Chapter 1 Flashcards
(33 cards)
What is Social Psychology?
-> the scientific study of the way in which people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions (not just behavior) are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people
EX. man eating popsicle off ground then sees camera and stomps on it video
Social Psychologists study…
how and why our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are shaped by our social environment
Objective properties of the social environment?
→how people perceive, comprehend, and interpret their social world
EX. two people observe a couple fighting and someone asks what’s going on and they may have different ideas on what’s happening
What are construals in social psychology?
Subjective interpretations of social phenomena
->construe your own story
Construals refer to how individuals interpret and form their own narratives about social situations.
What type of science is social psychology?
Experiment-based science
Social psychology relies on experiments to understand social behavior.
What is the relationship between social psychologists and philosophers regarding human nature?
Both address similar questions, but social psychologists use controlled experiments
This distinguishes the empirical approach of social psychology from philosophical inquiry.
What are folk psychology and common sense?
Other ways of understanding human nature
These approaches often rely on intuitive understanding rather than empirical evidence.
Why can’t you trust your common sense?
-> Intuitive understanding is frequently mistaken
->naive realism
->unreliable
->we believe things that, when examined together, appear contradictory:
EX. two heads are better then one/too many cooks spoil the broth
EX.actions speak louder then words/the pen is mightier than the sword
Common sense can lead to inaccurate conclusions about social phenomena.
What is naïve realism?
The belief that we see the world precisely as it is
EX. two ladies upside picture
This concept highlights the misconception that personal perceptions are objective.
What are the characteristics of conclusions drawn from common sense?
Unreliable, oversimplified, and contradictory
These traits often result from the limitations of intuitive reasoning.
Compare Social Psychology and Sociology
->Both share an interest in situational and societal influences on behavior
->They differ in their level of analysis:
→ Social Psychology studies individuals
→ Sociology examines broad societal factors (groups)
What is the primary focus of Social Psychology?
Social psychology seeks to identify universal properties of human nature that make everyone susceptible to social influence, regardless of social class or culture
Social psychology seeks to identify universal properties of human nature.
Compare Social Psychology and Personality Psychology
→Both share an emphasis on individuals and the reasons for their behavior
→Social psychologists emphasize the psychological processes shared by most people that make them susceptible to social influence
→Personality psychologists focus on individual differences of people’s personalities that make them different from others
Fill in the blank: Social Psychology studies individuals, while Sociology examines _______.
broad societal factors
True or False: Both Social Psychology and Personality Psychology focus on individuals.
True
Both fields emphasize understanding behavior at the individual level.
What is a key difference between Social Psychology and Personality Psychology?
Social Psychology focuses on shared psychological processes, while Personality Psychology focuses on individual differences
This difference highlights the distinct approaches to understanding human behavior.
What is the main idea of “The Power of the Situation”?
The social environment has a powerful influence on human behavior, but people often underestimate its effects.
Why do people underestimate the power of the situation?
gives us a false sense of security
EX. that person’s aggressive, I would never do that - depends on situation
What are the consequences of underestimating the power of the situation?
leads to oversimplification of complex situations, decreasing our understanding of human behavior and potentially causing victim-blaming
How does oversimplification of human behavior lead to victim-blaming?
Labeling someone as aggressive or blaming the victim focuses only on the individual rather than the entire situation, ignoring contributing factors
EX. rape case and judge said ‘why couldn’t you keep your knees closed’ so only focused on her and blamed her instead of looking at everyone and the whole situation
How do behaviorists approach the power of the situation?
They focus on how the reinforcing properties of the environment influence human behavior
Why is it important to consider subjective perceptions of situations?
To fully understand human behavior, we must consider how individuals construe or perceive the situation
What psychological approach emphasizes subjective perceptions, and what is its main principle?
Gestalt psychology; its main principle is that “the whole is different than the sum of its parts.”
Name the founders of Gestalt psychology
-> Kurt Koffka
-> Wolfgang Köhler
-> Max Wertheimer
