ACC Social Psychology Exam 1 Study

random assignment

In random assignment, every person in the population has an equal chance of being selected to the sample - it reduces bias.

dependent variable (DV)

The measurable behavior,It is called this because it is dependent on the different manipulations of the independent variable.

experimental realism

the degree to which the experiment engages/involves the participants

Locus of Control

the extent to which people perceive outcomes as internally controllable by their own efforts and actions or as externally controlled by chance or outside forces.

Social Psychology

the study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another. Work, family gatherings, football games, are all examples of social psychological settings

False Consensus Effect

the tendency to overestimate the commonality of our opinions and/or behaviors.

Self-Reference Effect

when we relate new information to oneself.

False Uniqueness Effect

when we underestimate the commonality of one's abilities and one's desirable or successful behaviors.

Unrealistic Optimism

when we, against common sense, presume that good things will happen to us.

What type of attitude should we have?

- Mix positive thinking with realism

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY What are the main areas of research today?

1. Social Thinking 2. Social Influence 3. Social Relations

"Day after day social scientists go out into the world. Day after day they discover that people's behavior is pretty much what you'd expect."

Cullen Murphy (1990)

The many faces of self-serving bias include:

Ethics Professional Competence Virtues Driving Intelligence Tolerance Prenatal Support Health Insight Freedom From Bias

EXAMPLE OF WHAT TERM I believe that my next year's salary is not determined by my effort, but, rather, by the mood of the head of human resources the day salaries are determined "my actions don't make a difference"

External Locus of Control

EXAMPLE OF WHAT TERM let's imagine you do not particularly like Hispanic individuals - we assume that many others also have negative stereotypes towards Hispanics. This occurs, mainly, because we generalize from a small sample, which prominently includes ourselves (and friends and family members, who often think and act like us).

False Consensus Effect

EXAMPLE OF WHAT TERM those people who use seat belts underestimate the number of other seat belt users.

False Uniqueness Effect

EXAMPLE OF WHAT TERM if Beth failed the test, most of the time we would say it happened because she isn't smart; we neglect to take into account situational influences that might have affected her score (she is going through a divorce, her instructor did not teach the class well, etc.). This occurs because we observe others from a different perspective than we observe ourselves. When we act, the environment commands our attention; when we watch another person, that person occupies the center of our attention and then environment becomes our attention.

Fundamental Attribution Error

EXAMPLE OF WHAT TERM if I believe that the more effort I put into work, the more money I make next year

Internal Locus of Control

EXAMPLE OF WHAT TERM If you study hard for the test and read all the required material, but then I show up and give you a test on totally different material, and you fail, and I do this on test after test, eventually, you will stop studying because you will argue that, no matter what you do, you will fail because I test on material that we did not cover

Learned Helplessness

False consensus effect

Our opinions are held by most others

False uniqueness effect

Our talents and moral behaviors are unusual

How competent you feel to do something - More persistent - Less anxious and depressed - More academically successful

Self-Efficacy

EXAMPLE OF WHAT TERM when you attribute your success on a test to you preparing properly and your failure on the test to the instructor not preparing you properly or your car breaking down on the way to the test (which caused you to be late for the test). We do this because we want to protect our self esteem - it is much better if we know that we succeed because of our efforts, and, even more so, to blame other things, on our failures

Self-Serving Bias

does not grow primarily by self-persuasion does not grow by puffing people up like hot-air balloons does grow from success

Self-efficacy

independent variable (IV)

The factor that we manipulate in the experiment

EXAMPLE OF WHAT TERM Research has shown that students perceive themselves as far more likely than their classmates to get a good job, draw a salary, and own a home. Most of the time we assume that we will be better off than others.

Unrealistic Optimism

Self-Concept

a person's answers to the question, "Who am I"?

Experimental Research

a test done to confirm or disprove something.

Hindsight Bias

also known as the I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon, is the fact that events are far more obvious and predictable in hindsight than beforehand.

self-schema

beliefs about the self that organize and guide the processing of self relevant information. For example, I consider morality important to me (my self-concept), and my behaviors will reflect this (my self-schema).

Two primary research methods are

correlational and experimental

dual attitudes

different implicit (automatic) and explicit (consciously controlled) attitudes towards the same object

EXAMPLE OF WHAT TERM if you grew up in a racist household, your first (implicit) reaction will be of hatred toward that specific individual because of their ethnic group; your (explicit) reaction will be the opposite, as you now know that implicit reaction is a reflection of your upbringing and does not really represent you.

dual attitudes

Theory

explains a phenomenon. It: organizes observable facts makes testable and practical predictions

Learned Helplessness

hopelessness and resignation that occurs when we perceive no control of the situation.

mundane realism

how close an experiment is to everyday situations.

individualistic societies

individuals give priority to their own goals over group goals and define their identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

Research has shown that those that have an ____________________________________________ do better in school, make more money, and wear more seat belts.

internal locus of control

Correlational Research

is a measure of a relationship between two variables. Study naturally occurring relationships among variables Allow prediction; do NOT infer causation

Collectivism

is your interdependent self. Individuals in collectivist societies use "I" less when they speak; they use "We."

Social psychology faces two contradictory criticisms:

it is trivial because it documents the obvious it is dangerous because its findings could be used to manipulate people

field research

naturalistic observation - it refers to when we watch and observe people or animals in their natural environment

self esteem

one's sense of self worth (fyi, people with high self esteem are, in general, more well-adjusted - they are happier, less neurotic, and less prone to addictions).

Self-Efficacy

our sense that we are competent and effective

informed consent

participants ok to go ahead and participate in the experiment (we, as researchers, cannot force them to participate).

Fundamental Attribution Error

refers to the tendency for observers to underestimate situational influences and overestimate dispositional influences upon others' behavior

Self-Serving Bias

refers to what we attribute our behaviors; specifically, we attribute our successes to our effort/skills and our failures to external factors.