Social Psychology (Test 3/7/25) Flashcards
Keys to success
They’re basically factors that aren’t as genetic and can be built by anyone.
-Not intelligence, perserverence
-Not personality, character
-Focus (The ability to use talents on demand under pressure)
Social psychology
How people interact personally and in groups.
Attribution theory (two potential factors)
Looking to find a cause for something. Has to do with actor-observer bias/fundamental attribution error. When we see a behavior, we subconsciously ask:
1. Situational- Are there external factors making it happen?
2. Dispositional- Is the person doing it themselves?
Actor-observer bias
It relates to self-serving bias, also known as the Fundamental Attribution Error.
The tendency to place undue emphasis on dispositional factors (their fault) to explain someone else’s negative behavior, but using situational judgment (external factor’s fault) with ourselves.
Self-serving bias
Makes relationships difficult. Blaming our own bad actions on external/situational factors.
Aggression
APA definition- Physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt, must be intentional.
In reality, aggression doesn’t always equal violence or intend to harm.
Biology and gender in aggression
The body is aroused through a release of adrenaline (fight or flight), potentially causing greater aggression. Higher levels of adrenaline are released in the presence of testosterone, meaning males are typically more aggressive.
The frontal lobe/brain also affects the interpretation of the threat/offense’s intent. At age 18, the adolescent prefrontal lobe (for judgment) isn’t fully developed. Instead, decisions go through emotions/the amygdala.
Effects of testosterone
The average male has a level of 700, while females have 60. It’s the reason why almost all males have bigger muscles, higher bone density, faster reaction time, and more aggression than females.
Cultural effects on aggression (individualist vs collectivist)
Individualist culture- Focuses more on individuals, more aggressive, more so blue, west, america, etc.
Collectivist culture- Focuses on community, less aggressive, more so red, Asia, Japan, etc.
Deindividuation theory
A combination of anonymity, suggestability, and contagion that means “collective mind” takes possession of an individual. It causes the individual to lose self-control and do something against society’s norms.
1. There’s less fear of being caught/ held accountable.
2. Individual emotions feed off of others’ emotions.
3 causes of aggression-
- Biological causes (hormones, gender)
- Social-cultural causes (media, geography)
- Psychological causes (frustration, modeling, deindividuation)
Modeling
Humans immitate what they see, studied by Albert Bandura in the Bobo doll experiment. It is both a psychological and biological cause of aggression.
Mirror neurons make the same part of the brain light up from watching just like actually acting.
Violence viewing effect
Seeing violence makes us want more. Imitation and desensitization. We grow to hurt people we hate and hate people we hurt. Increases hostility.
It can’t be tested, however, because of violated ethics. A causation can’t be proved between violence and violent media. It does show this though:
-Desensitizes you/ increases your appetite for violence.
-Reduces empathy to real-life victims.
-We tend to imitate what we see, potentially being violence.
What can experiments prove?
Only experiments can prove causation, while others show correlation.
Law of Effect
Edward Thorndike. If you are rewarded, you are more likely to continue a behavior, and vice versa. The same works for aggression, which is learned.
Punishment that is administered immediately and is greater than the reward is the most effective preventer.
Social script
When we learn how to act in social situations through the norms of society and culture. Can be learned subconsciously.
Frustration- aggression hypothesis
Frustration occurs when something prevents an expected reward, potentially leading to aggression towards the interference. Displacement can occur when the source of frustration is perceived as unapproachable.
Catharsis
A release of emotion that works to lower aggression and anger. It only works if:
1. The release is directed at the person who caused the anger.
2. It’s justified.
3. The target is non-intimmidating
Blood pressure returns to normal faster if the victim is able to act on one of these conditions.
Just world phenomenon
Belief that everyone gets what they deserve, like karma, that’s not true at all.
Manipulation vs observation
-An experiment must have a manipulated variable, the researchers must change the independent variable, there needs to be a control group, and random assignment should be used.
-A correlational study doesn’t change a variable; it simply observes and records.
Happiness
Experiencing positive emotions while experiencing frequent negative emotions as well. Not permanent. Is tied to geography, just like aggression.
Adaptation-level principle
Humans basically get bored or adapt and want something more.
Relative deprevation
Feeling worse by comparing yourself to people who are doing better than you. Social comparision
Social comparison
Who are you looking at to decide how your life is going? Are they higher or lower than you? It can create envy, but also be trained to stop. It’s the key to joy.
