social psychology

Question 1

obedience

Answer 1

following a direct order from a person or people in authority

Question 2

authority

Answer 2

a person or organisation in a position of power who can give orders and requires obedience

Question 3

social roles

Answer 3

these are the ways in which behave as members of a social group. A person can have a number of different roles as they adapt their behaviour to meet expectations

Question 4

social pressure

Answer 4

the influence of a person or group on another person or group

Question 5

destructive obedience

Answer 5

obedience that has potential to cause psychological or physical harm or injury to another

Question 6

individual-situational explanations

Answer 6

the debate about the relative influence or interaction of a person’s unique physiology or personality (individual) and factors in the environment (situational) on thinking and behaviour.

Question 7

social roles

Answer 7

these are the ways in which we behave as members of a social group. A person can have a number of different roles as they adapt their behaviour to meet expectations

Question 8

social pressure

Answer 8

the influence of a person or group on another person or group

Question 9

legitimacy

Answer 9

the extent to which an authority figure (or organisation) is perceived as being worthy of obedience. For example, a police officer may appear to be more legitimate if they are wearing a badge and uniform

Question 10

bystander

Answer 10

a person who is present but not directly involved in the situation

Question 11

bystander apathy

Answer 11

when a bystander does not show concern for a person in need

Question 12

diffusion of responsibility

Answer 12

when there are other people available to help in an emergency, an individual may be less likely to take action because they feel a reduced sense of personal responsibility

Question 13

modelling

Answer 13

when we watch a person (model) perform the desired behaviour, e.g. helping behaviour

Question 14

good Samaritan

Answer 14

the term originates from the New Testament in the Bible. It refers to a story of a Samaritan (person originating from ancient Samaria) who stops to offer help to an injured stranger. The term now refer to someone who offers help to others experiencing difficulty

Question 15

cost-benefit model

Answer 15

involves a decision-making process in which a person weighs up both the advantages and disadvantages of helping. If it seems beneficial to help, then the person is more likely to do so; if the risks are too great, they may not help

Question 16

interpersonal distance

Answer 16

the relative distance between people. It’s the area of space around a person in which they prefer not to have others enter. It’s like a bubble that moves with the person. This bubble may be larger or smaller depending on the social situation the person is in.

Question 17

oxytocin

Answer 17

a social hormone found in humans that heightens the importance of social cues and is linked to positive social behaviours such as helping others

Question 18

social salience

Answer 18

the importance or attention someone gives to cues from other people, e.g. body language, interpersonal distance and expressions

Question 19

social cues

Answer 19

these are facial expressions or body language which people use to send messages to one another, for example a smile to indicate happiness

Question 20

interaction effect

Answer 20

the effect of two or more independent variables (e.g. PT + empathy + condition) on at least one dependent variable (e.g. personal space preference) in which the combined effect of the IVs is greater or less than each variable on their own

Question 21

differential effect

Answer 21

when one or more individuals experience a different outcome when exposed to the same stimuli

Question 22

radius

Answer 22

a straight line from any point on the circumference of a circle to the centre of the circle

Question 23

personal space

Answer 23

the physical area around a person in which they prefer not to have others enter