Lecture 9

Question 1

What is the difference between personality and social psychology?

Answer 1

Who you ARE determines behaviour vs who you are WITH determines behaviour

Question 2

What is social comparison theory?

Answer 2

People evaluate their abilities and attitudes relative to those of others in a process that plays a significant role in self-image and subjective well-being

Question 3

According to social comparison theory, are social comparisons a positive or negative force?

Answer 3

Both

Question 4

What is equity theory?

Answer 4

Derived from social comparison theory, states that comparisons motivate us to seek fair treatment

Question 5

What are the three stages of social identity theory that lead to the us vs them mentality?

Answer 5

1.Categorisation
2.Identification
3.Bias in favour of the ingroup (followed by bias against the outgroup)

Question 6

What is the sociometer theory?

Answer 6

The theory that self-esteem is a gauge (sociometer) than measures the degree to which we feel valued by others

Question 7

Why do good people sometimes do bad things?

Answer 7

Before the fact they might be afraid of the consequences of doing the right thing, after the fact they rationalise their actions

Question 8

What pressures to conform might cause a good person to do something bad?

Answer 8

-Pressure to conform to norms
-Pressure to conform to authority

Question 9

Apart from pressures to conform, what other four factors might cause a good person to do something bad?

Answer 9

Fear of coming across the wrong way, diffusion of responsibility, low expectation of change, rationalisation