Psych 330 Exam 1 Flashcards
False Dichotomy
situation presented where two positions appear to be mutually exclusive but really they are not
Falsification
testing whether a hypothesis can be tested
Single-blind experiment
Participants don’t know if they are in the control group or the experimental group
Used to reduce bias
double-blind experiment
Both participants and researchers don’t know if participants are in the control group or the experimental group
What are the Three Big areas of study within social Psychology?
- Social Thinking
- Social Behavior
- Social Influence
Compare Social Psych to
Sociology
Both study behaviors, but sociology studies them from a group level
Compare Social Psych to
Anthropology
Anthros usually focus on one particular culture at a time, have observational methods. Social Psych makes use of experimental methods
Compare Social Psych to
Clinical/Counseling
Helps people who have maladaptive or problematic thoughts/behaviors
Compare Social Psych to
Personality
study of human strengths, virtues, positive emotions, achievements
Kurt Lewin is know for?
The father of social psychology
Famous conclusion: “every person’s behavior is based on the state of the person and at the same time on the environment”
Big Question:
Which is more influential - personality or the environment?
Both P and E influence how you act, an interaction between variables.
Big Question:
Are we shaped more by biological factors or by environmental factors?
Many psych believe comparing them creates false dichotomy
Big Question:
Are people basically good or evil?
even famously evil people are occasionally good
Big Question:
How do media outlets shape our thoughts and behaviors?
We are exposed to hundreds of media messages every day. media outlets can be a fun distraction but also influence us in ways we don’t realize.
Big Question:
Are humans special?
3part question.
Are humans special compared to one another? Social psych says yes. we are all unique.
Are humans special compared in culture? Yes
Are humans special compared to other animals? no, others are faster, self aware,…
Why are experiments important to Social Psych?
They can isolate a causal variable
What is critical thinking and why is important in social psychology?
It is the ability to analyze, apply, and explore ideas in new and open-minded ways. It can help you remember what you learn
Scientific Method
a systematic way of creating knowledge by observing, forming a hypothesis, testing a hypothesis, and interpreting the results
Statistical Significance
a pattern of data identified by any statistical test is strong enough that it probably wouldn’t have happened by chance
Reliability
consistency of measurement, over time or over multiple tests
What is a hypothesis and what role does it play in the scientific method?
specific statement made by a researcher before conducting a study about the expected outcome based on prior observation. falsifiable statements that researchers believe to be true
Why is it important that constructs be operationalized?
they cannot be directly observed (attitudes, personality, attraction), they must specify how a construct will be defined
Archival Research
The data comes from stored information created for another unrelated purpose
Naturalistic Observation
scientific surveillance of people in their natural environments
Quasi-experiments
compares outcomes across different groups, the groups are not formed through random assignment
True Experiments
compares groups created by researchers, goal is to make claims about causes and effects
Correlational Designs
collecting or measuring two pieces of information form each participant and seeing if there is a pattern
Roles and Differences of Independent and Dependent Variables
Independent is used to made groups different from each other. Dependent variables are effected by independent variable
Random Selection vs Random Assignment
Random assignment gives equal opportunity of being distributed. its a solution to confounding variables
t-Test
uses mean and standard deviation to test for differences between two groups
ANOVA test
Analysis of Variance uses mean and standard deviation to compare differences between three or more groups
Correlation Coefficients
number that indicates the relationship or association between two quantitative variables
range: -1.00 - +1.00
Internal Validity vs External Validity
internal is the level of confidence researchers have that patterns of data are due to what is being tested
external validity is the extent to which results of a study could apply to other settings
What APA ethical guidelines intend to protect human research participants?
Informed Consent
Deception
Right to Withdraw
Debriefing
Self-concept
the personal summary of who we believe we are
Self-monitoring
individuals ability to notice and adjust their own behavior in and attempt to fit in
Self-compassion
an orientation to care for oneself
Self-awareness and the Mark Test
Mirror Self-recognition Test - does the animal recognize that the reflection is its own self
Four elements of WIDE guide
Who
Interpretation
Direction
Esteem
Upward vs Downward Comparisons
Upward - compare themselves to someone who is better that they are, makes you feel worse
Downward - compare to someone who is worse than they are, makes you feel better
Social Identity Theory
our self-concept is composed of two parts: personal identity and social identity
Self-discrepancy Theory
when a mismatch exists between an individual’s actual, ideal, and ought selves
Self-expansion Theory
We all want to grow and improve, we include other people into our self-concept
Optimal Margin Theory
a slight range of healthy distortions of reality improves well-being
Independent and interdependent self-construals
Independent - ideal self is based on internal qualities
Interdependent - ideal self is based on social qualities
3 impression-management tactics
- Integration - endorsing the interviewer’s perceived attitudes/values
- Self-promotion - positive statements about the self
- Conspicuous Consumption - publicly displaying to impress others
collective self-esteem
individual’s evaluation of the worth of the social groups they are a member of
Inflated Self-esteem
Make fewer mistakes to learn from
Substitute competitive social comparisons for cooperative social supports
Decrease academic performance
Avoid helpful feedback
Increase levels of intergroup prejudice
