Core studies

• What is a basic assumption in psychology?


  It is what that area assumes is the most important factor influencing behavior.
• How do basic assumptions influence research in psychology?

  They define the principles that the area bases research and theories on.
• What is one basic assumption of Social Psychology?


  Behavior is influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others.
• How do relationships with others influence behavior according to Social Psychology?

  They influence our behavior and thought processes.
• What are some topics investigated in Social Psychology?

  Social norms, obedience, altruism, conformity, social identity.
• How does behavior change in different social contexts?


  It varies depending on the people or social groups present.
• In which social context might a person behave differently?

  At home compared to at school.
• What is the classic study associated with responses to authority in Social Psychology?

  Milgram (1963).
• What is the contemporary study associated with obedience and authority?

  Bocchiaro et al. (2012).
• What is the significance of the Milgram study?


  It investigates the level of obedience to authority figures.
• What does the 'Germans are different' hypothesis suggest?


  It suggests that Germans have a different personality type that leads to higher obedience.
• What was the aim of Asch's study on conformity?

  To investigate conformity to peer pressure.
• What procedure did Asch use in his conformity study?


  Participants were shown images of lines and asked to identify the matching line.
• What percentage of participants in Asch's study gave the incorrect answer?

  37%.
• What conclusion can be drawn from Asch's study?


  The desire to conform to peer pressure is strong enough for some people to say things they know are wrong.
• What historical event is associated with the concept of destructive obedience?

  The Holocaust.
• What is destructive obedience?

  Compliance with orders that results in negative outcomes, such as harm to others.
• What did Milgram argue about the German soldiers during the Holocaust?

  They had an 'Authoritarian personality' leading to unquestioning obedience.
• What is the difference between dispositional and situational explanations?


  Dispositional explanations focus on individual traits, while situational explanations focus on external circumstances.
• What is one trait of a person with an authoritarian personality?

  A rule follower who expects others to follow rules as well.
• What might lead a soldier to participate in mass killings according to situational explanations?

  Conforming to the behavior of others or feeling punished for non-compliance.
• What could be a dispositional explanation for a soldier's participation in mass killings?


  Having an unusually obedient personality or being a psychopath.
• How does the behavior of soldiers during the Holocaust compare to the 'average' person?


  Soldiers may have acted differently due to obedience to authority.
• What is the aim of Milgram's study of obedience?


  To investigate the level of obedience when told to administer shocks.
• What method did Milgram use to collect data in his study?


  Observation and unstructured interviews.
• What was the sample size and demographic in Milgram's study?


  40 males aged 20 to 50 from New Haven.
• How were participants recruited for Milgram's study?


  Through a newspaper advert and direct mail.
• What was the payment for participants in Milgram's study?


  $4.50.
• What materials were used in Milgram's study?


  An electric shock generator and a tape recorder.
• What role did the confederates play in Milgram's study?


  One acted as the learner and the other as the experimenter.
• What was a key part of the procedure that helped convince participants the shocks were legitimate?

  Participants were given a sample shock at 45 volts.
• How was it ensured that each participant had the same experience in Milgram's study?


  By using pre-recorded responses from the learner.
• How were participants encouraged to continue with the experiment?


  Through verbal prods from the experimenter.
• Why is Milgram's research referred to as a 'study' rather than an 'experiment'?

  Because there was no independent variable manipulated.
• What was the aim of the Milgram study regarding the 'Germans are different' hypothesis?


  To test whether Germans were inherently more obedient than others.
• What was the main focus of Milgram's study?


  To understand the factors that lead to destructive obedience.
• What did Milgram's study reveal about ordinary people?


  They have the potential to commit destructive acts under authority pressure.
• What was the setting of Milgram's study?


  Yale University.
• What was the role of the 'experimenter' in Milgram's study?

  To instruct the 'teacher' on administering shocks.
• What was the purpose of the shock generator in Milgram's study?


  To simulate the administration of electric shocks to the learner.