Social Psychology: An Overview

Question 1

Inchoate

Answer 1

Not articulated; difficult or impossible to articulate.

Question 2

Nudge theory

Answer 2

Theory of social influence arguing that people’s behaviour can be shifted relatively easily and cheaply in a more socially desirable direction, by relatively small, subtle situational cues.

Question 3

Publication bias

Answer 3

The tendency for researchers to report positive results (or those that show a significant finding) differently from those that show negative results (or those that show non-significant findings).

Question 4

File drawer effect

Answer 4

The phenomenon whereby studies are not submitted for publication because they either yield non-significant results or results that run contrary to established research findings.

Question 5

Data mining

Answer 5

The process of automatically searching large volumes of data for patterns.

Question 6

Transcranial magnetic stimulation

Answer 6

Technique that induces weak electric currents in the brain to allow the study of brain function.

Question 7

Electrocardiography

Answer 7

The measure of electrical activity in the heart.

Question 8

Event-related potentials

Answer 8

The measure of brain response at the onset of a stimulus.

Question 9

Electromyography

Answer 9

The measure of electrical activity in the muscles.

Question 10

Eye tracking

Answer 10

The process of measuring either the point of gaze (that is, where a person is looking), or the motion of the eyes relative to the head.

Question 11

Psychological literacy

Answer 11

A set of skills including critical thinking, ethics and social responsibility.