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Chapter 5 flashcards

Famous Studies in Psychology

  • Popularity of Social Psychology

    • 8 out of top 10 studies are in social psychology.

    • Attracts interest from non-psychology audiences.

Impression Formation

  • Two Key Models

    • Additive Process

      • Individual personality traits are observed and combined to form an overall impression.

      • The trait perceptions are like an algebraic process.

    • Configural Model

      • Perception is of a unified configuration of characteristics that influences how we interpret individual traits.

      • We first perceive the whole person, affecting how we view individual traits.

Practical Example: Audition Weekend

  • Observing dancers leads to insights about personality based on behavior and appearance.

    • Dancers exhibit physical signs: posture, footwear, movements.

    • Impression of each dancer is formed through observed behaviors and their presentation.

Dominance of Configural Model

  • Research suggests that impression formation often favors the configural model.

  • Certain traits can overshadow others; a single negative trait can dominate a positive overall impression.

    • Example: An outgoing person viewed as manipulative due to a selfish trait casts doubt on other positive traits.

Formation of First Impressions

  • Initial Exposure

    • First contact leads to impressions based on three factors: race/ethnicity, age, and sex.

  • Secondhand Information

    • Rumors and third-party opinions can influence impressions.

  • Information Gathering

    • Online searches and external perceptions can shape impressions.

Accuracy in First Impressions

  • Humans are adept at making accurate judgments from limited information.

    • First impressions formed through physical characteristics, behaviors, and features.

    • Employers often utilize social media to assess character and suitability.

Cognitive Biases in Impression Formation

  • Implicit Personality Theory

    • Utilizing established schemas influences the perception of others.

    • Example: Assuming attractive individuals possess positive traits based on stereotypes.

  • Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

    • Initial inaccurate expectations lead to behaviors that reinforce those expectations.

    • Example from Merton on bank runs during the Great Depression.

    • Study by Rosenthal showing teacher expectations affecting student performance despite random assignment of ability.

Impacts of Parental Beliefs

  • Parental expectations can influence child behavior, as seen in alcohol consumption views.

Nonverbal Communication

  • Two types of nonverbal communication: body language and emotional expressions.

  • Observations during interactions help form impressions based on nonverbal cues.

  • Categories of Nonverbal Communication

    • Emblems: Gestures with clear definitions (e.g., thumbs up).

    • Illustrators: Gestures that support spoken words.

    • Adapters: Behaviors that serve to relieve stress or anxiety.

    • Regulators: Gestures that manage conversational flow.

    • Emotional Expressions: Universal expressions (e.g., happiness, anger) recognized across cultures.

Universal Emotions

  • Six primary universal facial expressions from Ekman's research:

    • Happiness, sadness, anger, disgust, fear, surprise.

  • Recognition of emotions may vary based on cultural similarity.

    • Research shows greater accuracy in identifying expressions on similar-looking faces.

Recent Findings on Emotional Recognition

  • Initial research suggested quicker recognition of angry faces, which was later revised.

  • Improved studies show that happy faces may be recognized more quickly in neutral crowds.