Social Psychology TEMP!!

Question 1

Group Polarisation

Answer 1

Strengthening of attitudes of individuals when in groups of people who hold similar attitudes

• Students talk about racial issues in groups
• Federal district court judges (30%/65%)
• Terrorist mentality

Question 2

3 Main Theories Explaining Group Polarisation

Answer 2

1. PERSUASION: rational arguments presented by others
2. COMPARISON: conform with group norms
3. DIFFERENTIATION: fit in with their view of what decision the group would make

Question 3

Latane and Darley

Answer 3

1970

5 Stage Decision Model

Question 4

Social Facilitation/Inhibition

EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE

Answer 4

STAGE 1: Darley and Bateson (1973)
   - Students at a theological college going to deliver a sermon and a man groaning in a doorway
       Thought they were late (10%)
       Thought they were early (63%)
       Some don't notice the victim

STAGE 4: Cramer et al
- Bystanders trained in first aid are more likely to help

Question 5

Conformity

Answer 5

Adjusting thoughts, feelings, and behaviour to agreement with particular individuals or groups and social norms
- Asch (1955)

Question 6

Asch

Answer 6

1955

Question 7

Asch Line Experiment

Answer 7

1955

• 75% agreed at least once
• 33% agreed for half or more
• 24% didn’t conform

Question 8

Obedience

Answer 8

Change of behaviour in responce to being told to do something
Usually someone in a position of power and when there are consequences for disobeying
Milgram (1963)
Zimbardo (1971)

Question 9

Milgram

Answer 9

1963
Whether an ordinary person will obey a legitimate authority even when required to injure an innocent person
- No one stopped before 300 volts
- 20 (65%) continued at 450 volt level
- Milgram predicted only 1-2%

Question 10

Zimbardo

Answer 10

1971
Situation and company are major determinists on actions and behaviours
Demonstrated the extreme effect status and power can have on behaviour

Question 11

Attribution Theory

Answer 11

Process by which individuals explain causes of behaviour and events
When judging a person, we observe their behaviour and attempt to assign a cause
Heider (1958)
- Judge attitude of people who had written essays
- Distort facts to make external attributions to maintain self-esteem
Kelly (1973)

Question 12

Kelly

Answer 12

1973
A logical model for judging whether a particular action should be attributed to internal or external
- Covariation: person has information from multiple observations
Use 3 types of information
1. Persons
2. time
3. entities

Question 13

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Answer 13

Feeling of tensions when holding 2 conflicting view/opinions
Festinger (1957)
Festinger and Carlsmith (1959)
- Performed dull tasks and paid them $1 to $20

Question 14

Festinger

Answer 14

1957
Examined the relationships between cognitions (beliefs and attitudes) and behaviours
    E.G.
        Behaviour: smoking
        Cognition: knowing causes cancer
        Reducing Dissonance:
           - decide the evidence against smoking is inconclusive
           - quit smoking

Question 15

Festinger and Carlsmith

Answer 15

1959

Question 16

Heider

Answer 16

1958

Question 17

Stage 1

Answer 17

Notice the situation

Question 18

Stage 2

Answer 18

Interpret it as an emergency

• Look at the behaviour of others
• In ambiguous situations, bystanders don’t know if help is required

Question 19

Stage 3

Answer 19

Accept some personal responsibility to intervene

Question 20

Stage 4

Answer 20

Consider the best form of intervention

Question 21

Stage 5

Answer 21

Decide how to implement intervention

• related to many variables
  
  • -> characteristics of victim
  • -> characteristics of helper
  • -> relative costs and rewards