Module 1 - Intro to Social Psych Flashcards
What is interactionism?
feeling and action is a product of the interaction b/w persons and situations
What is social psych?
the scientific study of the human mind in the social context (i.e. contexts) characterized by the presence of other people, real or imagined
Social content
other people as the content of psychological research
What’s the diff b/w sociology and social psych?
sociology – looks at larger-scale societal structure
social psych – uses an individual, dyad, and group level of analysis
What are hermeneutics?
meaning / reasons as primary drives of psych
whereas in social psych, theories are couched in terms of casual, mechanistic cognitive and social processes
When did social psych emerge as an empirical discipline?
in the late 19th century
What is embodiment literature?
argues that our mental states are often grounded on sensory experiences and bodily states
For example, we view those whom we have a
close relationship with us as physically ‘close’ to us. Our experience of physical
disgust is strongly related to our cognitive conceptualisation of immorality.
What are some challenges in social psych?
replication crisis – the initial trigger for this crisis being revelations of scientific misconduct with data
Misconduct includes issues with null hypothesis testing, combined with an interest in publishing new & interesting findings, which causes us to be selective in our reporting & ignore null effects.
What did Princeton vs Dartmouth study show us?
even though the supporters had seen the exact same
game, their views/interpretations of what happened in the game were completely
different. When we view the actions of a group, we are far more likely to view their
actions in a favourable light. The authors concluded that there is no such thing as an
objective reality – we view our reality in relation to our FRAME OF REFERENCE.
What is ‘construction of reality’?
the axiom that each person’s view of reality is a
construction, shaped by both cognitive processes (the way our minds work) and by
social processes (input from others, either real or imagined). People construct their own reality (within limits). Our identities, beliefs, attitudes & values influence our perception of the world.
What do we mean by ‘pervasiveness of social influence’?
the axiom that other people influence virtually all of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour, whether those others are present or not
What are the 3 core motivations?
1) striving for mastery
2) seeking connectedness
3) valuing ‘me and mine’
Core motivation #1. striving for mastery
the motivational principle that people seek to understand and predict events in the social world in order to obtain rewards (aka understanding, control, seeking meaning)
Core motivation #2. Seeking connectedness
the motivational principle that people seek support, liking and acceptance from the people & groups they care about and value (aka belonging, relatedness, and trust)
Core motivation #3. Valuing me and mine
the motivational principle that people desire to see themselves, and other people & groups connected to themselves, in a positive light (aka self-enhancement, positive self-esteem).
