Social Psychology Final

• Types of research design

  • Observation
  • Correlational
  • Experimental
• Observation

  • Watch and systematically record (direct observation)
• Correlational


  • Predict
• Experimental

  • Statement about cause and explains causal relationships
• Correlational studies


  Strengths: Explains why and which social behaviors individuals engage in, Prediction, 2 or more variables are systematically measured, Explain the relationship

  Weaknesses: Self report may lead to bias recall, Does not explain the cause and effects, May share a common cause (third variable)
• Independent variable


  Expected cause; in experimental research it is the variable the researcher controls; condition to which participants are assigned
• Dependent variable


  Expected outcome; variable I care about understanding; NOT manipulated by the researcher, it is measured; we expect it to change systematically as we vary exposure to the independent variable
• Internal validity


  Extent to which are sure differences in the DV were due to manipulation
• External validity


  Extent to which findings generalize
• Random sampling


  Where each individual in the population has an equal chance of being invited to participate, allows us to generalize to the population from which they were drawn
• Sample


  Sub-population, acquired via random selection
• Random assignment


  About how people are allocated
• Automatic thinking


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


  Conscious, effortful, voluntary, intentional, reflective
• Schemas


  Mental structures that help us to organize knowledge or information → templates that intuitively guide information retrieval, processing
• Accessibility


  Extent to which something is available for use; forefront of your mind
• Priming


  The process through which ideas become accessible
• Self-fulfilling prophecy

  Expectation about another's behavior that comes true because observer (person holding expectation) acts in ways that bring it about
• Representative heuristic


  Judgement about something based on how similar it is to the typical case
• Base rate


  About relative frequency of members of different categories of the population
• Availability heuristic


  Judgement based on how easy it is to bring an example to mind
• Social perception


  Judgements we make about others
• First impressions

  How are they formed: Can happen quickly, based on limited information → first or initial impressions

  What influences them/Why do they last?: Primacy Effect, Belief perseverance

  Why are they important?: They are long lasting
• Attribution


  We think is cause or reason why
• Types of attributions

  • Internal: person behaved that way because of trait, personal quality, it's who they are

  External: person behaved that way because of the situation, circumstance, not b/c of who they are
• Fundamental attribution error


  Overestimate the extent to which behavior caused by the person and to underestimate the role of the situation
• Three pieces of information relevant in the covariation model

  • Consensus: how other people behave towards stimuli

  Distinctiveness: how actor behaves towards other stimuli

  Consistency: how person behaves towards that stimuli over time and circumstance
• Two-step model of attributions

  1. Characterization: attribution, usually internal (relatively quick, automatic, not deliberate)

  2. Correction: make adjustments (takes a little more effort)
• Self-concept

  Overall set of beliefs individuals has about who they are
• Four functions of the self-concept

  • Self-knowledge: way we understand who we are; organize information

  Self-control: way we make plans and execute decisions

  Impression management: how we present ourselves to others

  Self-esteem: way we maintain positive views
• Processes related to self-knowledge

  • Introspection

  Self-observation

  Social comparison
• Introspection


  Look inward to gain insight, knowing self based on self-reflection (different from observation), inside feelings; only we have access to, reflecting inward
• Self-observation


  Distinctive aspect is taking a third person perspective, outsider perspective, watch yourself, others also have access to this information (different from introspection)
• Self-perception theory

  When attitudes or feelings are ambiguous infer them from our behavior and the context in which it is happening
• Overjustification effect


  Tendency for individuals to view their behavior as caused by compelling extrinsic reasons leading to an undermining of Intrinsic motivation
• Attitudes


  Evaluations of people, objects, and ideas
• Components of attitudes


  • Cognitive: informational aspect of attitude (e.g., facts, beliefs)

  Affective: feelings in response to attitude object (e.g., emotions)

  Behavioral: prior experiences with the attitude object
• Theory of planned behavior

  Peoples intentions are the best predictors of the deliberate behavior, which are determined by their attitude
• Factors considered in persuasive communication

  • Source: who will deliver the message (credibility, expertise, attractiveness)

  Content: what information will be conveyed (strength, length)

  Audience: who are the recipients (ability, motivation)
• Central route processing


  When people have both the ability and motivation to elaborate on persuasive communication, listening carefully to and thinking about the arguments presented