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.