U0 Social Psychology: the science of the social side of life

Question 1

What is Social Psychology

Answer 1

Science that tries to understand the causes of social behavior by focusing on the behavior of individuals

Question 2

Who is the father of social psychology? And what did he say

Answer 2

Gordon W. Allport
“The scientific investigation of how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by actual, imagined or implied presence of others.”
-> communication serves a purpose
-> behavior is influenced motives, goals, perspective, cutlural, background, -> actor and behavior

Question 3

The STUDY OF social psychology

What does social psychology rely on?

Answer 3

Accuracy (observation not people watching)
Replicability (same findings)
Objectivity (free from bias - unconscious bias)
Skepticism (accept data accurately)
Open-mindedness (commitment to change one’s view if evidence suggests to)

Question 4

What is considered when we for example study why do individuals perform violence?

Answer 4

-> groups
-> culture
-> emotion
-> Non-social factors
-> environment
->info framing biology
->appereances

Social contexts/experiance -> self-identities -> social behavior -> social contexts

Question 5

What do social psychologists examine?

Answer 5

• how groups influence social behavior
• how culture becomes internalized and affects individual preferences
• how emotions and moods affect the decisions made by the individual

Question 6

What are the components of psychological perspective in social psychology?

Answer 6

-> Variation (same species evolve different ways)
-> Inheritance (vari. can be passed on to next generations)
-> Selection (advantages that make organisms survive more)

social psych. who are guided by evo. perspective are particularly interested in features that might account for gendered behavior, esp. related to sexuality

studies like why do we find some people attractive

Question 7

What are the two groups in social psychologists?

Answer 7

Social behaviors - how ppl act in social situations

Social thought - how ppl attempt to make sense of the social world and understand themselves and others

Question 8

What are some things that are studied in social behavior

Answer 8

the ways people interact with one another:
* altruism
* communication
* tradition
* humour
* influence
* conformity
* cooperation
* listening
* leadership
* gossiping
* politeness
* shyness
* discipline
* manipulation
* agression
* competition

Question 9

What are some things social thought group studies

Answer 9

What we think in any situation and the models we use
-> automatic vs. controlled
-> bribing/gifiting
-> Leaving a tip
-> to ‘dress up’

Question 10

What do modern theories of Social psychology do?

Answer 10

integrate both social thought and behavior to come understand how and why other people behave. We cannot hope to understand how and why other people behave the way they do withouth considering their thoughts, memory, intentions, emotions, attitudes, and beliefs.

Question 11

What is the role of emotion in the social side life

Answer 11

-> positive emotions (affect) increase our tendency to help others
-> interest in this topic has increased

Question 12

How do relationship relate to social psychology?

Answer 12

relationships are a fundamental part of our life as it can add happiness when its a good relationship, and disturb our well-being when we’re in a negative relationship.

Question 13

It is better, to view one’s partner realistically or through “rose-colored glasses”?

Answer 13

• It is good but only if it is restrained by a healthy degree of reality
• Positivity and perceived similarity between partners contributes to hapiness, but
  accuracy does too.

single people can be happy, however those that belong to a social group are healthier and live longer

Question 14

What data do social psychologists collect?

Answer 14

they use brain activation when doing certain activities, heart rate and neural activity, response latency when presented an stimuli or a choice

Question 15

What are mirror neuron’s

Answer 15

neurones that allow us to have empathy
-> capacity to put ourselves in another person’s shoes
-> DOES NOT INCLUDE JUDGEMENT
-> REQUIRES ACTIVE LISTENING AND TAKES ON NONVERBAL CUES

Question 16

What are cognitive theories in social psychology?

Answer 16

Explanations of behavior in terms of the way people actively interpret and represent their experiences and then plan actions (schemas)

Question 17

Who is considered to be the father of experimental social psychology

Answer 17

Lewin’s theory was the earliest social psychology’s cognitive theories
advocating for full cycle research: basic and applied research inform one another

Question 18

What is the order of domination in theories within SP during the years

Answer 18

during 50’s and 60’s cognitive theories dominated
(Our thoughts about ourselves, our behavior, and the world create discomfort, motivating us to resolve the cognitive conflict.)

early 70’s attribution theories dominates (People explain behavior through causes, which shape their reactions and future actions.)

late 70’s social cognition

Question 19

How does Kurt Lewin’s model explain the role of both individual and environmental factors in shaping social behavior?

Answer 19

Kurt Lewin emphasized the practical value of good theories in understanding social behavior. He argued that every psychological event is influenced by both the individual’s state and the environment, though the weight of each can vary in different situations. Lewin’s model of social behavior highlights this interaction between the person and their surroundings.

Question 20

A model for understanding social behaviour

Answer 20

Lewin established two categories that would affect social behavior
- social behavior is a function of the interaction of the situation and the individual’s characteristics:
beh = f(social situation x individual characteristics)

Question 21

What is a person’s perception of the world influenced by?

Answer 21

it is influenced by their past, their tasks, and needs
-> social contexts can produce forces that control the individual’s actions

Question 22

What does Kurt Lewin’s Field Theory explain about the perception of the psychological environment and its role in change management?

Answer 22

• Refers to the overall psychological environment a person perceives at any moment.
• Rooted in Gestalt psychology: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
  It evolves with time, experiences, and interactions.
• Applied in change management: highlights the tension between driving forces (pushing for change) and restraining forces (resisting change).

Question 23

Field theory - unfreeze

Answer 23

• Bring status quo out of
  balance and prepare all
  involved parties for the
  change process
• Overcome resistance and
  encourage willingness of
  participants.

Question 24

Field theory - change

Answer 24

• Create a new condition if
  enough willingness to
  change is established.
• Create new solutions and
  new attitudes until a new
  balance is established.

Question 25

Field theory - freeze

Answer 25

• Solidify new attitudes and newly
  created balance.
• Integrate new problema-solving
  strategies into Company
  processes.
• Move on to next stage Project
  after successful conclusión of
  this phase.

Question 26

Why don’t social situations and individual characteristics directly influence social behavior, and how does intention differ from action?

Answer 26

Inputs from social situations and individual characteristics don’t directly determine social behavior. Instead, other factors intervene between intentions and actions. Even if someone forms a behavioral intention, it doesn’t guarantee that they will act on it.

Question 27

WHAT DOES THE DYNAMIC PROCESS LOOK LIKE?

Answer 27

Individual characteristics+ social situational -> social cognition and perception -> evaluation -> Intention to behave a certain way -> overt social beh