Unit 0 Flashcards
What is social psychology?
Social psychology is the scientific study of how individuals thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of others (Gordon W. Allport)
What are the five core characteristics of science that social psychology relies on?
●Accuracy (“observation is not the same as “people watching “)
●Replicability
●Objectivity (try not to be partial or try to not “have” bias )
●Skepticism
●Open-mindedness
What is bias in a scientific context?
Bias refers to beliefs that are not founded in known facts. An example of bias is believing you knew something all long (hindsight bias).
What are some areas of study that social psychologists examine?
●How groups influence social behavior
●How culture impacts individual preferences
●How emotions and moods influence individual decision-making
What is evolutionary psychology?
Evolutionary psychology examines how psychological mechanisms have evolved over time through variation, inheritance and selection (example: stereotypes of beauty).
What are the two main focuses of study within social psychology?
Social behavior: How individuals act in social situations
Social thoughts: How individuals understand the social world, themselves, and others.
Why is the study of emotion important in social psychology?
Emotions and moods significantly influence social life. For example, emotions can increase helping behaviors.
How does social psychology approach the study of social relationships?
Social psychology investigates the importance, formation, development, and ending of relationships, recognizing their impact on well-being ( 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).
What is social neuroscience?
Social neuroscience combines social psychology and brain research, using techniques like fMRI to study social phenomena
What are mirror neurons?
Mirror neurons are brain cells that activate both when we perform an action and when we observe someone else performing that action. They are thought to be linked to enpathy.
What is empathy?
Empathy is the Capacity to put ourselves in another person’s shoes. We feel and understand the other person feelings, thoughts and beliefs from
his/her circumstance.
Describe a study that investigated the relationship between empathy and mirror neurons.
Participants completed an empathy questionnaire and underwent fMRI scans while watching videos of social and non-social facial expressions. Results showed that individuals with higher empathy displayed greater activity in the brain region associated with mirror neurons
What are cognitive theories in social psychology?
Cognitive theories explain behavior by focusing on how people interpret, represent and plan actions based on their experiences.
Who is considered the father of experimental social psychology, and what did he contribute?
Kurt Lewin is considered the father of experimental social psychology. He emphasized “full cycle” research, where basic and applied research inform each other, and developed field theory.
What is Lewin’s model of social behavior?
Behavior is a function of the interaction between the situation and individual characteristics: Behavior = ƒ (social situation x individual characteristics)
