Intro to Social Psychology

Question 1

What is social psychology according to Allport?

Answer 1

The scientific investigating of how the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of individuals are influenced by he actual, imagined or implied presence of others.

Question 2

How does psychology differ from sociology?

Answer 2

Sociology is a social science whereas psychology is a behavioural science.
Psychology is more scientific and it stems from logical empiricism and uses deduction. Social psychology adopts a more humanistic approach and uses qualitative /inductive methodological approaches.

Question 3

What does A,B and C stand for in the ABC approach?

Answer 3

Attitudes, Behaviour and Choice

Question 4

What are Shove’s (2010) critique of social psychology approaches and models?

Answer 4

They focus on individuals and behavioural choices thus ignoring context. Also it doesn’t consider societal transformation.

Question 5

Whitmarsh, O’Neill and Lorenzoni (2010) responded to Shove. What are a few points made?

Answer 5

1. Shove portrayed oversimplified social psychological models
2. Individuals should be a part of the solution alongside social change.

Question 6

Logical empiricism focuses on…

Answer 6

scientific methodology

Question 7

A key critique of social psychology is that it ignores..

Answer 7

context

Question 8

According to Popper, empirical tests can falsify hypotheses but not what?

Answer 8

prove them

Question 9

Define methodological pluralism.

Answer 9

thesis that the use of multiple methodological approaches is more scientific & minimises possibility of finding an artefact of method

Question 10

How are most social experiments now conducted?

Answer 10

online

Question 11

Name some of the metatheories in psychology.

Answer 11

Behaviourism
Cognitive psychology
Evolutionary social psychology
Individualistic 
Collectivist 
Social neuroscience

Question 12

How is neo-behaviourism different to behaviourism?

Answer 12

neo-behaviourism focuses on studying unobservable constructs rather than solely behaviour.

Question 13

What is the difference between individualistic and collectivist theories?

Answer 13

Individualistic- behaviour is depending on enduring individual differences

Collectivist- people internally represent socially constructed group norms that influence behaviour.

Question 14

What is the main assumption of neuroscience and biochemistry?

Answer 14

Psychological processes happen in the brain and therefore must be associated with electro-chemical brain activity.