Social🗣 Flashcards
(119 cards)
Define social psychology
Scientific investigation of how thoughts, feelings and behaviours are influenced by actual, imagined or implied presence of others
Aims of social psychology
Measure thoughts/feelings scientifically
Effects of social and cognitive processes influencing actions
Explain behaviour to solve real world issues, interventions to promote desired feelings and behaviours
Scientific method
Observation, theory, hypothesis, research
Published in peer reviewed journals and replicated by other researchers
Experimental methods
Manipulate IV and observe DV
Lab, field, RCT
Less external validity, demand characteristics, difficult to assess long term
Establish cause and effect, manipulate variables, control experiment and extraneous variables, objectively assess
Non experimental methods
Correlation between variables (no manipulation)
Surveys, archival, qualitative
Explicit and implicit measurements
Explicit- within conscious control (self report, lab)
Implicit- unconsciously controlled, automotive (uses schemas)
Schemas
Mental representations about something, guides through social environment
If accessible, more likely to influence cognitive processes, behaviour
Implicit tasks assess reaction times
3 implicit measures
IAT, Priming, lexical decision task
Implicit association task- categorise stimuli to positive or negative
Congruent (quick response, associated together)
Priming- unconsciously present stimuli to increase accessibility of related cognitions (schemas) faster to link if primed
Lexical decision task- assess accessibility of cognitions. Judge whether letters form word. Target words reflect cognitions, reaction times
3 types of reviews (synthesis methods and findings)
NARRATIVE- current knowledge on general topic. Intro and themed subheadings, inclusions judged by researcher. No new analysis
SYSTEMATIC - well defined and precise research question. Intro, methods, results and discussion. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, could be reproduced. No new analysis
META-same as systematic but quantifies overall effect, magnitude. New analysis, strongest and reliable
Strengths and limitations of social psychology
+ real world interventions, rigorous methods
Random assignment to intervention and control, follow up. Report to CONSORT recommendations, still needs replication
- samples not representative of all cultures (WEIRD) should not generalise
Components of attitudes (single and tri)
Single component- unidimensional and focused on affect, general and enduring
Tricomponent- affective, behavioural and cognitive
Measuring attitudes (3 ways)
Self report measures (explicit) - interviews, focus groups, Likert scale, semantic differentials Covert measures (implicit)- behavioural measures, affective measures Psychological measures (implicit)-pupillary response, facial EMG
Relationship between implicit and explicit attitudes
Low correlation between implicit and explicit measures
Measure different memory constructs, if reflect same constructs ‘method variance’ is blamed e.g. extraneous variables
BEHAVIOURAL attitude formation
4 ways
MERE EXPOSURE EFFECT- more positive feelings to the more familiar. Rated students more in lectures as attractive
EVALUATIVE CONDITIONING- positive attitude from pairing neutral stimulus with something positive. Fictional drug ‘safer’ when paired with good images
CLASSICAL CONDITIONING-repeated association causes neutral stimulus to be positive/negative, over time
INSTRUMENTAL CONDITIONING-operant, positive consequence reinforced
COGNITIVE attitude formation
SELF PERCEPTION- form attitudes by observing our behaviour in context it occurs in, make inferences
Participants thought cartoons funnier when held pen in teeth (facial feedback hypothesis)and had less IAT implicit bias
Katz’s key functions of attributions
4
Formation as the needs attitudes serve, different motivations underlie them. Unlikely to be a single cause
Utilitarian/instrumental
Ego defence function
Value-expressive function
Knowledge/cognitive economy function
Katz’s key functions of attributions- utilitarian
Attitudes motivate to obtain rewards and avoid punishment e.g. positive attitude towards own football team
Katz’s key functions of attributions- Ego defence function
Defend self esteem, protect self image
Rate info consistent with belief as more positive e.g. I am a good student
If negative, discount the message and see source as stupid (source delegation)
Katz’s key functions of attributions- Value-expressive function
Express values integral to self-concept
Communicate who we are e.g. positive towards LGBTQ because you value equality
Katz’s key functions of attributions-Knowledge/cognitive economy function
Attitudes as ‘schemas’, organise info, predictability in world
Sort new information e,g, I like fruit so could try a new one
Yale approach to persuasion-Change attitudes though communication
WHO (source) says WHAT (message) to WHOM (audience)
Yale approach to persuasion- source characteristics
Attractive source- more persuasive
Credible source-more persuasive
Fear appeals
Strong fear appeals more persuasive however may backfire if threaten behavioural freedom which could lead to anger
Petty and Carioppo’s elaboration likelihood model (persuasion)
The two roles
Does audience have motivation and ability to elaborate on the message?
CENTRAL ROLE- effortful processing persuaded by central cues. Strength of argument determines persuasion
PERIPHERAL ROLE- automatic, persuaded by peripheral cues. Presence of cues determines persuasion