ch1 social experimental psych

Chapter 1 - Introduction to Social Psychology

• Overview of social psychology and its significance.

• Major sections include:

  • A Brief History of Social Psychology

  • What Do Social Psychologists Do?

  • Social Psychology’s Place in the World

  • Reasons for studying Social Psychology

  • Methodologies in Social Psychology

  • Validity and truthfulness in Social Psychology research.

The Mission and the Method

• Key Questions Addressed:

  • Is peace among humans achievable?

  • Influence of situations on behavior.

  • Role of Social Psychology in understanding human behavior complexity.

A Brief History of Social Psychology

• Early Social Psychology Experiments:

  • Norman Triplett (1897-1898): Studied the effects of social presence on bicycle racing and fishing reels.

  • Max Ringelmann (1880s): Examined performance in tug of war; identified the impact of others on individual performance.

Influences in Early 20th Century

• Key figures in shaping early Social Psychology:

  • Gordon Allport: Emphasized personality traits.

  • Kurt Lewin: Highlighted that behavior is a function of both personality and situational factors.

• Impact of behaviorism and Freudian psychoanalysis in the 1950s and 1960s.

• Emergence of Social Psychology as a scientific discipline.

Contemporary Themes in Social Psychology

• Main Areas of Focus:

  • Social Cognition: How individuals process and interpret social information.

  • Biology and the Brain: Biological influences on behavior.

  • Focus on Self: Understanding identity and self-perception.

  • Focus on Conflict: Investigating the causes and resolutions of social conflicts.

What Do Social Psychologists Do?

• Aim for a robust understanding of human thoughts, actions, and feelings.

• The ABC Triad:

  • A: Affective (feelings)

  • B: Behavioral (actions)

  • C: Cognitive (thoughts)

• Influence of personal and situational factors on ABC.

• Emphasis on the Scientific Method as a fundamental approach.

Social Psychology’s Place in the World

• Relationship with other Social Sciences:

  • Integrates with fields like Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, and Sociology.

Subfields Within Psychology

• Placement among various psychology branches like Biological, Clinical, Cognitive, Developmental, and Personality Psychology.

Why People Study Social Psychology

• Motivations include:

  • Curiosity about human behavior.

  • Exploration of experimental philosophy.

  • Aim to create a better world through applied research.

  • General interest in fascinating human interactions.

How Do Social Psychologists Answer Their Own Questions?

• Engage with accumulated common wisdom; however, note the potential contradictions.

• Recognize that adages may start inquiries but are not reliable for scientific truth.

Scientific Method in Social Psychology

• Steps to the scientific approach:

  • State the problem.

  • Formulate testable hypotheses.

  • Design studies and gather data.

  • Analyze data against hypotheses.

  • Communicate findings to peers.

Example Research: Chicken Soup and Cold Symptoms

• Hypothesis: Chicken soup reduces upper respiratory inflammation.

• Experiment Design: Evaluated effects on neutrophil levels.

  • Independent variable: Chicken soup consumption.

  • Dependent variable: Neutrophil counts.

Results of Chicken Soup Study

• Observed results indicated that chicken soup consumption leads to reduced neutrophil counts.

• Participants reported less congestion post-consumption.

• Findings published in the journal "Chest."

Scientific Theories in Social Psychology

• Defined as constructs linked logically through observable variables.

• Importance of operational definitions for variables.

• Requirement that scientific theories are testable.

Variables in Research

• Independent Variables: Observable factors that can influence behavior (e.g., treatments).

• Dependent Variables: Observable responses or behaviors influenced by the independent variable.

Construct Validity

• Validity of constructs in terms of both independent (causal) and dependent (response) variables.

Research Design

• Experimental Method: Full control by researchers with random participant assignment; allows for cause-effect statements.

• Quasi-experiment: Lacks random assignment; outcomes are less definitive.

Features of Experimental Studies

• Internal Validity: Assurance that changes in the dependent variable are due to the independent variable.

• Confederate: An actor used within experiments to simulate participants.

Laboratory and Field Experiments

• Laboratory Experiments: Prioritize experimental realism but may lack mundane realism.

• Field Experiments: Conducted in real-world settings with emphasis on generalizability of findings (external validity).

Nonexperimental Studies

• Correlational Approach: Examines relationships between two variables without manipulation.

• Correlation coefficient measures strength and direction of relationships but does not confirm causation.

How Much of Social Psychology Is True?

• Emphasizes the self-correcting nature of scientific inquiry.

• Challenges with student samples leading to potential bias.

• Cultural relativism in social psychology: dominance of Western cultures in research may overlook important cultural differences.