Exam 1 Review – Fall 2012
Tips for studying: Use your class notes, textbook, and this outline to determine important topics to focus on while studying. Your class notes indicate the material I view as most important and will likely emphasize on the exam. Read the chapters too!
Ch 1: Intro to Social Psych
– Definition of Soc Psy – what are the 4 main emphases this semester?
– Importance of context
– Example from 1984 Pres. Debate – what were results of the study on perceptions of Reagan based on reactions of the audience?
– How does social psych overlap and differ from other, related fields?
– Clinical, personality psych? Sociology?
– How does social psych research differ from ‘common sense’?
– Use of scientific method, hypotheses, theory – what are hypotheses and theories?
– Values can influence our research
– Topics & observations may be influenced
– Our theories developed in the US may not always apply
– Ethan Watters’ “Crazy Like Us” example from class related to views of trauma?
– Research Methods:
– Standardized scientific method
– Research process:
– Develop ideas, form hypotheses
– Test ideas/hypotheses
– Research varies based on Method:
– Correlational – examines whether 2 variables are naturally associated w/each other
– Cannot make cause-effect conclusions
– Experimental – manipulate 1 variable to see effect on 2nd variable
– 2 distinguishing factors of experiments:
– 1) researcher controls & manipulates
– 2) random assignment to groups is used
– Sampling issues in research
– Goal: sample should be similar to larger population
– Random sampling – everyone in population has equal chance of being selected into the sample
– How is this done?
– Random assignment to groups – each person has equal chance of being in any condition/group
– Allows us to eliminate other explanations for group differences besides what was manipulated
– Experiment examples – Greitmeyer (music lyrics & helping);
Schneider et al (harassment & heart rate)
– Distinguish between Independent Variables (IV) and Dependent Variables (DV)
– IV = what is manipulated (examples?)
– DV = observed to determine impact of IV (examples?)
– Subject variables = cannot be manipulated (demographics)
– Concerns about External Validity – will the results of the study generalize to the larger population?
– Depends on mundane realism and experimental realism (define each and give example)
– Ethics in research
– Types of deception used in experiments (false purpose, false feedback, confederate/actor)
– Use of Institutional Review Board (IRB) to protect participants
Chapter 2: The Self in the Social World
· What are self-concepts and self-schemas?
o Mirror test and self-recognition – when do humans/apes develop recognition of themselves as separate beings?
• Sources of self-concept development:
o 1) Role Playing
§ Bem’s research on Self-Perception – what is the theory?
o 2) Social Comparisons
§ When are we most likely to use these?
§ Downward comparisons – what are they?
o 3) Success and Failure
§ Influence on future behavior
o 4) Other People
§ “looking glass self” – what is the main idea here?
o 5) Culture and Self-concept:
§ Individualism (I) vs. Collectivism (C) – how do people define themselves? Examples of different cultures/regions?
· Markus’ research on effects on groups –
o I vs. C use of downward comparisons
o C interactions within teams / taking credit
· Links to self-esteem
o What is self-esteem based on for collectivists?
o for individualists?
o Links to persistence at tasks?
• Self-Knowledge
o We aren’t very good at predicting our feelings/behavior
§ Affective forecasting
§ Leads to impact bias (what is it?)
§ Dan Gilbert’s research on psychological immune system
• Self-Esteem – overall positive and negative self-evaluations
o What purposes? Social connection, reduces anxiety (terror management theory)
o Too much self-esteem?
§ 2 dimensions of high SE – valuing individual achievement + relationships w/others
§ How do narcissists differ from this?
o Contributors to self-esteem?
§ Self-discrepancy theory – actual vs. ideal self
§ Self monitoring may influence this – adapting to others’ perceptions of us
• Self-regulation and self-control
o Baumeister’s research – self-control as a limited resource that can be depleted and requires strength
§ How can we re-energize our self-control?
• Self-Serving Bias – tendency to perceive oneself favorably
o Success vs. Failure (what are each attributed to?)
o Leads to unrealistic optimism and false consensus effect (what are each?)
• Self-presentation
o Strategic self-presentation – what is it?
§ Use of ingratiation and self-promotion in job interviews
§ Self-handicapping – what is it? What are strategies?
o Self-verification – overlap between self-perceptions & how others see us
§ How does it work for those with negative self-concepts?
§ Implications for relationships?
Chapter 3 – Social Beliefs and Judgments (note: some material may change slightly depending on how much time we have to cover these topics in class in the upcoming days…check your class notes for correspondence…)
· Social Perception – respond based on our perceptions
o 1st impressions of people – baby-faced trait inferences
o Priming effects – photos of unclear expressions
· Belief Perseverance – beliefs persist in spite of disconfirming evidence
o Why? Confirmation Bias (what is it?)
o Need very strong disconfirming evidence to change opinions
o Example: “On Being Sane in Insane Places” Rosenhan experiment
§ What was done in the psychiatric hospitals?
§ What did Rosenhan find? Links to confirmation bias?
§ Remedy for belief perseverance?
· Intuition –
o Controlled vs. automatic thinking
o Facial recognition example of intuition
§ Evolutionary benefit to recognizing angry faces
§ Attentional blink – what is it?
· Detecting Deception – what cues are used?
o How good are we at detecting lies? How good are experts?
o What are microexpressions and how can they be used?
o Application to security screenings?
· Heuristics – mental shortcuts
o Representativeness heuristic – what is it? Example?
o Availability heuristic – what is it? Example?
o Counterfactual thinking – what is it? Example?
§ Olympic medalists and happiness
· Attributions
o Heider’s distinction between personal vs. situational explanations for behaviors
o Attribution theories –
§ Kelly’s Covariation theory – attribute behavior to person/situation
· Consensus – what is the information we seek here?
· Distinctiveness – what is the information we seek here?
· Consistency – what is the information we seek here?
· How do consensus, distinctiveness, consistency combine to determine personal or situational attributions?
o Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE) – what is it?
§ 2-step model – quick attribution then adjust initial impression
§ Sources of the FAE?
· Self-fulfilling prophecies – how do these work?
o …and student performance – links w/teacher expectations.