2. Research Methods in Social Psychology

Question 1

What is a theory

Answer 1

•An organized set of principles that explain and predict observed and predicted events
– Comprises hypothesis: testable statement or idea
about the relationship between two or more variables
•Generative
– New hypotheses
– New research
– Solutions to social problems

Question 2

Compensatory Control Theory

Answer 2

• people are drivin to believe that the world is non random. They needed to find stategies to maintain that the world operates non-randomly with order. •They want to fill up their cup with personal control. To fill the cup fully if their personal control is low, they can rely on external agents of control to make up the difference
If people felt they had low personal control (by reliving moments like finding the front parking space in the mall at a busy time) they were more willing to endorse to external control like God and government

Question 3

Correlational Research

Answer 3

– Are two or more factors naturally associated with
one another?
– Researchers systematically measure two or more
variables and assess the relationship between
them
–-Strength of the association is reflected by a
correlation coefficient… r = .00 to +/-1.00
-strength is how far from zero, sign is direction

Question 4

weak/mod/strong correlation

Answer 4

• Weak correlation = weak association between
variables = r between .10 to .30
• Moderate correlation = medium strength
association = r between .30 and .50
• Strong correlation = very strong association
between variables = r greater than .50

Question 5

Assessing Correlations using

Answer 5

surveys and random selection

Question 6

Conceptual Definition:

ž Operational Definition

Answer 6

Conceptual Definition: a vague concept, Happiness

Operational Definition: The precise
specification of how variables are measured
(or manipulated within experiments)
-Counting the numbers of smiles I see in audience

Question 7

Problems with Correlation 2

Answer 7

1. Direction of causality [ does 1. Texting causes drinking or does Drinking causes texting]
2. Third variables [Some other thing (lack of parental supervision,
   maybe?) causes both drinking and texting]

Question 8

Prospect Theory

Answer 8

losses feel worse than pain [feel worse loosing $100 then winning $100]

Question 9

What are the cognitive traps of happiness?

Answer 9

• reluctance to admit complexity. We apply to too many dif things
• confusion between life and memory
• Focusing [we distort a things importance]

Question 10

What are the 2 types of selves that he outline?

Answer 10

• Experiencing Self that lives in the present. Does it hurt NOW
• Remembering Self, the one that keeps score and maintains the story of ones life. How have you been feeling lately. Storyteller.
• Think colonoscopy example. Patient A had less pain. Patient B had more pain but Patient A felt it was worse After. The ending is the most NB. We don’t have choices, we choose between memories of experiences. Climate doesn’t really matter to experiencing or remembering self

Question 11

Experimental Research

Answer 11

-Laboratory simulations of everyday social processes

Hold every detail of the participants’ experiences CONSTANT
but vary one (or more) feature(s) of their experiences across
experimental conditions
– -Independent variable

Observe and record any differences in behaviour/thoughts/
feelings between conditions
– -Dependent variable

Question 12

Study: Prejudice against obese women?

Answer 12

-Males saw picture of their interaction partner
prior to conversation – Independent Variable!
– Condition 1: Average weight picture
– Condition 2: Obese picture
-Dyads then talked on the phone for 10 minutes
ž Completed measures: Dependent variables
– DV 1: How positively did the men view their
interaction partner?
– DV 2: How much did the men like their interaction
partner?
ž Independent coders listened to tapes of
conversations and rated…
– DV 3: How positively did the female participants
behave?

Percievers impression of target was more + for average vs. obese, more liking in avg vs obese condition, behaviour was more +/warmer in the avg then obese

Question 13

Principle of Control

Answer 13

The only variable that differed between

conditions was the weight of the woman in the picture – principle of control

Question 14

Internal Validity

Answer 14

Ensuring that nothing other than the independent
variable can affect the dependent variable; this is accomplished by controlling all of the extraneous
variables and by randomly assigning participants
to conditions

Question 15

Recognizing Correlational and

Experimental Research

Answer 15

can the person be randomly assigned? no? then correlational

Can’t assign gender

Question 16

ADVANTAGES of the Lab

Answer 16

• Precision and Control
• Eliminate and/or include
any variables that may be
influential
• Convenience

Question 17

DISADVANTAGES of the Lab

Answer 17

• Control
– Unlike real life
• Units: Undergrad students
• Treatments: weaker than in
real life, briefer, less variety
• Observations: Unlike the
real world (e.g., self-report
rather then behavioral)
• Situations: describing the
situations themselves

Question 18

External Validity

Answer 18

The extent to which the results of a study can be
generalized to other situations and to other
people

Question 19

Mundane Realism

Answer 19

the extent to which an experiment

is similar to real-life situation

Question 20

Psychological Realism:

Answer 20

the extent to which the
psychological processes triggered in an experiment
are similar to psychological realism that occur in
everyday life.

Question 21

Field Study

Answer 21

experiments conducted in natural settings rather than the laboratory
-ex: Yearlong field experiment in Rwanda tested the impact
of a radio soap opera featuring messages about reducing intergroup prejudice, violence, and trauma in 2 fictional Rwandan communities.
-a group-randomized design in which communities were randomly assigned to the treatment (the reconciliation radio program) or control condition

Question 22

Basic Research:

Answer 22

Studies that designed to find the best answer as to why people behave the way they do and that are conducted purely for reasons of intellectual
curiosity

Question 23

Applied Research:

Answer 23

Studies designed specifically to solve a particular social problem; building a theory of behaviors is
usually secondary to solving the specific problem.