Test 2 Study Guide

Study Guide: Social Psychology (Spring 2026)

I. Key Terms & Definitions

  • Social Psychology: The scientific study of how the presence of others (real or imagined) affects our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

  • Need to Belong: A fundamental human impulse to form and maintain at least a minimum quantity of lasting, positive, and significant interpersonal relationships.

  • The Big Five (OCEAN): A taxonomy of five broad trait domains used to describe human personality.

    • Openness: Curiosity, artistic interest, and flexibility.

    • Conscientiousness: Efficiency, organization, and self-discipline.

    • Extraversion: Outgoingness, high energy, and assertiveness.

    • Agreeableness: Compassion, cooperativeness, and trust.

    • Neuroticism: Emotional instability and the tendency to experience negative emotions.

  • Aggression: Behavior intended to harm another who does not want to be harmed.

  • Violence: Aggression with the goal of extreme physical harm (e.g., injury or death).

  • Self-Control: The capacity to override an impulse in order to respond to another goal; staying committed to long-term goals despite temptations.

  • Prosocial Behavior: Social behavior that benefits another person or society as a whole (e.g., helping, sharing, cooperating).

II. Core Theories and Concepts

Levels of Analysis

Psychological phenomena should be studied at multiple levels to get a full picture:

  1. Culture/Environment (Global influences)

  2. Relationships/Groups (Interpersonal influences)

  3. Behavior (Observable actions)

  4. Thoughts/Feelings/Perceptions (Cognitive level)

  5. Physiology (Hormones, brain structure)

  6. Chemistry/DNA (Molecular level)

Goal Pursuit & Motivation

  • Intrinsic Motivation: Doing an activity for its inherent satisfaction rather than for some separable consequence.

  • Extrinsic Motivation: Doing an activity to attain a specific outcome (e.g., grades, money, avoiding punishment).

  • Cybernetic Process of Self-Regulation: A feedback loop where we compare our current state to our goal. If there is a discrepancy, we increase effort; if we are exceeding expectations, we may coast.

  • Precommitment Strategies: Enhancing self-control by making decisions ahead of time that make it harder to give in to temptation later (e.g., leaving your phone in another room while studying).

The "Dark Triad" and Aggression

A group of personality traits—Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy—that are statistically associated with increased aggressive behavior and a lack of empathy.

III. Specific Studies to Know

Study

Key Finding

Triplett (1898)

Social Facilitation: People perform better on simple tasks (like reeling a fishing line) when others are present.

Cohen et al. (1996)

Culture of Honor: Men from the Southern US reacted with higher testosterone and cortisol levels to an insult than Northern men.

Moreland & Beach (1992)

Mere Exposure Effect: Students rated "confederate" women as more attractive and likable simply because they had seen them more often in class.

Mischel et al. (1989)

Marshmallow Task: Children who could delay gratification (waiting for a second marshmallow) showed better life outcomes years later.

Rosenblatt et al. (1989)

Terror Management: When reminded of death, judges were harsher toward those who violated cultural norms (setting higher bails for sex workers).

Export to Sheets

IV. Application & Examples

  • Aggression Reduction:

    • Ineffective: Catharsis (punching a bag to "let it out" actually increases aggression) and heavy Punishment (often only works temporarily).

    • Effective: Emotional regulation, reframing the situation, and "cooling off" (counting to 10).

  • Helping Behavior: To increase the chances of someone helping in an emergency, you must minimize anonymity (point to someone specific) and communicate a clear need.

  • "Should" Statements: These are internalize expectations from society or family. Managing them involves assessing if they align with your actual values or if they are just causing unnecessary guilt.

V. Video References (Noba Textbook)

  • "OCEAN Song": Visualizes the Big Five traits through music.

  • "Grouchy with a Chance of Stomping": Explains how traits (climate) differ from specific behaviors (weather).

  • "The Marshmallow Test": Original footage showing children struggling with self-control and delayed gratification.

  • "Persuasion in Advertising": Humorous examples of the central and peripheral routes to persuasion.