psyc 2301 exam 4

PSYC 2301 EXAM 4 - CHAPTER 12 – 15 REVIEW

Chapter 12:

1) Know the definition for social psychology and social influence:

Social psychology:

The scientific study of how a person’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings influence and are influenced by social groups

Includes the social world in which we exist, as we are surrounded by others to whom we are connected and by whom we are influenced in so many ways

Social influence:

The process through which the real or implied presence of others can directly or indirectly influence the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of an individual (eg - how people influence others)

2) Know the definition for conformity:

Changing one's own behavior to match that of other people

3) Know the definition for groupthink:

Occurs when people place more importance on maintaining group cohesiveness than on assessing the facts of the problem with which the group is concerned

4) Know the definitions for social facilitation, social impairment, and social loafing:

Social facilitation:

Positive influence of others on performance (eg - we perform better with more people watching us doing something we're confident in - musicians and athletes)

– The presence of others creates enough arousal to improve performance

Social impairment:

Negative influence of others on performance (eg - the more people that are watching the worse you do because you aren't confident)

– The presence of others when the task is difficult creates too much

arousal and impairs performance

Social loafing:

People who are lazy tend not to do as well when others are also working on same task but when working on their own perform well (eg - when people are working in a group they'll perform less because they know the group will pick up the slack)

– Found in individualistic culture

5) Know the definition of compliance and the difference between compliance and conformity:

Compliance:

Changing one’s behavior as a result of other people asking or directing for the change

• Compliance is a response to a direct request, whereas conformity is a response to indirect social pressure (eg - your boss asks you to do something and you do it - you're complying to a request)

6) Know the different compliance techniques: foot-in-the-door; door-in-the-face; lowball; and that’s-not-all:

– Foot-in-the-door technique (eg - someone asks for a really small request like R10, you say yes, then they ask for something bigger like R100)

– Door-in-the-face technique (eg - someone asks for a large request like R100, you say no, then they ask you for the smaller thing like R10)

– Lowball technique (eg - someone gets you to say yes to something, then when you go to pay, they raise the price - a car dealership is a good example of this or if you got your first car and a friend asks you to drive them to an errand and then when you pick them up, it isn't just one errand, it's 20)

– That’s-not-all technique (eg - if you call now in the next 20min we'll double your offer, before you've said no, they add things to it to make it more appealing - like adding items for free shipping when you only needed 1 item)

7) Know the basics of Stanley Milgram Obedience Experiment:

The Milgram Obedience Experiment, conducted by Stanley Milgram in the 1960s, was a study that investigated obedience to authority, even when it involved harming others. Participants were instructed to administer electric shocks to a learner (who was actually an actor) for incorrect answers. The study revealed that a significant number of participants continued to obey the experimenter's orders to shock the learner, even when the shocks were apparently painful and the learner was pleading for help

8) Know the definition of attitude, and the 3 components of attitude:

A tendency to respond positively or negatively toward a certain person, object, idea, or situation

• Three components of an attitude (ABC model)

1. Affective (emotional) component (feelings) (eg - how you feel about that type of person or movie)

2. Behavioral component (actions) (eg - how you behave around this thing)

3. Cognitive component (thoughts) (eg - how do you think about this thing)

9) Know the definition for cognitive dissonance:

Sense of discomfort or distress that occurs when a person’s behavior does not correspond to that person’s attitudes (eg - the weird feeling you get when your thoughts and your behaviors don't match - eg - asking someone who smokes about smoking and they'll say its bad but they still smoke)

10) Know about the fundamental attribution error:

The tendency to overestimate the influence of internal factors in determining behavior while underestimating situational factors (eg - a teacher takes a student who failed a test and says they're just not intelligent but they don't take into account what the student might be going through in life - this error is when we think that that's just how this person is without taking into account what that person might be going through)

11) Know about prejudice and discrimination:

Prejudice:

Negative attitude held by a person about the members of a particular social group (negative thoughts you have about different groups – eg - you hate anyone who likes the Longhorns)

Discrimination:

Treating people differently because of prejudice toward the social group to which they belong (you treat someone differently because of your prejudice – this is about behavior – eg- you don’t hire someone because they like the Longhorns)

12) Know the 3 parts of Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love:

1. Intimacy – emotional connection you have to your partner – how emotionally close you are

2. Passion – how physically attracted you are to your partner – the physical aspect of the relationship

3. Commitment – I want to be with this person for the rest of my life – lifelong commitment

Chapter 13:

13) Know the definition for personality:

The unique and relatively stable ways in which people think, feel, and behave – this includes character and temperament

Character: value judgments made about a person’s moral and ethical behavior (this is part of your personality)

Temperament: the enduring characteristics with which each person is born (easy baby, difficult and slow to warm up)

14) Know about Freud’s psychodynamic/psychoanalytic theory:

Based on the work of Sigmund Freud; focuses on the role of the unconscious mind in the development of personality; also focuses on the biological causes of personality differences; also big on early childhood development (psychoanalytic is what Freud called it, psychodynamic is the new modern name – they mean the same thing)

15) Know about the 3 parts of the mind according to Freud: conscious, preconscious, and unconscious:

Conscious mind:

Level aware of immediate surroundings and perceptions (this is the part that you’re aware of)

Preconscious:

Level of mental activity that holds readily available thoughts, memories, and information that are not currently in conscious awareness but can be easily recalled when needed.

Unconscious mind:

Level in which thoughts, feelings, memories, and other information that are not easily or voluntarily brought into consciousness are kept. Freud believed this was the most important factor in behavior and personality (this is where we repress things like urges or trauma)

16) Know about the Id, Ego, and Superego according to Freud:

1 – Id (you have no control over this)

present at birth and

completely unconscious

pleasure principle

2 – Ego (you can satisfy these needs as long as there aren’t bad consequences)

deals with the demands of reality; mostly conscious, rational, and logical

reality principle

3 – Superego (this is what tells you right from wrong)

acts as the moral center; “conscience”

The job of the Ego is to find practical ways for the Id to get its pleasure needs met without offending the morality of the Superego

THIS SENTENCE ABOVE WILL BE A QUESTION ON THE TEST AS IS – YOU NEED TO KNOW WHERE TO PLACE THE ID, EGO AND SUPEREGO!

17) Know the definition for psychological defense mechanisms:

(things that we do automatically / unconsciously to help reduce stress and anxiety)

Unconscious distortions of a person’s perception of reality that reduce stress and anxiety

Manage the continuous conflicts of the id, ego and superego

18) Know about the 5 stages of Freud’s Theory of Psychosexual Development. (Bonus Q)

Oral Stage: 0-18 Months

Anal Stage: 18-36 Months

Phallic Stage: 3-6 Years

Latency Stage: 6 Years to Puberty

Genital Stage: Adolescence to Adulthood

19) Know the behaviorist view of personality:

Behaviorists define personality as a set of learned responses or habits.

20) Know the humanistic view of personality:

The “third force” in psychology that focuses on aspects of personality that make people uniquely human, such as subjective feelings and freedom of choice (free will) (eg - anyone can choose to act or react any which way they want to towards a situation – we have freedom of choice)

21) Know Carl Roger’s ideas of self-actualizing tendency, and self-concept:

Self-actualizing tendency:

The striving to fulfill one’s innate capacities and capabilities (eg - this is making you the best person you can be)

Self-concept:

The image of oneself that develops from interactions with important, significant people in one’s life. It refers to our perception of our abilities, traits, and characteristics (eg – this is the idea you have about who you are)

22) Know the Big Five model of personality. Know the 5 factors, and know the definitions of extraversion and introversion:

1. Openness

2. Conscientiousness

3. Extraversion

4. Agreeableness

5. Neuroticism

Extraversion: one’s need to be with other people; categorized into extroverts and introverts

Introversion: individuals tend to focus more on their inner world of thoughts and feelings rather than the outer world of social interactions.

23) Know the definition for behavioral genetics:

Field of study devoted to discovering the genetic bases for personality characteristics (eg – how much of your personality is from your genes?)

24) Know Hofstede’s 4 dimensions of cultural personality:

Four basic dimensions along which cultures differ:

Individualism/collectivism

Power distance

Masculinity/femininity

Uncertainty avoidance

Definition for Individualism/collectivis:

The degree to which individuals in a society are integrated into groups - the degree to which individuals in a society prioritize their own interests and those of their immediate families over the group's well-being

Chapter 14:

25) Know the definition for psychopathology:

The study of abnormal behavior and psychological dysfunction

26) Know the definition of psychological disorders:

Any pattern of behavior that causes people significant distress, causes them to harm themselves or others, or harms their ability to function in daily life

27) Know the models/perspectives of abnormality: the biological model; the psychodynamic model; the behavioral model; and the cognitive model:

Biological model:

Psychological disorders have biological or medical causes - biological changes in the chemical, structural, or genetic systems of the body (any time we use medical to treat a disorder, that is a biological model – it's treating your mental illness with pills)

eg – a serotonin shortage which causes depression)

Psychodynamic model:

Abnormal thinking and behavior stems from repressed conflicts and urges that are fighting to become conscious (when the unconscious mind becomes conscious – anything to do with Freud)

Behavioral model:

Abnormal behavior is learned (believes that your behavior is learned)

Cognitive model:

Abnormal thinking and behavior come from irrational beliefs and illogical patterns of thought (how you think about yourself, which causes your behavior)

28) Know the mood disorders: major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder:

Major Depressive Disorder:

Severe depression that comes on suddenly and seems to have no external cause, or is too severe for current circumstances

Bipolar disorder:

Periods of mood that may range from normal to manic, with or without episodes of depression (think of two poles, either high or low)

29) Know the definition for anxiety disorders, and know the different anxiety disorders:

Anxiety disorders definition:

Class of disorders in which the primary symptom is excessive or unrealistic anxiety and fearfulness

These are 5 types of anxiety disorders:

1 Social anxiety disorder (social phobia):

Fear of interacting with others or being in social situations that might lead to a negative evaluation

2 Specific phobia:

Fear of objects or specific situations or event

3 Agoraphobia:

Fear of being in a place or situation from which escape is difficult or impossible

4 Panic disorder:

Panic attacks occur frequently enough to cause the person difficulty in adjusting to daily life

Panic attack:

Sudden onset of intense panic in which multiple physical symptoms of stress occur, often with feelings that one is dying

5 Generalized anxiety disorder:

Excessive anxiety and worry occurs more days than not for at least 6 months

30) Know about obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD):

Disorder in which intruding, recurring thoughts or obsessions create anxiety that is relieved by performing a repetitive, ritualistic behavior or mental act (compulsion)

31) Know about acute stress disorder and post-traumatic disorder (PTSD):

Acute stress disorder (ASD): (this is the short-term one)

A disorder resulting from exposure to a major, traumatic stressor

– Symptoms include anxiety, dissociation, recurring nightmares, sleep disturbances, problems in concentration, and moments in which people seem to relive the event in dreams and flashbacks

– Lasting as long as one month after the event

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD): (this is the long-term one)

The symptoms associated with acute stress disorder last for more than one month

– Not everyone with ASD will later meet criteria for PTSD

– Symptoms of PTSD may not develop until more than 6 months after a traumatic event

– Women are at a higher risk if trauma took place before age of 15

– Female and male veterans tend to have similar symptoms of PTSD

32) Know the dissociative disorders: dissociative amnesia; dissociative fugue; and dissociative identity disorder:

Dissociative Amnesia: (memory loss tied to trauma)

Individuals experience extreme memory loss regarding personal identity caused by extensive psychological stress

Dissociative Fugue: (person is confused and disassociated, they just wander off and don’t know who they are, why they’re there etc – breaking bad when Walter had his incident is a good example)

Travel from familiar surroundings after traumatic event

– amnesia for trip and possibly personal identity

Dissociative identity disorder (DID): (multiple personalities)

Disorder occurring when a person seems to have two or more distinct personalities within one body

– core personality, blackouts

– each personality has unique memories, behaviors, and relationships

– only one personality is dominant at a time

33) Know the eating disorders: anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa; and binge eating disorder:

Anorexia nervosa (anorexia):

A condition in which a person reduces eating to the point that their body weight is significantly low, or less than minimally expected - they have a grossly distorted body image

Bulimia nervosa (bulimia): (for this one you have to binge then purge, so eat a whole pizza then feel guilty and make yourself throw up)

A condition in which a person develops a cycle of “binging,” or overeating enormous amounts of food at one sitting, and then using unhealthy methods to avoid weight gain

Binge-eating disorder:

Also involves uncontrolled binge eating but differs from bulimia primarily in that individuals with binge-eating disorder do not purge

34) Know the definition of schizophrenia:

Severe psychotic disorder in which the person suffers from disordered thinking, bizarre behavior, and hallucinations, and is unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality

‒ Psychotic: refers to an inability to perceive what is real and what is fantasy

Chapter 15:

35) Know the definition for psychotherapy:

Talking out your problems with someone – giving you tools to function, no meds

Therapy for mental disorders in which a person with a problem talks with a psychological professional

36) Know the difference between insight and action therapies:

– Insight therapies: psychotherapies in which the main goal is helping people to gain insight with respect to their behavior, thoughts, and feelings (eg - help get person in touch with their feelings)

– Action therapy: psychotherapy in which main goal is to change disordered or inappropriate behavior directly (eg – changing behavior)

37) Know about biomedical therapies:

Therapy for mental disorders in which a person with a problem is treated with biological or medical methods to relieve symptoms (they view mental illness as something that is biological, brain, hormones, whatever, it then gets fixed with medicine – an example of this is brain surgery, electro shock therapy, most are just medications to relieve the symptoms of the mental illness)

38) Know about psychoanalysis and psychodynamic therapy:

Psychoanalysis:

Insight therapy based on the theory of Freud, emphasizing revealing of unconscious conflicts

Psychodynamic therapy:

A newer and more general term for therapies based on psychoanalysis, with an emphasis on transference, shorter treatment times, and a more direct therapeutic approach

39) Know the key components of Roger’s person-centered therapy:

Empathy

Congruence

Unconditional positive regard

40) Know about behavior therapies:

Action therapies based on the principles of classical and operant conditioning and aimed at changing disordered behavior without concern for the original causes of such behavior

41) Know about systematic desensitization and aversion therapy:

Systematic desensitization:

Behavioral technique used to treat phobias, in which a client is asked to make a list of ordered fears and taught to relax while concentrating on those fears

Aversion therapy:

Form of behavioral therapy in which an undesirable behavior is paired with an aversive stimulus to reduce the frequency of the behavior.

42) Know about token economy:

Use of objects called tokens to reinforce behavior in which tokens can be accumulated and exchanged for desired items or privileges

43) Know about cognitive and cognitive-behavioral therapy:

Cognitive therapy:

Therapy in which the focus is on helping clients recognize distortions in their thinking and replace distorted, unrealistic beliefs with more realistic, helpful thoughts

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT):

Action therapy in which the goal is to help clients overcome problems by learning to think more rationally and logically

44) Know the list of cognitive distortions from Aaron Beck:

– Arbitrary inference: drawing a conclusion without any evidence

– Selective thinking: focusing on only one aspect of a situation while ignoring all other relevant aspects

– Overgeneralization: drawing sweeping conclusions based on only one incident or event and applying those conclusions to events that are unrelated to the original

– Magnification and minimization: blowing a negative event out of proportion (magnification) while ignoring relevant positive events (minimization)

– Personalization: taking responsibility or blame for events that are unconnected to the person

45) Know about group therapy, family therapy, and self-help groups:

Group therapy:

Form of therapy or treatment during which a small group of clients with similar concerns meet together with a therapist to address their issues

Family counseling (family therapy):

Family members meet together with a counselor or therapist to resolve problems that affect the entire family

Self-help group (support group):

A group composed of people who have similar problems and who meet together without a therapist or counselor for the purpose of discussion, problem solving, and social and emotional support

46) Know the definition for therapeutic alliance:

The relationship between therapist and client that develops as a warm, caring, accepting relationship characterized by empathy, mutual respect, and understanding

– Protected setting

– Opportunity for catharsis

– Learning and practice of new behaviors

– Positive experiences for the client