Social Psychology Unit 2

Question 1

Vaccination Study

Answer 1

Tendency of parents to consider future consequences evaluated, and parents then considered risks and benefits of HPV vaccine. Atittudes towards vaccine and potential future regret if daughter catches HPV vaccinated. Agreement to have daughter vaccinated measured.
Results: Parents with a tendency to consider future consequences of their actions had more positive thoughts and attitudes about vaccines and more anticipated regret if they forgo vaccination. They were more likely to have their daughter vaccinated.
Conclusion: some attitudes are formed based on careful consideration of information, and can predict future behavior.

Question 2

Effect of social networks on attitudes- why?

Answer 2

New social networks can be influential on attitudes, especially when new arguments are being introduced. The desire to fit in and be rewarded is a big motivator

Question 3

Study on effect of social networks on attitudes

Answer 3

University of Chicago freshmen who entered social groups with more diverse attitudes on affirmative action had more change in their attitudes

Question 4

Why do we adopt others attitudes?

Answer 4

Social comparison

Question 5

What is social comparison?

Answer 5

We compare ourselves with others to determine whether our view of social reality is correct

Question 6

What is a reference group and how does it affect us?

Answer 6

A reference group is people we value and identify with. We adjust our attitudes to be closer to the references group because we want to be similar to people we like.

Question 7

Effect of norms

Answer 7

People are more likely to express an attitude in the direction of a perceived norm. Norms affect whether we act on our attitudes.

Question 8

Study on drinking attitudes

Answer 8

Stanford students were randomly assigned to be told that other students’ attitudes towards drinking were either more positive or more negative than their own.
They were more likely to discuss drinking when they believed that other students’ attitudes were more positive than their own. This effect was stronger in students who identified more strongly with the student group.

Question 9

Effect of vested interest

Answer 9

Vested interest affects attitude extremity. When someone has a vested interest, issues are more likely to be carefully considered, and attitudes will be more resistant to change and more influential on behavior.

Question 10

Vested interest study

Answer 10

University students were called and asked to campaign against a new law raising the drinking age from 18 to 21. Students younger than 21 were more likely to participate because this would affect them.

Question 11

Attitudes and context study

Answer 11

Participants from the U.S. and from Hong Kong were asked to read a paragraph and circle pronouns. One group read a paragraph with first-person singular pronouns (independent prime) and the other read a paragraph with first person plural (interdependent priming). Attitudes on independent vs collective attitudes were then measured.
Results: For Americans, control and condition 1 (independent prime) were similar. For the interdependent prime, interdependent values increased and independent values went down.
For subjects from Hong Kong, control and interdependent groups had the same results, and independent group showed higher individualist values and fewer collective values.

Conclusion: context shapes are attitudes.

Question 12

LaPiere study

Answer 12

1933- La Piere travelled with a Chinese couple to see if they would receive service, and also wrote to each establishment asking if they would serve Chinese patrons. 90% of establishments said no, but less than 1% of establishments actually refused the couple.
Conclusion: attitudes do not necessarily predict behavior. However, it is possible that the presence of La Piere created a situational constraint.

Question 13

LaPiere study

Answer 13

1933- La Piere travelled with a Chinese couple to see if they would receive service, and also wrote to each establishment asking if they would serve Chinese patrons. 90% of establishments said no, but less than 1% of establishments actually refused the couple.
Conclusion: attitudes do not necessarily predict behavior. However, it is possible that the presence of La Piere created a situational constraint.

Question 14

Batson moral hypocrisy study

Answer 14

Subjects chose whether they or another person would get to perform a fun task that involved a prize. Only 1/20 subjects said it would be moral to give themselves the job, but 80% of subjects assigned themselves the attractive task

Question 15

Reagan attitude study

Answer 15

Participants were asked how they felt about Reagan, and response time was noted. Later, the participants were called to see who they really voted for. Responses given quickly predicted behavior better than responses given more slowly.
Conclusion? Strong attitudes are more predictive.

Question 16

Sierra club study

Answer 16

Subjects were asked how they felt about the environment, conservation, or feelings about Sierra club. The more specific a question was, the more predictive it was.
Conclusion: a specific attitude is more predictive.

Question 17

Moral hypocrisy

Answer 17

Attempting to appear moral while avoiding the costs of being so

Question 18

Effect of aggregating behavior

Answer 18

Attitudes are more predictive of behavior when behavior is aggregated. For example, for a single instance, a positive attitude on religion had almost no predictive value. However, over many instances, attitude about religion has a significant predictive value for behavior.

Question 19

When do attitudes predict behavior?

Answer 19

When they are strong, when other influences on our speech and action are minimal, and when they are specific to a behavior.

Question 20

IAT pros and cons

Answer 20

IAT can be used to reveal implicit biases which people do not express. However, it has low test-retest reliability, and may only be measuring people’s known associations form culture, not necessarily their own biases.

Question 21

Mirror study

Answer 21

Researchers affirmed that student group believed it was wrong to cheat. One group was assigned to take a test in front of a mirror, one without a mirror. No-mirror group cheated by going over the time limit 71% of the time, and those who took it in front of the mirror cheated only 7% of the time.
Conclusion? Attitudes are more potent when people are made more self-aware.

Question 22

Central route of persuasion

Answer 22

Focused on argument, likely to be taken if someone is motivated and able to focus.

Question 23

Peripheral route of persuasion depends on what factors?

Answer 23

Focuses on cues triggering automatic acceptance, form of argument

Question 24

Elaboration likelihood model

Answer 24

Persuasion can occur through an effortful central route or a less effortful peripheral route

Question 25

Australia region study

Answer 25

In Australia, messages about the benefits of recycled water were more persuasive coming from someone from the same region as the audience.

Question 26

Australia region study

Answer 26

In Australia, messages about the benefits of recycled water were more persuasive coming from someone from the same region as the audience.

Question 27

Comprehensive exam study

Answer 27

Students were told a required comprehensive exam to get a bachelor’s was being considered either at their own university or at another university, were given a strong or weak argument for it, and argument came either from an expert or non-expert.
If the policy was being considered for their own school, it is more relevant to the subject and argument strength was more important. If they believed it was going to happen at another school, the perceived expertise of the communicator was more important.
Conclusion: when you care, strength matters. When you don’t care, form matters.

Question 28

Need for cognition and persuasion

Answer 28

A persuasion target with a higher need for cognition is more likely to take the central route of persuasion.

Question 29

Inoculation

Answer 29

A mild attack on a point of view makes one’s defense stronger.

Question 30

Argument discrepancy

Answer 30

There is a curve in attitude change- if there is too little or too much discrepancy, no attitude change occurs. Experts can get away with greater discrepancy.

Question 31

Argument discrepancy

Answer 31

There is a curve in attitude change- if there is too little or too much discrepancy, no attitude change occurs. Experts can get away with greater discrepancy.

Question 32

3 theories of how behavior influences attitudes

Answer 32

cognitive dissonance, self-perception, self-presentation

Question 33

Insufficient justification study

Answer 33

Participants were given an hour-long boring task. They were then asked to tell another subject that the study was interesting, and given either $1 or $20 for doing so. They were then asked how interesting the study was. The group that received $1 felt the study was more interesting.
Conclusion: $1 was not a sufficient external justification for the dissonance between thinking the study was boring and saying it was interesting.

Question 34

Insufficient justification study

Answer 34

Participants were given an hour-long boring task. They were then asked to tell another subject that the study was interesting, and given either $1 or $20 for doing so. They were then asked how interesting the study was. The group that received $1 felt the study was more interesting.
Conclusion: $1 was not a sufficient external justification for the dissonance between thinking the study was boring and saying it was interesting.

Question 35

Police essay study

Answer 35

Anti-police college students were asked to write a pro-police essay. Some were paid $0.50 to do so, some $10. The $0.50 cent group (insufficient justification) said they liked the police more.

Question 36

Robby the Robot study

Answer 36

Kids played in a room with multiple toys and were given either a mild or severe threat not to play with Robby the Robot. 2 weeks later when brought back, the mild threat group (insufficient justification) played less with Robby.

Question 37

Weight loss program study

Answer 37

Subjects were given either a mild or severe initiation. Of those who went through a severe initiation, 94% lost weight. 38% of the mild initiation group lost weight.
This demonstrates effort justification- those who worked hard to get into the group had to conclude it was a good group and worth their time to justify their effort.

Question 38

Weight loss program study

Answer 38

Subjects were given either a mild or severe intiation. Of those who went through a severe initiation, 94% lost weight. 38% of mild initiation group lost weight.
This demonstrates effort justification- those who worked hard to get into the group had to conclude it was a good group and worth their time to justify their effort.

Question 39

Hypocrisy effect

Answer 39

The effect of alerting people to the differences between their actions and their attitudes.

Question 40

Condom study

Answer 40

Students either were or were not videotaped talking about condom use, and were or were not asked to call to mind times they did not use condoms. They were then given the opportunity to purchase condoms. Of those who were videotaped and recalled times they did not use condoms, 80% purchased condoms and reported more condom use in follow-up. 30-50% of those in other conditions purchased condoms. This demonstrates the hypocrisy effect.

Question 41

Photography class study

Answer 41

In a photography class, students were offered the chance to take pictures home. In one condition they could change their minds and bring the picture back, in the other condition they could not. Those who could not change their decision liked their choice more.

Question 42

Photography class study

Answer 42

In a photography class, students were offered the chance to take pictures home. In one condition they could change their minds and bring the picture back, in the other condition they could not. Those who could not change their decision liked their choice more.

Question 43

Evidence for dissonance vs. self-perception theory

Answer 43

College students were asked to write about the benefits of 7 AM classes. One group was nudged to do this, the other forced. Group 1 started sweating, indicating tension (dissonance)- because they felt they have a choice.

Question 44

Aronson self theory on why dissonance creates tension

Answer 44

Lying threatens the idea that the self is good

Question 45

Harmon Jones theory on dissonance

Answer 45

Conflicting thoughts have action tendencies and we are tugged between two possible actions. Getting rid of the conflict by committing to a choice encourages action.

Question 46

Milgram obedience study

Answer 46

65% of subjects continued to shock at 450 V until the experimenter halted the experiment. 17% went on until the subject stopped responding.

Question 47

Milgram manipulations

Answer 47

victim proximity- compliance drops to 40% when learner is in the same room
authority proximity- when the authority figure is giving instructions over the phone, obedience drops to 21%.
Disobedience model- when confederates model disobedience, 10% went to the end of the board.
Indirect participation- when the subject only read the words and someone else was hitting the shock buttons, 93% of participants went to the end of the board.

Question 48

What was not manipulated in any of the Milgram study conditions?

Answer 48

Gradual commitment- increasing by 15 V at a time. Cognitive dissonance plays a role in why people don’t stop- why stop at this point when you would do 15 V less?

Question 49

What was not manipulated in any of the Milgram study conditions?

Answer 49

Gradual commitment- increasing by 15 V at a time. Cognitive dissonance plays a role in why people don’t stop- why stop at this point when you would do 15 V less?

Question 50

Sherif study

Answer 50

Independently people came to stable estimates on how far the light moved, when in a room together answers converged. After separating they continue to give the conforming answer.
Conclusion? They have internalized the answer as being right.

Question 51

Sherif study

Answer 51

Independently people came to stable estimates on how far the light moved, when in a room together answers converged. After separating they continue to give the conforming answer.
Conclusion? They have internalized the answer as being right.
It is important that this is a situation where the correct answer is ambiguous. When people are more confused, tehy are more likely to conform.

Question 52

Distinguish between the Sherif study and the Asch study

Answer 52

Sherif study- ambiguous situation, people have accepted the answer as correct.
Asch- non-ambiguous, people are complying, not accepting the answer as correct. This situation creates some stress in subjects.

Question 53

Distinguish between the Sherif study and the Asch study

Answer 53

Sherif study- ambiguous situation, people have accepted the answer as correct.
Asch- non-ambiguous, people are complying, not accepting the answer as correct. This situation creates some stress in subjects.

Question 54

Types of conformity

Answer 54

Normative and informational

Question 55

What is evidence for normative conformity

Answer 55

Normative conformity relates to compliance, not acceptance, and is evidenced by a discrepancy between private and public behavior.

Question 56

Towel study

Answer 56

3 messages:
1. help save environment
2. partner with us to save the environment
3. join your fellow guests in helping to save the environment
Message #3 results in 34% more towel reuse

Question 57

Situations in which conformity is greater

Answer 57

• more cost to bucking the norm
• more people against you
• when you think others know more than you
• when everyone is against you (even a single ally reduces conformity)

Question 58

Effect of number of confederates in the Asch study

Answer 58

Less conformity when there are fewer confederates giving the wrong answer

Question 59

what type of people conform?

Answer 59

• low in self-esteem, for both normative and informational reasons
• low in expertise

Question 60

Study on difficult decisions

Answer 60

People ranked appliances and got to choose between second and third choice or second and seventh choice. People ranked their rejected choice lower only if they had made the difficult choice, showing that it changed their attitude

Question 61

How can you reduce dissonance?

Answer 61

Knowing about dissonance, or having self compassion for your inconsistency