Definition
The tendency to use an initial value as a reference point when making judgments and adjustments.
Page 21: Example of Anchoring Heuristics
Case Study Reference
Illustrative quotes and highlights from sources pertaining to anchoring.
Page 22: Portion Size Effect
Definition
Tendency to consume more when presented with larger portions due to anchoring influence.
Study Reference: Marchiori et al. (2014) on anchoring and adjustment in food intake.
Page 23: Thinking and Social Context
Efficiency of Thought
Discussion on two modes of processing and habitual cognitive patterns influenced by culture.
Page 24: Two Modes of Processing
Reference: Kahneman (2011) discussing cognitive processes.
Page 25: Characteristics of Processing
Processing Types
Automatic Processing: Requires no attention; rapid and effort-free.
Controlled Processing: Requires attention; slower and more effortful.
Theories vary between defining processing as purely controlled/automatic or as a spectrum.
Page 26: Benefits of Unconscious Thinking
Study Overview
Participants: 113 undergraduates; investigating decision-making under different cognitive conditions.
Page 27: Decision-Making and Thought Duration
Experiment Process
Immediate, conscious, and unconscious decision-making phases outlined, focusing on poster preference.
Page 28: Study Results on Thinking Unconsciously
Data Summary
Comparative rating scores for immediate, conscious, and unconscious decision-making results.
Page 29: Summary of Key Points
Social psychology studies individual behavior in social contexts.
Findings often reveal biases in social cognition.
An alternative model illustrates social cognition's responsiveness to context.
Social structures and cultural contexts play a vital role in shaping thoughts and actions.
Page 30: References
Comprehensive list of scholarly references related to the course materials, including works by Allport, Dijksterhuis, Fincher, Hofstede, and Kahneman among others.