Introductory Social Psychology (50:830:135 section 01) (MW1:20)

Questions from Lecture Outlines**

(**Note that the questions for each Lecture Topic below were for Spring 2013 unless specifically marked as 2014.  See Myers text for additional information about answers to these questions)

Questions from lecture outlines for Exam #1:

                    Lecture Topic 1: Introduction (2014)

I.    What is social psychology?

II.   What questions do we have that social psychology might 
       be able to answer?

III.  How do social psychologists try to answer these questions?

      A.    What is a scientific research?

      B.    What is a variable?

      C.    What is correlational research?

            1.    What does it tell us?

            2.    How is it done?

      D.    What is experimental research?

            1.    What does it tell us?

            2.    How is it done?
 
 

             Lecture Topic 2: The Self in a Social World (2014)

I.    How do we understand and evaluate ourselves?

      A.    What is self-concept?

      B.    What is self-esteem?

      C.    What influences self-concept and self-esteem?

      E.    How accurate is self-knowledge?

II.   How do our thoughts about ourselves affect us?

      A.    What is internal vs. external locus of control?

      B.    What is learned helplessness?

      C.    What is self-efficacy?

      D.    What effect do thoughts about ourselves have on us?

      E.    How can our self-efficacy be increased?

III.   How does motivation for a positive self-
        image affect our social thinking and behavior?

      A.   What is self-serving bias?

      B.    What are some examples of self-serving bias?

      C.    Are there exceptions to self-serving bias?

      D.    Why do most people show self-serving bias?

IV.   How do we present ourselves to other people so as to
        maintain a positive image of ourselves? 

      A.   What is false modesty? 

      B.    What is self-handicapping?  (see Myers text)

      C.    What is impression management? (see Myers text)

      D.    What is self-monitoring? (see Myers text)
  
 

         Lecture Topic 3:  Social Beliefs and Judgments (2014)

I.    How do we explain the behavior of people?

      A.    When and why do we try to explain behavior? 

      B.    What questions do we ask about the causes of 
              behavior?

      C.    How do we answer questions about the causes of 
              behavior (about internal vs. external causes)?

      D.    What mistakes are we prone to make when explaining
              behavior?

      E.    How can we minimize these mistakes in explanation?

II.   How do we make judgments about people?

      A.    How accurately do we see and remember what happens?

      B.    What mistakes are we prone to make when judging people?

      C.    How can we minimize these mistakes in judgment? 
 
 

               Lecture Topic 4:  Behavior and Attitudes (2014)

I.    What is an attitude?

II.   Do attitudes determine behavior?

      A.    When do attitudes predict behavior?

III.  Does behavior determine attitudes?

      A.    What tends to happen when an attitude and a behavior conflict?

      B.    What are some examples of behavior influencing attitudes?

IV.   Why do behaviors influence attitudes?

      A.    How is this explained by Self-Presentation Theory?  (see Myers text)

      B.    How is this explained by Cognitive Dissonance Theory?  (see Myers text)

      C.    How is this explained by Self-Perception Theory?  (see Myers text)
 
 

I.    How can we apply our knowledge of social thinking
       to improve our explanations and judgments?

      A.    What are the practical implications of principles
              we have learned?

II.   How can our knowledge of social thinking help us to
       understand causes of psychological, behavioral,
       and societal problems?

      A.    What this knowledge tell us about causes of
              depression?

      B.    What this knowledge tell us about causes of
              physical illness?

      C.    What do we know about causes of economic
              dissatisfaction?

III.  How can our knowledge of social thinking help us reduce
        these problems?
 
      A.    In what ways might depression be reduced?

      B.    How can social psychology help us understand
              the relationship between wealth and happiness?
 
 

Outlines for Exam #2:
 

     Lecture Topic 6:  Genes, Culture, and Gender: How does Biology 
         Interact with Culture to Affect Social Behavior?  (2014) 

I.     What is meant by the terms "universals" and "cultural differences?"

II.    In general, what produces universals and differences in
        social behavior?

III.   Specific focus: What sex differences in social behavior 
        have been confirmed by research evidence?

IV.   What produces these particular sex differences in social
        behavior?
 

 (
    Lecture Topic 7: Group Influence: How is Our Behavior Influenced by
Collections of Individuals and by Groups of which we are Members? (2014)

I.     What is a collection of individuals and what is a self-defined
        group?

II.    What types of social influence occur in collections of
        individuals?

       A.     What is "social facilitation," and when does it occur?

       B.     What is "social loafing," and when does it occur?

       C.     What is "deindividuation," and when does it occur?

III.   What types of social influence occur in self-defined groups?

       A.     What is "group polarization," and when does it occur?

       B.     What is "groupthink," and when does it occur?

       C.     What is "minority influence," and when does it occur?
 
 

                          Lecture Topic 8: Conformity (2014) 

I.     What is conformity?  Compliance?  Acceptance?  Obedience? 

II.    What can we learn from classic studies by Sherif? Asch? Milgram?

       A.     Milgram study: variables, manipulations, and effects on obedience

III.   When are people most likely to conform?

IV.   Why do people conform?

       A.    What is informational influence? 

       B.    What is normative influence?

V.     Who conforms most? 

VI.    How can we resist harmful social pressure? (see Myers text, pp.
          219-222, and compare pp. 208-212)? 
 
 
 

                          Lecture Topic 9: Persuasion  (2014)

I.     Why do social psychologists study persuasion?

II.    What are the steps in the persuasion process?

III.   What factors make a persuasion attempt effective? 

       A.     What factors in the communicator make a 
                persuasion attempt effective?

       B.     What factors in the message make a
               persuasion attempt effective ?

       C.     What factors in the channel (medium of communication)
                make a persuasion attempt effective?

       D.     What factors in the audience make a persuasion 
                attempt effective?

                1.     What are the two routes to persuasion, and with
                        with which audiences is each one most effective?  

IV.    How can people resist persuasion? (see Myers text, pp. 257-
         263, e.g., discussion of attitude inoculation)
 

                         Lecture Topic 10: Social Psychology in Court:
Applying Knowledge of Social Influence to Jury Decision-making (2014)
(note: as specified on syllabus, relevant reading in Myers text is chapter 15)
 
I.     How are jurors influenced by witnesses, the defendant, and the judge? 

       A.     How are jurors influenced by eyewitnesses testimony?

              1.     How persuasive is eyewitness testimony?

              2.     Can jurors tell if an eyewitness is being accurate? 

              3.     Are eyewitness identifications usually accurate? 

              4.     How can errors from eyewitnesses testimony be reduced?

       B.     How do characteristics of the defendant influence jurors?

       C.     How does the judge influence jurors?

II.    How do jurors' own characteristics influence their judgments?

       A.   What juror characteristics may influence their judgments?

       B.   What are the effects of having "death qualified" juries?

III.   How do group processes influence jury decision-making?

       A.   Who usually persuades whom in jury deliberations? 

       B.   How can people holding the minority viewpoint influence
              those in the majority? 

       C.   How does group polarization influence jury decision-
              making? 

IV.   What can social psychology tell us about different jury sizes and
        decision rules?  (see Myers text, pp. 580-581)

Outlines for Exam #3:
 

                    Lecture Topic 11: Prejudice  (2014)

I.    What is a stereotype? prejudice? discrimination?

II.   How common is prejudice?

III.  What causes prejudice?

       A.   What societal or social factors cause prejudice?

       B.   What emotional and motivational factors cause prejudice?

       C.   What cognitive factors can cause prejudice?
 
 

                   Lecture Topic 12: Aggression  (2014)

I.    What is aggression?  What are some examples of aggression? 

II.   What types of aggression have been identified? 

III.  What are the causes of aggression?

IV.  How can aggression be reduced?
       (see Myers text for detailed discussion)
 

                   Lecture Topic 13: Attraction and Intimacy  (2014)

I.      Do we have a need to be in relationships?  If so why?

II.     What factors cause one person to like another?

III.    What influences who loves whom?
         (see Myers text for detailed discussion) 

IV.    What influences relationship breakup and endurance?
         (see Myers text for detailed discussion)
 
 

            Lecture Topic 14: Prosocial Behavior: Helping  (2014)

I.       What are some examples of helping?

II.      Why do we help other people?

III.    When do we help other people?

IV.     How can helping be increased?
          (see Myers text for detailed discussion)

              Lecture Topic 15: Conflict Resolution (2014)

I.       What is conflict?

II.      What are two main types of conflict?

III.     What are some causes of each type of conflict?

IV.      How can conflict be reduced?

            A.     What are some ways to reduce Zero-Sum conflicts?

            B.     What are some ways to reduce Non-Zero-Sum conflicts?

            C.     What are some ways to reduce all kinds of conflict?

                     1.    Under what conditions does contact reduce conflict? 

                     2.    How can cooperation reduce conflict? 

                     3.    How can communication reduce conflict? 

                     4.    How can conciliation reduce conflict?
                            (see Myers text for detailed discussion)