Chapter 1: Introducing the Science and Methods of Social Psychology Flashcards
What is Social Psychology
Studying how people think about, influence, and relate to one another
What are the 3 aspects of Social Psychology
Social Thinking
Social Influence
Social Relations
Social Thinking
How we perceive, believe, and judge one another
Social Influence
How our culture, selves, biology, and groups are influenced
Social Relations
How we help, harm, horny, and prejudise one another
How does it differ from sociology
Focuses more on the individual
Social Thinking: How do we construct our social reality
- We want reality to be explainable
- We explain behavior based on our needs
- We attribute consistent behavior to personality
- Our beliefs about ourselves affect our behavior
Social Thinking: Our social intuitions
- Shape our fears and influences (eyewitnesses, HR pros)
- Nonconscious mind guides our thoughts and behavior
- Dual Processing: Brains operate on 2 basic levels (conscious and unconscious)
- Social intuitions can lead us astray (memory & attitudes)
Social Influences: Shaping behavior
- Culture helps us define situations
- Behaviors are shaped by our immediate contexts
Social Influences: Personal attitudes and dispositions
- Inner attitudes affect behavior
- Behavior affects our attitudes
- Personality dispositions affect behavior (attitudes are affected by these)
Social Relations: Social behavior is biological behavior
- Evolutionary responses to social situations
- Brains contain biological events that affect behavior
- SOCIAL NEUROSCIENCE: Studies how are surroundings affect our brain chemistry
Social Relations: Relating to others is a basic need
- Relationships can be a stress or a comfort
- Exclusion can cause pain
- Relationships contribute to self-esteem
Obvious Value Influences in SP
- Research topics
- Cultural values
- Data analyis
Subliminal Value Effects on SP
- Science is subjective
- Hidden values (labels, naturalism)
- Common practices
Hindsight Bias
We exaggerate foresight after seeing the outcome
Experimental Research: Ethics
- Grey area
- MUNDANE REALISM (life-like experiments) not needed
- EXPERIMENTAL REALISM (controlled experiments that target specific behaviors) is needed
- DEMAND CHARACTERISTICS (experimenter-provoked) minimized
- Informed consent needed
- Free counseling and debrief after participation
Random Sample vs Random Assignment
- Random samples are selected from populations for surveys in all correlational research. These are useful in studying an accurate average of the population.
- Random assignment is used in experimental research - this is only possible if the theory is testing a variable that is not dependent on personal traits. Useful for finding cause-effect relationships across populations.
Observational Research Methods
When experimental study is not possible, psychologists sometimes have to observe people in natural settings and use data analysis to observe causal relationships
Generating a Theory
- Looking at the facts
- Analyzing events
- Simplifying these into testable predictions or hypotheses
Components of Experimental Research
- Theory
- Hypotheses
- Random Population Selection
- Random Assignment (control vs experimental group)
- Controlled Environment
- Independent Variable
- Dependent Variable
