SOP 3004 chapter 1

mediating variables

Variable that is affected by independent variable, then affects dependent variable EX: playing with dogs -> increase oxytocin -> higher happiness

moderator variables

Variables that change the size or direction of the relationship between two variables EX: Playing with dogs increases happiness for people who like dogs, but not for people who don't

implicit processes

some attitudes and behaviors occur nonconsciously and automatically

inheritance

some traits passed down through genes (heritable) EX: eye color

confounding variable

something else may have affected dependent variable

systematic observation

observing behavior as it occurs

necessary components of experiments

- random assignment - constant

How are neurological processes connected to different aspects of social life?

- Use technology to study the brain (frmi) - mirror neurons

research methods

- systematic observation - naturalistic observation - survey method

evolutionary psychology

- variation - inheritance - selection

In the study by Proudfoot, Kay, and Koval (2015) on implicit attitudes about gender, the researchers found that when participants were told an architectural design was by a female, they judged it to be ________ creative compared to when they were told the same design was by a male. A. less B. more C. equally D. very

A

Social psychologists focus their attention mainly on individuals because ________. A. our actions are performed by and thoughts occur in the minds of individuals B. the behavior of groups is too difficult to study in laboratory conditions C. cultural differences have a strong effect on the behavior of groups but only a weak effect on individuals D. some individuals are more strongly affected by society than are others

A

Which of the following categories is NOT one of the categories mentioned in the textbook regarding factors affecting social interaction? A. perceptual processes B. cognitive processes C. environmental variable D. biological factors

A

Which of the following is not a focus of social psychology? A. How groups function B. What causes individual behavior C. How social environments influence thoughts D. How emotions influence social life

A

Which of the following terms refers to a framework that explains certain events or processes? A. theory B. hypothesis C. deception D. meta-analysis

A

What social psychology IS

A Science of accuracy, objectivity, skepticism, and open-mindedness

Person vs. Situation

A situation doesnt just mean a physical situation. EX: Gender, race, emotions, characteristics

mirror neurons

Activated when observing others and is important to empathy EX: we mimic the people we involve ourselves with EX: we discount information that we disagree with

According to the evolutionary perspective, why do we find people with traits such as symmetrical features and clear skin attractive? A. Their faces are easier to cognitively process. B. The traits are indicators of good health. C. People with these traits tend to be nicer.

B

What is the name of the committee that ensures that research is being conducted ethically? A. institutional board of review B. institutional review board C. institutional ethics committee D. institutional committee on ethics

B

biological factors

Biology and social life affect each other -epigenetics -evolved psychological mechanisms

2 Which of the following statements best describes evolutionary psychology? A. People evolve certain traits because they are beneficial B. Adaptive traits are not selected and are passed along to the next generations C. Certain traits are selected for and are passed along to subsequent generations D. Beneficial variations are selected for and other variations cease to exist

C

Suppose smoking and drinking alcohol are found to be correlated at +.65. We can conclude that ________. A. smoking causes drinking B. drinking causes smoking C. as smoking increases, drinking increases D. as smoking increases, drinking decreases

C

Tammy is conducting a study on how exercise is related to decreased stress. She predicts that exercise leads to the release of endorphins, which lead to decreased stress. Which of these variables is a mediator? A. Exercise B. Stress C. Endorphins D. None of the above

C

Imagine you need to ask your friend for a favor. According to the research about how moods affect behaviors, when would be the best time to ask her? A. After she found out she failed an exam B. While you're at the gym together C. When you're in a great mood D. After she was just offered her dream job

D

Michael thinks that working hard is related to gray hair, but only among those who experience high levels of stress. What type of variable is stress? A. Independent B. Dependent C. Mediator D. Moderator

D

One reason that social scientists put their faith in the scientific method is that the scientific method ________. A. produces incontrovertible proof of the accuracy of their theories B. assures acceptance of their conclusions by the general public C. allows scientists to rely on their own intuition D. produces more conclusive evidence than other methods

D

Which of the following is NOT a necessary component of an experiment? A. independent variable B. dependent variable C. random assignment D. mediating variable

D

environmental factors

Environment affects our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors -Physical environment -Situations EX: heat can cause aggression and anger

epigenetics

Environment and/or social experiences turn genes on or off

social relationships in our lives

Many more people are single now, but they're also more involved in groups and activities. People who are members of groups tend to live longer than those who are less connected. Relationships also affect our self-esteem.

individual vs. other people

Other's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors affect our own Behave differently depending who we're interacting with EX: dinner with friends vs dinner with family

evolved psychological mechanisms

Processes that help/helped us deal with problems related to survival

What is social psychology

Social psychology investigates the ways in which our thoughts, feelings, and actions are influenced by the social environments in which we find ourselves - by other people or our thoughts about them It is about individuals

meta analysis

Take all the studies on a topic and find the average effect size. Useful for making sense of conflicting findings and making sure effects are replicable

cognitive precesses

Think about others' thoughts, feelings, and behaviors Make attributions about other people's behavior -To them -To situations

emotion

feeling influence social life

size

how strongly two things are related to each other

Accuracy

measuring things appropriately and properly

naturalistic observation

observing behavior in natural settings EX: interactions in public

variation

organisms differ from each other EX: introvert vs extrovert

survey method

people respond to questions about their attitudes or behavior EX: agree, disagree, strongly agree

selection

variations that are adaptive become increasingly common in the population EX: survive and reproduce

attribution

we assume and try to come up with explanations as to why people are acting a certain way