Midterm 1 Flashcards
Define Social Psychology
The scientific study of how people affect and are affected by others.
Max Ringelmann
Social Loafing 1880
Define Social Loafing
As the group size increases, individual effort decreases. Max Ringelmann
Norman Triplett
Social Facilitation 1897
Define Social Facilitation
The mere presence of another person enhances performance on a simple task. Norman Triplett
Kevin Lewin’s Formula
Behaviour is the function of the person and the situation.
To make a prediction you must know something about the individual and you must know something about the situation.
Stanley Milgram
Study on obedience (WW2). People tend to follow authority even when it goes against their morals and better judgement.
Define Behaviourism
Theoretical approach that seeks to explain the behaviour in terms of learning principles without reference to inner states thoughts or feelings.
Define Freudian Psychoanalysis
Theoretical approach that seeks to explain the behaviour by looking to the deep unconscious forces inside the person.
ABC Triad
Affect- how people feel inside, how they feel about others, how they feel about various issues.
Behaviour- actions.
Cognition- what people think about themselves, others, various problems in the social world.
Define Applied Research
Focuses on solving particular practical problems.
Define Basic Research
Focuses on a general understanding of basic principles that can be applied to many different problems.
Accumulated Common Wisdom
It allows us to happily and effortlessly judge adages as being true and at the same time judge their opposite that being true.
Adage: a short statement expressing general truth
i.e. “opposites attract”, “out of sight, out of mind”, “birds of a feather flock together”
Hindsight Bias or “Knew it all along” Phenomenon
The tendencies after an event has occurred, to overestimate one’s ability to have foreseen the outcome.
Most things seem intuitive after the fact.
Scientific Method
- State problem.
- Testable hypothesis.
- Design study to test hypothesis.
- Test by confronting hypothesis.
- Report study results to scientific community.
Define Hypothesis
An idea or explanation for something that is based on known facts but has not yet been proved, generally derived from theories.
Theories
Composed of constructs (abstract ideas or concepts) that are linked together in a logical way.
Constructs
Built with specified dimensions. Connected to concrete observational variables by using operational definitions.
Operational Definitions
Observable operations, procedures, and measurements that are based on the independent and dependant variables.
Tie unobservable constructs to concrete representations of those constructs.
The more abstract the construct, the more difficult it is to operationally define.
Frustration Aggression Theory
Events are more frustrating if you are close to the goal.
Define Construct Validity Of The Cause
The independent variable is a valid representation of the theoretical stimulus.
Define Construct Validity Of The Cause
The independent variable is a valid representation of the theoretical stimulus.
Define Construct Validity Of The Effect
The dependant variable is a valid representation of the theoretical response.
Define Experiment
A study in which the researcher manipulates an independent variable and randomly assigns people to groups.
Manipulates the independent variable and holds all other variables constant.
Define Quasi Experiment
A type of study in which the researcher can manipulate an independent variable but cannot randomly assign participants to conditions.
Takes people “as they are”.
Define Internal Validity
If the researcher can be relatively confident that changes in the independent variable caused changes in the dependant variable.
Define Confounding
When two of the effects of variables cannot be separated.
Define Stimulus Sampling
Using several different versions of the stimulus of interest.
Define Demand Characteristics
Any cues that convey the hypothesis to the participants.
Can influence how participants behave.
Define Demand Characteristics
Any cues that convey the hypothesis to the participants.
Can influence how participants behave.
Define Deception Studies
Research studies that withhold information from participants or intentionally mislead them about the purpose of the study.
Define Debriefing
An oral or written statement at the end of the study to inform and answer questions and to reduce or eliminate any stress or harm the participant experienced by being in the study.
Define Reactance
An unpleasant emotional response that people often experience when someone is trying to restrict their freedom.
Define Field Experiments
Experiments conducted in a real world setting outside a laboratory.
Laboratory Experiment Strengths and Weaknesses
Strength: Control over variables that might influence results.
Weakness: Setting is less realistic.
Generally low in mundane realism but they can be high in experimental realism.
Define Experimental Realism
Whether participants get so caught up in the procedures that they forget that they are in an experiment.
Define Mundane Realism
Whether the setting physically resembles the real world.
Define External Validity
Extent to which the findings from a study can be generalized to other people, other settings, and other time periods.
What is more important? Experimental or Mundane Realism.
Experimental realism is more important than mundane realism in determining whether the results of a study will generalize to the real world.
Field Studies
Generally high in experimental and mundane realism.
Lack of the tight control that laboratory experiments have.
More difficult to make causal statements.
Define Correlation Approach
A non experimental method in which the researcher merely observed whether variables are associated or related
Correlation (Positive, Negative, No)
Positive: as one variable goes up the other also goes up
Negative: as one variable goes up the other variable goes down.
No correlation: the two variables are not related in a linear fashion.
Define Meta Analysis
A literature review that combines the statistical results from all studies conducted on a topic.
Survey Research
Never trust conclusions from a single statistic with no comparison statistic.
The larger the random sample the better.
Define Population (Statistics)
Total number of people under consideration.
Define Reliability (Survey)
If a survey gives consistent results.
Define Validity (Survey)
A survey measures what it claims to measure.
Self Correcting Nature Of Science
Generally new work builds off of older work. If the research contains mistakes, the newer research will find them and correct them.
Define Replication (Studies)
Repeating a study to see if the effect is reliable.
Define Replication Crisis (Studies)
A methodological crisis in which scientists have found that many scientific studies conducted in the past do not replicate, or if they do the effects tend to be smaller in size.
HARKing (Hypothesizing after the results are known)
When a hypothesis is formulated after the data is collected and analyzed (post hoc) then presented as if it was formulated before the data were collected. (Hindsight bias or “knew it all along” phenomenon)
Can capitalize on random chance.
Never HARK.
Solution to HARKing
Preregister a study.
Open Science
A movement to make the results from scientific studies openly accessible to all people.
Define Nature
The physical world around us, including its laws and processes.
Duplex Mind
The idea that the mind has two different processing systems: deliberate and automatic.
Automatic System
Operates mainly outside of consciousness. Handles endless mundane tasks such as interpreting, organizing, and categorizing the information that comes in through your eyes and ears. Impulsive. Feel then do. Generally runs almost everything.
Deliberate System
Mostly operates in consciousness. Turns on when you wake up, shuts down when you go to sleep. Moves the body around in bed. Processes information . You wake up to your name spoken more softly than almost any other word. Your mind can tell the difference between words even when you are asleep. Reflective. Think about what’s the best thing to do.
Conscious Override
When the deliberate system overrides the automatic impulse. You feel like doing something but then you restrain yourself.
What makes someone attractive?
Most attractive faces are not really averages of everyone, but rather averages of the faces that are high on the other indices of beauty, such as youth and health.
