Social Psychology

Question 1

Name some functions of attitudes

Answer 1

Knowledge function - quick frame of reference of information

Value expressive - can allow individual to express ideas and form integrity

Social adjustment

Ego-defensive - protects from personal deficiencies

Question 2

What did the 1-dollar, 20-dollar group task show?

Answer 2

Counter-attitudinal behaviours

• Subjects paid £1 to do a repetitive and boring ask or £20
• Those paid £20 happy to admit it was boring
• Those paid £1 changed initial attitude and said they started liking it - hypothesised as a way to reason with their low incentive

Question 3

What different attitudes scales exist?

Answer 3

Thurstone scale:
- Hundred of statements on a topic are made and presented to a panel
- 10 positive and 10 negative are chosen and subjects rate them on an 11 point scale
- If disagree with all a score of 0 is given

Likert scale:
- Simple
- Agree to disagree statements
- 5 categories

Sociometry
- Interpersonal attitudes in a repertory grid fashion - who like who –> sociograms

Guttman - scalogram
- Hierarchical in manner
- Agreeing to one level means the person agrees to all the levels below

Osgood’s semantic differential scale:
- `Assess verbally expressed attitudes using bipolar scale for different domains

Question 4

Name some factors that influence if an attitude is expressed into a behaviour?

Answer 4

Perceived consequences
Social desirability
Habitual behaviours
Situational factors

Question 5

When does self-recognition develop?

Answer 5

18-20 months

• Shown by touching the dot experiment - 75% touch the dot at aged 20 months
• Requires object permanence
• In primates mirror recognition may be behavioural recognition i.e. the one in the mirror is like me - rather than the one in the mirror is me

Question 6

What did factors did Weiner propose to affect attributions?

Answer 6

Consensus - everyone or just individual

Distinctiveness - one scenario or all scenarios

Consistency - every time or one time

Question 7

In Weiner’s systematic attributional theory what are the 3 dimensions identified in the process of attributions?

Answer 7

Locus
Stability
Controllability

Question 8

When does theory of mind develop?

Answer 8

3.5 - 4 years

Question 9

How do 1st order and 2nd order false beliefs tasks differ?

Answer 9

1st order false belief tasks include:
- Sally-anne tasks
- Deceptive container task

1st order tasks ask what you think another person thinks - normally children pass around 4 years. Those with ASD may be 5.5 years

2nd order tasks ask you to think what another individual thinks - 6 years for neurotlypical children, those with ASD may never pass

Question 10

What are the neural correlates to TOM?

Answer 10

OFC

Amygdala

Inferior pareital cortex

Medial frontal cortex

Question 11

What is linguistic determinism?

Answer 11

That language determines the basic category of thought therefore speakers of different languages will think differently

• milder form is linguistic relativity - that the semantic of language can affect how its speakers interpret and conceptualise the world

Question 12

How do conformity and obedience differ?

Answer 12

Conformity - no instructions given explicitly. Influence comes from peers, done for acceptance and by an example. Low IQ, poor ego strength, poor leadership abilities and inferiority feelings conform more.

Obedience - individual explicitly asked to do a task. Authorities are source of a pressure and done for compliance and by instructions

Question 13

Name the following group processes:

a) A group makes more dangerous decision that an individual can make

b) A group decision consolidates individual inclinations to make push the group in the direction that most were heading

c) In order to agree with the rest of the group individual rational judgement is not expressed

Answer 13

a) Risky shift (group shift)

b) Group polarisation

c) Groupthink

• processes that underlie these especially group polarisation is normative influence (not odd one out), informational influence (new information), social identity (fit to the social identity being formed)
• Deindividuation refers to the loss of self-awareness when with a group and following of others behaviours

Question 14

When is increased aggression shown in baboons?

Answer 14

During periods of instability - like rank transition

Question 15

What is the bodily self?

Answer 15

The ability to differentiate one’s own body from other aspects of the environment

• it is the first aspect of self-concept to develop

Question 16

What factor relating to the nature of a group activity may lead to more conformity?

Answer 16

Ambiguity of the task - the more ambiguous the more conformity as individuals are unsure of their own actions

Question 17

Who was responsible for the aggression-frustration hypothesis?

Answer 17

John Dollard:
- Suggested that in humans aggression is destructed and is the consequence of actions
- Dollard also suggested in nonhumans it is ritualistic and appeasement

Bergowitz modified it:
- Aggression comes from anger and certain environmental cues are needed for the anger to become aggression

Question 18

What is instrumental aggression?

Answer 18

Aggression that is planned and conducted to achieve an end result - i.e. kidnapping for ransom

Question 19

Genovese syndrome is also known as?

Answer 19

The bystander effect

Question 20

What is the domino effect?

Answer 20

In psychology where feelings in one domain go on to affect an individuals feelings in other domains

Question 21

Which factor is most influential in the development of friendly relationships

Answer 21

Proximity