Week 3 lectures

• What are the key topics covered in the lecture?

  • Attitudes and Attitude Problems
  • Formation and maintenance of Attitudes
  • Prejudice and Discrimination
  • Cognitive Dissonance
  • Conformity, Compliance, and Obedience
  • Power and Influence
  • Social Comparison Theory
  • Social Identity Theory
• How is an attitude defined in modern research?

  An attitude is an internal construct that guides us in relation to stimuli.
• What are the general characteristics of attitudes?

  Attitudes are generally positive or negative reactions towards a particular person, event, situation, or object.
• What are the three models outlining the structure of attitudes in social psychology?

  1. One Component Model: Affect towards a psychological object.
  2. Two Component Model: Mental readiness to act and evaluation of a psychological object.
  3. Three Component Model: Affective, behavioral, and cognitive components.
• What does the One Component Model of attitudes focus on?

  The One Component Model focuses on affect towards a psychological object.
• What does the Two Component Model of attitudes consist of?

  The Two Component Model consists of a state of mental readiness to act and an evaluation of a psychological object.
• What are the components of the Three Component Model of attitudes?

  The Three Component Model includes affective, behavioral, and cognitive components.
• How are attitudes formed and maintained?

  Attitudes are learned and maintained through socialization, direct experience, and interaction with others.
• What is the Mere Exposure Effect?

  The Mere Exposure Effect states that repeated exposure to something increases our attraction to it.
• How does the Mere Exposure Effect manifest in real life?

  People report increased liking for photographs of individuals after repeated exposure.
• What is Classical Conditioning in the context of attitudes?

  Classical Conditioning involves repeated associations between a neutral stimulus and an evocative stimulus, causing the neutral stimulus to trigger similar attitudes.
• How can Classical Conditioning influence attitudes?

  People are more easily persuaded if they are given a pleasant experience while receiving a persuasive message.
• What is Operant Conditioning in relation to attitudes?

  Operant Conditioning states that attitudes that are reinforced are more likely to be repeated.
• How does Modelling influence the formation of attitudes?

  Modelling involves copying or imitating attitudes observed in others.
• How can parents influence their children's attitudes through Modelling?

  Parents can help children develop positive attitudes by rewarding them for good grades.
• What is Prejudice in social psychology?

  Prejudice is an attitude about a social group, often involving negative beliefs or behaviors towards its members.
• How can prejudice lead to discrimination?

  Prejudice can lead to discrimination when assumptions about others based on their social group result in negative actions.
• What is Overt Discrimination?

  Overt Discrimination involves direct and open actions against individuals based on their social group.
• What is Covert Discrimination?

  Covert Discrimination involves indirect and subtle methods of acting against individuals based on their social group.
• What is Cognitive Dissonance?

  Cognitive Dissonance is an unpleasant state of psychological tension generated by two or more inconsistent cognitions.
• How do individuals typically respond to cognitive dissonance?

  Individuals seek harmony in their attitudes and behaviors to reduce cognitive dissonance.
• What are the five conditions for increased belief after disconfirmation according to Festinger?

  Belief must be held with conviction, involve commitment, be specific, have undeniable disconfirmatory evidence, and have social support.
• How does Social Comparison Theory explain our behavior?

  Social Comparison Theory suggests we compare our views and behaviors to those of others to identify social norms.
• What is the difference between downward and upward social comparisons?

  Downward social comparisons involve comparing ourselves to those slightly worse, while upward comparisons involve comparing ourselves to those slightly better.
• What is the Social Evaluation Maintenance Model?

  The Social Evaluation Maintenance Model explains how upward social comparisons can influence self-esteem and how we protect ourselves from negative impacts.
• What strategies can be used to protect self-esteem in upward social comparisons?

  • Exaggerate the person's ability.
  • Change the person of comparison.
  • Create distance from the person.
  • Devalue the comparison.
• What is the role of self-schemas in understanding ourselves?

  Self-schemas are cognitive structures that represent knowledge about ourselves, varying in clarity across different aspects.
• What did Freud's Tripartite personality theory consist of?

  Freud's Tripartite personality consists of the Id, Ego, and Superego.
• What does the Id represent in Freud's theory?

  The Id represents the pleasure principle and contains unrepressed libidinal urges.
• What is the function of the Ego in Freud's Tripartite personality?

  The Ego operates on the reality principle and balances the desires of the Id and Superego.
• What does the Superego represent in Freud's theory?

  The Superego represents the morality principle and contains internalized societal norms and values.
• How does the Collective Self differ from individual psychology?

  The Collective Self encompasses properties from the groups of which an individual is a member, beyond individual consciousness.
• What does Social Comparison Theory suggest about our comparisons with others?

  Social Comparison Theory suggests we often compare ourselves to those slightly worse to enhance our self-concept.
• What is the impact of upward social comparisons on self-esteem?

  Upward social comparisons can negatively impact our self-esteem.
• How can individuals protect their self-esteem during upward social comparisons?

  Individuals can protect their self-esteem by changing the comparison target or devaluing the comparison.
• What are the implications of the Social Evaluation Maintenance Model for self-esteem?

  • Upward comparisons can lower self-esteem.
  • Strategies exist to mitigate negative impacts.
  • Self-esteem can be protected through cognitive adjustments.
• How does the concept of self-schemas relate to self-perception?

  Self-schemas influence how we perceive ourselves and our behaviors in various contexts.
• What is the significance of the collective self in social psychology?

  The collective self highlights the importance of group membership in shaping individual identity and behavior.
• How does Social Comparison Theory relate to self-esteem?

  Social Comparison Theory indicates that comparisons can either enhance or diminish self-esteem based on the direction of the comparison.
• What role does social support play in maintaining beliefs after disconfirmation?

  Social support helps individuals maintain their beliefs by providing a community of like-minded individuals.