Vocab CH 1 Flashcards
Social psychology
understanding human social behavior and the motivations, cognition and emotions related to it
Applied social psychology
systematic application of social psychological constructs, principles, theories, intervention techniques, research methods
Construct
clearly defined individual psychological characteristic that is generally latent and thus not directly observable, although it can be assessed through interviews or questionnaires
Principle
statement of how psychological processes work. Principles describe basic processes by which humans think, feel and act
Theory
integrated set of principles that describes, explains and predicts observed events
Basic social psychologists
develop and test theories, conduct studies out of mere curiosity
Applied social psychologists
understanding and resolving practical problems, contribute towards solving social problems
deductive approach
starting with a theory and examining how this is helpful in understanding social behavior
Basic social psychologists
deductive approach (starting with a theory and examining how this is helpful in understanding social behavior), how good is a theory in explaining a wide range of social behaviors;
inductive approach
starting from a specific social problem and examine to what extent various theories may help to understand this specific problem
Scientific method
depend on empirical testing, use of systematic
observations to evaluate propositions and ideas
Accuracy
carefully examined, precise and error-free as possible
Objectivity
minimize bias
Skepticism
results should be replicable
Open—mindedness
accept evidence as valid even if it is not consistent with one’s initial beliefs
Deception
should be avoided and only used when it serves a higher desirable goal
Informed consent
inform about the aim of the study and the impact it may have on them
Description
identifying and specifying the details and nature of a phenomenon
Prediction
requires knowledge of what factors are systematically related to the phenomenon (correlation)
Causality
identifying causes
Explanation
why a phenomenon or relationship occur
Individual factors
interpersonal characteristics and processes
Social factors
effect of opinion and action of other people on our behavior/thoughts
Situational factors
contextual factors and the physical world
Cultural factors
cultural values that affect cognitions and behavior
Biological factors
effect of biological processes and genetic factors
Interdisciplinary research
Societal problems are rooted in a wide range of factors, which are not solely social-psychological by nature
Field setting
Applied social psychologists are more likely to conduct research in field settings and less inclined to conduct true experiments
Social utility
Social utility increases if scientists focus their efforts on those aspects of a social problem where they are likely to have the most impact in resolving the problem
