Headings and Subheadings Ch. 1-3 Flashcards
Social Psychology’s Big Ideas
We construct our social realities.
Our social institutions are sometimes perilous, but also powerful.
Social influences shape our behavior.
Personal attitudes and dispositions also shape behavior.
Social behavior is biologically rooted.
Social Psych’s principles are applicable in everyday life.
Social Psychology and Human Values
Obvious ways values enter psychology (research topics, cultures, nationalities). values influence the types of people who are attracted to various disciplines.
Not-so-obvious ways values enter psychology: the subjective aspects of science and psych concepts contain hidden values.
Research Methods
forming and testing hypotheses
correlational research: detecting natural associations.
survey research
experimental research (manipulating variables)
random assignment
the ethics of experimentation
generalizing from laboratory to life.
At the center of our worlds: our sense of self
possible selves
development of the social self
the roles we play
social comparisons
success and failure
other people’s judgements
self and culture
growing individualism
culture and cognition
culture and self-esteem
self-knowledge
explaining our behavior
predicting our behavior
predicting our feelings
the wisdom and illusions of self-analysis
self-esteem
self-esteem motivation (self-esteem maintenance)
the dark side of self-esteem (narcissism, narcissism on the rise, low versus secure self-esteem).
self-efficacy
a sense that one is competent and effective, distinguished from self-esteem, which is one’ sense of self-worth.
Locus of control
the extent to which people perceive outcomes as internally controllable by their own efforts or as externally controlled by chance or outside forces.
Learned helplessness vs. self-determination
the sense of hopelessness and resignation learned when a human or animal perceives no control over repeated bad events.
When animals and people experience uncontrollable bad events, they learn to feel helpless and resigned.
Self-serving biases
explaining positive and negative events can we all be better than average? unrealistic optimism false consensus and uniqueness explaining self-serving biases reflections on self-esteem and self-serving biases
Reflections on self-esteem and self-serving biases
the self serving bias as adaptive
the self serving bias as maladaptive
self-presentation
self-handicapping
impression management
Two connections between social psych and clinical psychology
Defense mechanisms can act as dissonance reducers. Rationalization (external justification) and projection (social comparison).
