PSY20016 - Week 1 - What is Social Psychology?
Social psychology differs from common sense in that:
... social psychology relies on the scientific method to test its theories.
debriefing
A disclosure, made to participants after research procedures are completed, in which the researcher explains the purpose of the research, attempts to resolve any negative feelings, and emphasises the scientific contribution made by the participants' involvement.
confound
A factor other than the independent variable that varies between the conditions of an experiment, thereby calling into question what caused any effects on the dependent variable.
experiment
A form of research that can demonstrate causal relationships because (1) the experimenter has control over the events that occur and (2) participants are randomly assigned to conditions.
random assignment
A method of assigning participants to the various conditions of an experiment so that each participant in the experiment has an equal chance of being in any of the conditions.
random sampling
A method of selecting participants for a study so that everyone in a population has an equal chance of being in the study.
bogus pipeline technique
A procedure in which research participants are (falsely) led to believe that their responses will be verified by an infallible lie detector.
quantitative research
A research method that is concerned with quantifying a problem
qualitative research
A research method that seeks to identify what something means to a person
meta-analysis
A set of statistical procedures used to review a body of evidence by combining the results of individual studies to measure the overall reliability and strength of particular effects.
correlation coefficient
A statistical measure of the strength and direction of the association between two variables.
behavioural genetics
A subfield of psychology that examines the role of genetic factors in behaviour.
evolutionary psychology
A subfield of psychology that uses the principles of evolution to understand human social behaviour.
Culture
A system of enduring meanings, beliefs, values, assumptions, institutions and practices shared by a large group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next
hypothesis
A testable prediction about the conditions under which an event will occur.
subject variable
A variable that characterises pre-existing differences among the participants in a study. (i.e. gender, ethnicity, prior political leaning). Not a manipulatable variable. Research with this kind of variable must have randomly assigned independent variable.
confederate
An accomplice of an experimenter who, in dealing with the real participants in an experiment, acts as if she is also a participant.
embodied cognition
An interdisciplinary subfield that examines the close links between our minds and the positioning, experiences and actions of our bodies
behavioural economics
An interdisciplinary subfield that focuses on how psychology - particularly social and cognitive psychology - relates to economic decision making
basic research vs. applied research
Basic research: goal is to increase our understanding of human behaviour Applied research: the goal is to increase our understanding of naturally occurring events Applied research is research that seeks to answer a question in the real world and to solve a problem. Basic research is research that fills in the knowledge we don't have; it tries to learn things that aren't always directly applicable or useful immediately.
independent variable
In an experiment, a factor that experimenters manipulate to see if it affects the dependent variable.
dependent variable
In an experiment, a factor that experimenters measure to see if it is affected by the independent variable.
deception
In the context of research, a method that provides false information to participants.
First social psychology book
McDougall (An Introduction to Social Psychology, 1908) Ross (Social Psychology: An Outline and Source Book, 1908)
cross-cultural research
Research designed to compare and contrast people of different cultures.
multicultural research
Research designed to examine racial and ethnic groups within cultures
correlational research
Research designed to measure the association between variables that are not manipulated by the researcher
basic research
Research whose goal is to increase the understanding of human behaviour, often by testing hypotheses based on a theory.
applied research
Research whose goals are to enlarge the understanding of naturally occurring events and to find solutions to practical problems.
interrater reliability
The degree to which different observers agree on their observations.
experimental realism
The degree to which experimental procedures are involving to participants and lead them to behave naturally and spontaneously.
mundane realism
The degree to which the experimental situation resembles places and events in the real world.
internal validity
The degree to which there can be reasonable certainty that the independent variables in an experiment caused the effects obtained on the dependent variables.
external validity
The degree to which there can be reasonable confidence that the results of a study would be obtained for other people and in other situations.
experimenter expectancy effect
The effects produced when an experimenter's expectations about the results of an experiment affect his or her behaviour towards a participant and thereby influence the participant's responses.
construct validity
The extent to which the measures used in a study measure the variables they were designed to measure and to which the manipulations in an experiment manipulate the variables they were designed to manipulate
social cognition
The study of how people perceive, remember and interpret information about themselves and others
social neuroscience
The study of the relationship between neural and social processes.
Among the following social psychologists, who was one of the original founders of social psychology?
a Norman Triplett (*) b Stanley Milgram c Michael Norton d Philip Zimbardo
Social psychologists use the scientific method when they study human behaviour in order to:
... allow other social psychologists to attempt to replicate the findings.
Social psychology is primarily concerned with the ways in which:
... individuals think, feel, and behave with regard to others
operational definition
The specific procedures for manipulating or measuring a conceptual variable.
interactionist perspective
An emphasis on how both an individual's personality and environmental characteristics influence behaviour.
informed consent
An individual's deliberate, voluntary decision to participate in research, based on the researcher's description of what will be required during such participation
theory
An organised set of principles used to explain observed phenomena.