Flashcards
Introduction to Social Psychology
Cards in this deck (18)
- 1What is Social Psychology?The branch of psychology dedicated to the study of how people think about, influence and relate to each other.
- 2How attitudes are formed - Zajo,n 1968Mere exposure effect - the tendency to like things simply because we are exposed to them often. Works with advertising.
- 3Hindsight biasThe distorted perception that a person "knew it all along" after the event has taken placed, proving to alter memory. Findings are harder to predict when you don't already know the outcome
- 4The four branches of social psychology
- 5Individuals, Groups and SocietySome social psychologists study processes occurring with the individual
e.g., the self, attitudes
Some focus on groups
e.g., social influence, group processes
Some focus on social issues and specific contexts
e.g., aggression, conflict, organisational psychology - 6Scientific aspect of Social Psychologydevising and testing theories
empirically putting theories to the test
testing “universals” of human nature - 7David Hume and Adam SmithBritish scholars from the 1700's that wrote about emotions and how people are influenced by their interactions with people
- 8Kant and Wilhelm von Humboldt, August Comtewrote about issues such as the self, society and the relationship between language and thought
- 9German Scholars and the "Collective Mind"groups of people tend to think in the same way
“Völkerpsychologie” – folk psychology/psychology of the people
Wilhelm Wundt argued that individual consciousness was influenced by social customs and morals - 10Behaviorismimpact of rewards and punishments
Behaviours followed by rewards continue; but not when they are followed by punishment
attitudes and behaviour can be reinforced
Key to social development - 11Gestalt PsycholgyWhole psychology - important to look at the whole picture
The whole is other than the sum of the parts
We create a view that becomes independent - 12Historical influences in social psychologyConformity and Social influence
Social Loafing and Bystander effect - 13Personality PsychologyThe study of how people come to be who they are. Tightly interwoven with social psychology in psychological explanations of human behavior
- 14Elements of qualitative research methods in psychologyGenerally involve the collection of information in naturalistic settings
thematic analysis
conversational analysis
narrative analysis
discourse analysis
Interpretative phenomenological analysis - 15Elements of Quantitative ResearchQuantitative
Involve the collection of data – information, quantifiable observations, measurements or responses – for scientific analysis and interpretation
Control features of the empirical setting
surveys and questionnaires
experiment
field experiment
archival study
observations (both)
case study (both) - 16Possible issues in social psychology researchParticipants - How are they sampled. Bias?Randomly selected?
Reliability and validity - Consistent, accurate results?
Statistical significance - 17Basic v. Applied ResearchBasic research- focuses on fundamental questions about people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours; where does someone’s personality come from?
Applied research - applies basic research to problems or issues, often with the aim to enhance the quality of everyday life
usually focused in areas such as health, business, law, the environment, education, politics - 18Cultural issues in Social PsychologyNot all findings can be applied and replicated throughtout all cultures
Some are individualistic - see themselves as characterized by their independence; distinct
Some are collectivistic - see themselves as social beings who are linked to others