PYB202: Wk 1 - Intro

Unit Overview and Introduction

  • Welcome to PYB202 Social Psychology.
  • Stephanie Tobin is the unit coordinator and will present about half of the lectures.
  • The lecture will cover the unit's content, assessment details, history of social psychology, and research methods.
  • Acknowledge the Turrbal and Yagura as the first nations owners of the lands where QUT now stands.
  • QUT acknowledges the Turrbal and Yugara as the first nations owners of the lands where QUT now stands. We pay respect to their elders, lores, customs, and creation spirits, and recognize that these lands have always been places of teaching, research, and learning, and acknowledge the important role that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people play within the QUT community.

What is Social Psychology?

  • Social psychology studies individuals in their social context.
  • The course aims to provide insights into people's behaviors and how social situations affect them.
  • Theories, concepts, and studies will be examined to understand human behavior.
  • Contact the PYB202 email address for questions about lectures, tutorials, and assessments.
  • Stephanie Tobin and Gabby (assistant unit coordinator and tutor) will manage the email.
  • Consult times are by appointment; Gabby may offer additional sessions near assignment due dates.
  • Katie White will present six lectures, and Trish will give one lecture.
  • The lecturers are social psychology researchers with expertise in different areas.

Lecturer Background - Stephanie Tobin

  • Studied psychology in the US, enjoying social psychology and research methods.
  • Completed honors on a social psych topic during undergraduate studies in the US.
  • Earned a PhD in social psychology after completing coursework and theses.
  • Taught social psychology and conducted research in Houston, Texas.
  • Moved to Australia in 2010 after being born in Perth and living there until age 12.
  • Has worked at UQ, ACU, and QUT since 2019, teaching this unit.
  • Initially studied how people make sense of social worlds, including attribution and coping with uncertainty.
  • Later focused on online interactions and social media behavior, examining goals such as self-presentation and supporting or antagonizing others.
  • Current research examines how viewing others' content on social media influences behavior.
  • The assignment topic relates to the online space and focuses on the fear of missing out (FOMO).

Course Structure and Teaching Team

  • Stephanie Tobin will present the first four lectures, followed by Katie White for six lectures, Stephanie Tobin again, and Trish for one lecture, with Stephanie Tobin wrapping up the semester.
  • The tutorial program starts next week with tutors Andrew, Fiona, Gabby, Jake, and Kathleen.
  • Tutorials support the assignment initially and later connect with lecture topics for exam preparation.
  • Today's lecture will cover the unit's content, the origins of social psychology, and common research methods.

Unit Schedule and Resources

  • The schedule is available on Canvas, outlining weekly lecture topics, textbook readings, and tutorials.
  • Tutorials do not occur every week; consult the schedule.
  • Tutorial slides for the first block are available, focusing on the assignment.
  • Lecture topics are marked with the lecturer's initials.
  • Weekly announcements will be posted every Monday with updates.
  • Lectures cover major theories, concepts, and supporting evidence.
  • Studies presented are evidence for the theories discussed.
  • Textbook chapters align with lectures, but lectures should guide focus.
  • Lecture slides will be available in weekly folders the day before lectures.
  • Lecture recordings will be available shortly after the lecture, with transcripts finalized a few hours later.
  • Tutorials focus on research methods, the assignment topic, and the required approach.
  • Tutorials are not recorded; students should attend their registered session.
  • Consult Canvas for Zoom links to online tutorials.

Tutorial Information and Textbook

  • Submit class change requests by March 7 for official clashes, or swap tutorials yourself until March 14.
  • Allocate yourself to a tutorial using the new system, with spots in Friday tutorials.
  • Check tutorial slides online if you cannot attend, and email questions to the PYB202 address.
  • The textbook is Kassen et al. (Australian and New Zealand edition, second edition).
  • Options include buying a hard copy or e-book, or accessing it through MindTap (with a 12-month license and activities).
  • Access MindTap through the campus page for a free trial for the first couple of weeks to test the interface.
  • Cheapest way to buy the book is through the website with a discount code.
  • An e-book option is also available.
  • A hard copy of the text will be placed on reserve at the Kelvin Grove Library. Can be accessed through the QUT library.
  • The first edition is similar but has different chapter numbers; reference topics, not chapter numbers.
  • APA style resources are available on the unit outline and Canvas page.

Assessment Details

  • Assessment is split evenly between an assignment (research proposal) and a final exam.
  • All relevant information is in the module section of Canvas.
  • The assignment topic involves designing an experiment building on one particular article (Rifkin et al.) available in "starter references."
  • PsycINFO must be used to find all articles for the assignment.
  • Evidence use of PsycINFO in the assignment.
  • Videos and tips on writing in APA style are available on Canvas.
  • Compile advice from high-achieving students from the previous year on Canvas: advice for both the assignment and the exam.
  • The next section of Canvas contains information on the final exam.
  • Final Exam: in person, centrally scheduled, multi-choice and short answer.
  • Practice questions are available on Canvas with multi-choice questions graded automatically & an answer key for short answer questions.
  • More information about which topics will be covered in the short answer section of the exam will be given later.
  • The Canvas page contains links to various policy-related information.

Research Proposal Details

  • The research proposal is a 2,000-word assignment.
  • Design an experiment that builds upon research from the specified article by Rifkin et al. on FOMO (fear of missing out).
  • The article is published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JPSP).
  • The article includes multiple studies, a theoretical diagram, preregistered studies, and available materials.
  • You can build on their work; use their materials as a base, but adapt them to your own experiment. It is easy to find problems with the existing research given the resources.
  • An additional paper in the starter references provides guidance on generating research ideas.
  • GenAI is prohibited except for correcting spelling and grammar.
  • Be careful not to use the tool to change any language.
  • The assignment is due on April 11 and is eligible for a 48-hour late submission period, though it is not recommended to work up until this deadline.
  • Upload multiple times before the deadline to ensure something is submitted.
  • Apply for longer extensions with documentation before the 48-hour deadline.

Exam Details

  • The exam is a two-hour in-person exam with ten minutes for perusal.
  • It covers material from lectures and readings, focusing on lecture topics.
  • The exam includes 70 multiple-choice questions (40 marks) and two short-answer questions (10 marks).
  • Take the short answer questions seriously to make sure you don't blank during the exam.
  • Information from previous students is available in the assessment module, and there is information on the polices and procedures around central exams.
  • Deferred exam applications go through the central system.
  • GenAI is prohibited during the exam.
  • Remember to be mindful of academic integrity and avoid cheating, collusion, fabrication, and plagiarism.
  • Avoid self-plagiarism, even if you are the author of both papers.

Support Services

  • The library offers online chat with librarians, appointments, a help desk, workshops, and online resources.
  • Student Success provides workshops and online resources, with weekly announcements sent on Fridays.
  • Canvas sites include standard links to study support, personal support, and library resources.
  • Stephanie Tobin writes the exam questions and asks the other lecturers to do the same (it is mainly based on the lectures).
  • There also may be questions from the textbook questions that are similar to those on the exam.
  • There is no SONA/research participation for this unit.

Defining Social Psychology

  • Social psychology is the scientific study of how individuals think, feel, and behave in a social context.
  • The "scientific study" aspect involves using empirical approaches to collect and analyze data.
  • The focus is on understanding the individual mind and their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
  • Social psychology is unique because of its focus on the social context.
  • The social context can influence individuals, and individuals also perceive each other.
  • Remember learning About social psychology in PYB 100.
  • Key concepts include obedience (Milgram study) and conformity.
  • Learning also contributes to social behaviors, such as through the Bobo doll study.
  • Stereotypes and discrimination.
  • Social psychology is the study of individuals in a social context.

Connections to Other Fields

  • Organizational psychology overlaps with social psychology, focusing on social situations in the workplace.
  • Personality psychology complements social psychology by identifying differences between people in different situations.
  • Cognitive psychology: Social cognition uses cognitive approaches to understand how people think about the social world.
  • Clinical psychology: Social psychology is interested in people's feelings.
  • Sociology: interested in the group context more, not necessarily the individual within that context

Origins of Social Psychology

  • Earliest roots traced to the 1880s-1920s, focusing on how others affect performance.
  • Cyclists racing faster against each other inspired Triplett's experiment.
  • Triplett's experiment had people doing a simple task like winding a fishing reel, and they were either working alone or side by side.
  • Ringelman found that people performed worse went pooling their efforts.
  • Early textbooks defined social psychology and emphasized experiments and the use of the scientific method.
  • The 1930s-50s saw increased activity due to the Holocaust and World War II.
  • Events (Holocaust & WWII) led to interest in studying violence, prejudice, genocide, conformity, and obedience.
  • Key figures like Sharif (social influence), Lewin (person and environment influence), Asch (conformity), Allport (prejudice), and Festinger (social comparison and cognitive dissonance theories).
  • Milgram's obedience studies were inspired by WWII events.
  • Expansion of topics included perception, group work, helping, aggression, physical attractiveness, stress, and well-being.

Maturation and Modern Social Psychology

  • Questioning ethics and bias emerged as disciplines matured e.g. Milgram's experiment and the questioning of ethics.
  • The 1970s-90s featured better ethics, experiments, and social cognition perspectives.
  • Ethics were improved, and people became more and more skeptical of experiment's findings.
  • Cultural differences became a focus, and cognitive psychology was incorporated.
  • Today, social psychology integrates approaches, lenses, genetic and evolutionary views, and interdisciplinary studies.
  • Technology enables brain and body studies and exploration of online behaviors.
  • The open science movement promotes preregistration and transparency due to past data manipulation issues.
  • Open science movement to make research more transparent, and there are multiple references if you wish to read more about this or what is coming out of research now.

Research Methods

  • Scientific approach: The scientific approach involved systematic observation, description, and measurement are used.
  • Research aims can be basic (understanding for its own sake) or applied (solving real-world problems) in nature.
  • A hypothesis is a testable prediction about conditions. (The cyclists will go faster when they're racing against other people versus when they are racing against the clock).
  • Hypotheses come from observation, logic, or existing theories.
  • Theories organize observations and predict events empirically tested hypotheses.
  • A theory is bigger than a hypothesis and consists of an organized set of principles that explains some observed phenomenon.
  • Ostracism theory says that ostracism is painful threats four fundamental needs (belonging, control, self esteem, and meaningful existence, and it creates a negative mood.
  • In research papers, one should lay down what we know, then identify the new thing that we need to know + test.

Designing a Study

  • Abstract variables, such as eye gaze and need satisfaction, must be operationalized.
  • The aim should be to manipulate (eye gaze) and measure (need satisfaction).
  • Options should be considered to measure eye gaze to see what participants are giving.
  • Self - glasses or have the person they're interacting with have the glasses. Confederates can look at a dot on the wall.
  • Need satisfaction already has a validated questionnaire.
  • There is a need satisfaction questionnaire that has already been validated. You can use or create your own (not recommended always).
  • It is not always necessary to use a baseline to compare the results of 2 experiments.
  • Use observational measures if interested in a behavioral outcome as part of your research question. Can open discussion.
  • Construct validity must be considered: you must maintain the same idea of construct throughout the experimentations to get desired results.
  • Wirth et al. used a computerized face gazing (direct eye gaze) or averted (Averted eye gaze) from them. Check % of the time where eyes looked at them (to maintain validity).
  • Need satisfaction should be gauged with an established scale with established psychometric protocols (statistics that show the measures of interest are reliable).
  • The construct needs to have already established validity.
  • Higher alpha is better. Report on outcomes of both the overall and individual.

Measuring Variables

  • Self-report:
    • Best for internal states.
    • Straightforward, measures what is of direct interest.
    • However, it Assumes people are
      • Willing → Want to be honest.
      • Able → Accurately report results.
    • If behaviors are asked: May not be remembered accurately
  • Observation:
    • Use it for Behaviors: Allows for direct measurement
    • Used with interpretations: You would want to establish the reliability. The code can be used to see aggressive behavior (good reliability), and you must establish a good interpretation of behavior.
  • Direct Measure of Physiological variables:
    • Heart-rate, cortisol, EEF of brain, hormone tests/scales, any machine measurements (to have more direct/exact knowledge).
    • It can be interesting. However, interpretation tends to be less clear.
    • So therefore, you need good interpretation to reach the proper outcome. Direct measures make sure that its measuring what is of interest.

Research Design

  • Describe Research:
    • Aims- to accurately describe certain aspects of a population.
    • Survey, Diary studies (to gain a more qualitative approach), Self-report, Observation, or archival data can be measured and used.
    • Representativeness: how it represents information regarding the population of interest, can be evaluated.
  • Correlation research:
    • measures how two constructs relate + associated with one another.
    • Use statistics to observe relationship + show the correlation between the two. Careful not to say one is causing the other.
    • However, not 100% reliable, there may be a third indicator involved with results. It has its own causal path + effects.
  • Experiment:
    • Manipulate causal bit (IV) Independent variable, + measure outcome DV - dependent variable.

Experiments

  • IV Manipulation:
    • At least 2 conditions or levels to IV
    • More than 1 independent variables can occur here. Random assign people to conditions. Therefore, if affect, you MUST have effect due to different conditions.
  • DV: dependant variable.
    • Measure: how does the person feel afterward, that can be due to the eye gaze, Compare:
    • On average, these groups should be about the same coming into it.If there's a difference at the end of it, it has to be because of that eye gaze.
    • Each effect: If results are like expected, there can be stated that satisfaction was significantly higher when people imagined interacting with a guy who was looking at them versus the guy who was not looking at them.

Validity

  • Validity:
    • Internal: how certain are we that those are directly resulting, due to something, or due to something else. (what extent that ives just saw is because of the eye gaze. + if or NOT eye gaze).
    • Can establish, by random Assignment, Manipulate the IV, hold everything else constant (make the participants act similar in each experiment), keep experiment or Blind to conditions (so experimenters behavior cannot be the key aspect, with alternative explanations).
  • Be aware of experimental biases
  • External: How can the experiments generalise to every day life.
    • Prioritize external validity by
      • Low everyday experiments, high sampling for people in unit who are to do so.
      • However: create Psychological engaging + high experimental realism.
    • So therefore: make sure experiment are drawn to what will happen, with great engagement of the experiment.
    • To conclude: Replicate! Therefore, there could be a set of a ton of experiments that show more of the aspects from the study (tons of data).

Ethics

  • Evaluate: must be approved by committee to see if they are safe for the experiment.
    • Risks: What harms might happen by the study.
      • Ex: Discomfort, inconvenience, risks.
    • Benefits: What value can we learn from this study to see if it's worthwhile.
    • Inform: Has to be balanced about the information that can occur. Not overbearing + not scarce, so the participants can consent.
      • If not, its called: coercing.
    • Deception has to be told, no holding back + full information after experiment + chance for participants to withdraw if wished to + to tell people about the truth you were studying
  • Debrief people to let them feeling good. To let them know how it was + good feeling afterwards.