Lecture 1

Question 0

Social psych vs. sociology

Answer 0

Sociology- the scientific study of large-group behavior and institutional society

Similarities- interested in how people interact
Differences- sociologist study group; social psyc study individuals in group

Question 1

Definition of Social Psychology

Answer 1

The scientific study of the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors of individuals in social situations.

Is science
About affects (feelings), cognition (thoughts), and behaviors
Social refers to actual, imagined, and implied others

Question 2

Social vs. personality psyc

Answer 2

Personality- how individuals differ on stable traits

Similarities- both focus on the individual
Differences- personality focuses on the individual; social focuses on the situational context

Question 3

Person, situation, construal, behavior

Answer 3

Graph

Question 4

Problems with common sense

Answer 4

Bad at introspection
Fall victim to hindsight bias
Have confirmation bias

Question 5

Hindsight bias

Answer 5

Knew it all along

Question 6

Confirmation bias

Answer 6

Seek out information to confirm our beliefs

Question 7

Observational research

Answer 7

Involves observing participants in social situations
Attempts to systematically observe behavior (may be recorded and categorized)
May involve additional measures like interviews and questionnaires

Question 8

Archival research

Answer 8

Involves analyzing social behaviors documented in past records
Can be used to test theories about social behavior

Question 9

Surveys

Answer 9

Involve asking participants questions, usually through an interview or questionnaire
Important to consider sampling (number and type of people surveyed)
Results maybe limited is sample is bias
Random sampling (randomly choosing people from a population will create an unbiased sample)

Question 10

Population

Answer 10

Group you want to know about

Question 11

Random sample

Answer 11

Taken at random from the population

Question 13

Convenience sample

Answer 13

Taken from available subgroup in the population

Question 14

Correlational research

Answer 14

Examines the relationship between variables without assigning participants to different situations or conditions.
NO random assignment
No manipulation of variables

Question 15

Limits of correlational research

Answer 15

Correlation does NOT equal causation
Third variable problem
-another viable may explain correlation

Question 16

Experimental research

Answer 16

Involves unbiased assignment of participants to different situations or conditions (random assignment) of IV

Experiments allow for causal inference about how different conditions influence behavior

Question 17

IV

Answer 17

Manipulated by researcher

Hypothesized to cause change in DV

Question 18

DV

Answer 18

Measured

Often a change in behavior, feelings, attitudes

Question 19

Internal validity

Answer 19

Confidence that the experimental results were being caused by the manipulated variable
Confounds create problems here!

Question 20

External validity

Answer 20

Degree to which exp. results can be generalized to other contexts
Depends on similarity between experimental context and “real world” context

Question 21

Researchers often face trade offs between

Answer 21

internal and external validity

Question 22

Reliability

Answer 22

How consistently a test will measure the variable of interest

Question 23

Measurement validity

Answer 23

Degree that a test accurately measures the variable of interest

Question 24

Basic research

Answer 24

Don’t help, just study (INTERNAL VALIDITY)
Concerned with: trying to gain knowledge in its own right
Aim is to gain: greater understanding of a phenomenon

Question 25

Applied research

Answer 25

Helping people or changing them (EXTERNAL VALIDITY)

Concerned with: using current understanding of a phenomenon in order to solve a real-world problem

Question 26

Research conducted at university must be approved by

Answer 26

IRB

Question 27

Ethical considerations

Answer 27

Informed consent- participants should have enough info about procedures to approp. judge whether desire to participate
Deception- may be used if properly justified. May mislead to conceal purpose of study, must debrief after study