Social Psychology Final

Cards (220)

  • Conceptual variable

    The idea of what needs to be measured (ex. how good someone is at being a quarterback)
  • Operational variable

    How a variable is defined and measured (ex. age, height, scores)
  • Correlational study 

    Two or more variables are systematically measured (predict)
  • Observational study

    Researchers observe individuals without manipulation or intervention (describe)
  • Experimental study

    Carefully orchestrated series of events (procedure) established by the team and followed so that every single participant's experience is NEARLY identical (causality)
  • Independent variable

    Expected cause; the variable the researcher controls; condition to which participants are assigned
  • Dependent variable

    Expected outcome; not manipulated by researcher; is measured; we expect it to change systematically as we vary exposure to the independent variable
  • A correlational study can be used to predict results, but cannot determine whether one variable caused another. It cannot establish cause and effect.
  • An experimental study can establish cause and effect, however is done in an artificial environment that might not reflect real life.
  • Internal validity

    Extent to which we are certain differences in the dependent variable are due only to variability on the independent variable (aspects of the study)
  • External validity
    Extent to which findings generalize to the real world (outward facing aspects)
  • Random sampling
    Every person in the population of interest had an equal chance of being invited (or not invited) to participate
  • Random assignment
    Each person in the study has equal chance of being assigned to any condition
  • Random sampling is about who is in the study, while random assignment is about how people are allocated
  • Sample
    Subpopulation of group researcher is interested in
  • Automatic thinking

    Non-conscious, low effort, involuntary, unintentional, reflexive
  • Controlled thinking

    Conscious, effortful, voluntary, intentional, reflective
  • Examples of automatic thinking
    Yawning, blinking, brushing teeth, pull away from something hot, jumping when scared
  • Examples of controlled thinking
    Taking notes in class, complimenting someone, holding the door, planning ahead, gift giving
  • Schemas
    Mental structures help us to organize knowledge or information
  • Stereotype
    When we assign a specific characteristic or trait to a person simply because of their membership to a group
  • Schemas are not necessarily aligned with group membership, but stereotypes are
  • Self-fulfilling prophecy
    Expectation about another's behavior that comes true because observer (person holding expectation) acts in ways that bring it about
  • Self-fulfilling prophecy is different from a schema because it describes a sequence of events necessary for confirming a specific belief or expectancy, not confirming a general structure
  • Heuristics
    Mental shortcuts or rules of thumb used to make judgments (judgments made with little effort, reflexive, non-conscious)
  • Availability heuristic

    Judgement based on how easy it is to bring an example to mind
  • Representative heuristic

    Judgement about something based on how similar it is to the typical case
  • Social perception
    Judgments we make about others; draw meaning from other's behaviors; non-verbal behavior (faces, body language)
  • Initial impressions are important because they are often lasting
  • Primacy effect

    Tendency to remember what was encountered first, related to recall
  • Initial impressions last because of primacy effect and they influence the way we interpret other information about the target person
  • Belief perseverance
    Tendency to stick with an initial judgement even when provided with evidence suggesting it may be incorrect
  • Attribution
    We think is cause or reason why
  • Internal attribution

    Person behaved that way because of trait, personal quality, it is who they are
  • External attribution

    Person behaved that way because of the situation, circumstance, not because of who they are
  • Someone snapped at you...(attribution)
    Internal attribution: impatient person
    External attribution: poor test grade
  • Fundamental attribution error

    Overestimate the extent to which behavior is caused by the person and to underestimate the role of the situation
  • Covariation model: Consensus

    How other people behave towards stimuli
  • Covariation model: Distinctiveness
    How actor behaves towards other stimuli
  • Covariation model: Consistency

    How person behaves towards that stimuli over time and circumstance