Social Psychology Flashcards
Define social psychology.
Social psychology is the study of social interactions and how they affect an individual’s ideas, behaviours, and emotions.
What assumptions underlie social psychology?
Social psychology assumes that other people and the environment influence our behaviour and thought processes, that all human behaviour occurs in a social context, and that our relationships with others influence our behaviour.
Explain a strength of social psychology.
Social psychology is highly applicable to real-world interactions and relationships, as it concerns how people think, feel, and act in social settings.
What ethical concerns arise from certain social psychology experiments?
Certain experiments involving manipulation or deception raise ethical questions about the well-being and informed consent of participants.
How does social psychology contribute to understanding social problems?
Social psychology research can provide insight into social problems such as prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes, offering possible solutions and tactics for change.
Discuss a limitation of social psychology regarding individual traits.
The field sometimes underestimates the role of individual personality traits and focuses more on situational influences on behaviours.
What is the significance of controlled experiments in social psychology?
Controlled experiments are frequently employed to study cause-and-effect relationships, enabling rigorous hypothesis testing.
How can publication bias affect social psychology research?
The publication of studies with significant or novel findings may create bias in the literature and fail to represent the full range of research.
Describe how cultural factors are considered in social psychology research.
Social psychology research explores how cultural factors impact behaviour, promoting cross-cultural understanding and providing insight into cultural norms.
What challenge does the need for transparency and rigor in research address?
The need for transparency and rigor has been highlighted by challenges faced in replicating key experiments in the field.
Explain a potential oversimplification in social psychology.
Concentrating on particular social phenomena may oversimplify intricate human behaviours, emotions, and motivations.
How might cues from researchers affect participants in social psychology studies?
Cues received from the researcher or experimental environment may cause participants to modify their behaviours.
