Social Psychology Part II (Test 3/25/25)

Question 1

Race

Answer 1

Humans who share certain inherited physical traits.
Entirely genetic, even more so than personality and intelligence. It doesn’t lock you into a psychological mindset either.

Question 2

Culture

Answer 2

Behaviors, values, traditions, etc., are shared by a group and passed down from generation to generation.

Question 3

Ethnic group

Answer 3

People who share culture, race, and national origin.

Question 4

The four races

Answer 4

1. Caucasoid- (caucasion, white, etc.) Includes Arab, Indian, British, etc.
2. Mongaliod- Asian, Amerindian (Native Americans), etc.
3. Negroid- Black (can be from Africa), etc.
4. Australoids/Papuans- Australians, New Zealand, Pacific Islanders, etc.

Question 5

Multiculturalism

Answer 5

The coexistence of different cultures within a single society.

Question 6

Ethnocentrism

Answer 6

The opposite of multiculturalism, believing that your culture is superior.

Question 7

Social Darwinism

Answer 7

Has to do with racial “inferiority-superiority”. Natural selection but applied to humans. Some say that it is wrong to interfere with the process.

Question 8

Phrenology

Answer 8

Has to do with racial “inferiority-superiority”. Evaluation of physical aspects, particularly the head, to weed out undesirable traits.

Question 9

Eugenics

Answer 9

Has to do with racial “inferiority-superiority”. Limiting human breeding so only desirable traits are passed on.

Question 10

Stereotypes

Answer 10

Can be placed on gender, race, socioeconomic status, nationality, religion, etc. A preconceived notion, usually about a group of people. It’s an instinct and survival technique that isn’t always negative.

Question 11

Ingroup bias

Answer 11

What we consider “us” and give preferential treatment to.

Question 12

Outgroup homogeneity bias

Answer 12

Our tendency to believe that people in other groups are all alike.

Question 13

Stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination

Answer 13

Stereotype- A belief or preconceived notion about something.
Prejudice- A judgment based on belief.
Discrimination- Action based on that judgment.

Question 14

Confirmation bias

Answer 14

Tendency to overvalue evidence you already believe in.

Question 15

Scapegoating

Answer 15

Hostile blaming of a different group for misfortune.

Question 16

Just-world phenomenon

Answer 16

The belief that people get what they deserve. If we literally can’t help, we are more likely to dehumanize someone and assume they “deserve” that treatment.

Question 17

Self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 17

Pygmalion effect. Actions create the circumstances that reinforce our beliefs.

Question 18

Belief perseverance

Answer 18

Tendency to hold onto a belief despite evidence that proves otherwise.

Question 19

Cognitive dissonance

Answer 19

The discomfort we feel when our beliefs and actions contradict each other. It must be solved either by changing or justifying ourselves (easier and more common).

Question 20

Societal pressures

Answer 20

Conformity- Following social norms of society, go along to get along.
Obedience- Following orders of an authority figure.

Question 21

Subconscious conforming examples-

Answer 21

Laughter, yawning, directional viewing, game rules on the playground, etc.

Question 22

Reasons for conforming

Answer 22

Informational influence- Belief that others have accurate information.
Normative influence- Conforming because we want people to like and accept us.

Question 23

Solomon Asch and the Line Experiment

Answer 23

Solomon Asch, 1951.
A group of subjects were asked to pick which line matched another, but only one was actually guessing. The rest were purposefully picking the wrong answer. 1/3 of the subjects changed their answers to conform with the crowd.

Question 24

Stanley Milgram

Answer 24

He studied social norms, why people follow them even if they aren’t the law, and how willing people are to violate them. The Shock Experiment.

Question 25

The Milgram Shock Experiment

Answer 25

Stanley Milgram, 1963. Not actually an experiment. This was to see if participants would follow orders even when requested to do something against moral beliefs and good judgment. 40 teachers were asked to deliver progressively stronger shocks to someone they couldn't see (an actor) each time they answered a question wrong, even if it was lethal. It didn't take into account deindividuation.

Question 26

Stanford Prison Experiment

Answer 26

Philip Zambardo, 1971. -Not actually an experiment. 24 college students were paid to participate, 1/2 prison guards, the others prisoners. It was contrived (participants knew they were in an experiment). -Both groups almost immediately started acting the way they would in real life, the guards dehumanizing the prisoners by giving them numbers, etc. Enclothed cognition contributed to this. -There was a prison riot on the second day, and it ended early at 6 days rather than going 2 weeks. Previous personality tests didn't predict these results.

Question 27

Hofling Nurse Experiment

Answer 27

Charles Hofling, 1966. Not actually an experiment and was naturalistic (subjects didn't know it was an experiment). One nurse working alone at midnight was called by a "doctor" to inject illegal drugs into a patient. 21 out of 22 nurses had to be stopped because of their blind obedience to authority.

Question 28

Milgram's conclusions-

Answer 28

Human nature can't go against authority and norms. The majority of people will do as they're told as long as it's perceived to come from authority and won't be their fault.

Question 29

Circumstances that create obedience/conformity

Answer 29

1. Proximity to authority figure 2. Prestige of authority figure; even just wearing a lab coat or going to a better school. 3. Lack of knowledge; Dumb/ignorant people are easier to control. 4. Deindividuation- Groups of 4 or more increase obedience/conformity because individuals feed off of the group and are more anonymous. 5. Minority influence- If no one else is rebelling, no one acts, but it only takes one.

Question 30

GRIT

Answer 30

Peacemaking strategy. Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-reduction. Both sides take turns giving small compromises. Contributes to reciprocity norms and the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.

Question 31

Mere exposure effect

Answer 31

Peacemaking strategy. Robert Zajonc. Doesn't always solve problems, but can help because you might like someone more after getting to know them and what they want.

Question 32

Superordinate goals

Answer 32

Peacemaking strategy. Goals both sides want and can work towards together, something that everyone needs.

Question 33

Robbers Cave Experiment

Answer 33

Muxafer Sherif, 1954. Not actually an experiment. 22 white 11-year old boys were divided and taught to hate the opposite group at their summer camp. Over several days, they became enemies, so the testers tried to bring them back together, starting with parties and fun stuff (mere exposure effect). Eventually, they cut off the water supply and the two groups had to work together to get it back (superordinate goal). This finally worked and created cooperation, one group even letting the other without canteens drink first.

Question 34

Social trap

Answer 34

Obstacle to cooperation. A situation when individuals act in their self-interest even though it will cost them long-term. Ex. Eating junk food now even though you'll gain weight later. Can be avoided with a superordinate goal.

Question 35

False consensus effect

Answer 35

Obstacle to cooperation. A cognitive bias where individuals overestimate that others share our beliefs, etc. Thinking we all think the same.

Question 36

Groupthink

Answer 36

Obstacle to cooperation. Phenomenon where people tend to conform to group decisions even if the group is wrong and they're right because they don't want to say no and make others upset. Causes too much conformity.

Question 37

Deindividuation

Answer 37

Obstacle to cooperation. The presence of others/ group's behavior norms causes us to act in ways we may not typically. Collective mind takes away individuality.

Question 38

Group Polarization

Answer 38

Obstacle to cooperation. When one shifts to an extreme opinion because of an idea bouncing around a group until it's far worse than it started. Ex. At first, you hated someone, but now the group riles each other up into wanting to kill that person.

Question 39

Social Facilitation

Answer 39

Obstacle to cooperation. Stronger performance in the presence of others. If you're good at something, you do better, and if you're bad, it makes you worse. Exentuates extreams.

Question 40

Proximity effect

Answer 40

Obstacle to cooperation. Ex. In sports a supportive home crowd makes the team play better, especially when the crowd is closer like in basketball. Creates social facilitation (presence of others creates extreames in performance).

Question 41

Distraction-conflict theory

Answer 41

Obstacle to cooperation. Ex. Spectators demand the same attention as playing the sport does for the players, creating more competition for attention.

Question 42

Social loafing

Answer 42

Obstacle to cooperation. Related to the bystander effect. The tendency in a group to give less effort than if you were by yourself by assuming "someone else will do it." Can be combated by accountability (holding each individual accountable for their performance).

Question 43

Norms

Answer 43

Unspoken societal rules

Question 44

grit

Answer 44

A personality trait characterized by perseverance for a long-term goal.