Chapter 1: Introducing Social Psychology

PSYCH 312: Social Psychology

Exam #1 Study Guide [Fall, 2011]

Chapter 1: Introducing Social Psychology

What is social psychology?

Describe the three main questions social psychology can answer for us.

Examples discussed in class?

How did the Nazi's be cruel enough to kill 6 million Jews

How does social psychology, personality psychology, biology, and sociology relate to each other?

o That is, how do these different disciplines explain behavior?

o Examples discussed in class?

* How we construe our social worlds * How our social intutitions guide and sometimes decieve us * How our social behavior is shaped by other people, our attitudes and biology * How social psychology's principles apply to our everyday lives

How do values affect the way in which we "conduct" psychology?

" "versus " "ways that values enter psychology?

Our use of language? o Examples in your textbook?

* Quiet Child Bashful or cautious * terrorist or freedom fighter * welfare of aid to the needy * ambitious men, aggressive women

What is the hindsight bias? (I knew it all along phenomenon)

o Examples discussed in class and in your textbook?

* After Katrina flooding, public officials should have anticipated the situation.

What is the difference between a

and a

What are the research methods employed by social psychologists?

Example from class:

“Doing” Social Psychology

• We’ve all been ‘mini’ social psychologists at

one time or another…

– People watching versus lab experiments

• Experimental research?

– Versus non-experimental (i.e., correlation)

research?

• Theory?

– Versus hypotheses?

Experimental Research

• Independent Variable (IV):

– Variable that is being manipulated

• Dependent Variable (DV):

– Variable being measured in the research project

– Think of it as being “dependent” on the IV

• Experimental designs require:

– Manipulation of IV

– Random assignment

o What is correlational research?

Correlational Research

• Definition:

– The study of naturally occurring relationships

among variables.

• Knowing that two variables are related does

not imply that one variable caused the other

one

– Does the presence of electric appliances cause

women to use birth control?

• Strength of correlational research?

Independent variable?

Dependent variable?

What is the difference between

and realism?

 What is the difference between and causation?

o Describe the three possible explanations for two variables being correlated.

o Examples discussed in class?

 What are the ethical principles by which psychologists conduct research?

Research Ethics

• Institutional Review Board (IRB)

– http://www.umkc.edu/ors/irb/

• Informed consent

• Voluntary participation

• Withdrawal from study at any time

• Confidentiality

• Do not cause harm

• Debrief

Be sure to review the Chapter 1 quiz.