Social Psychology (50:830:335 sec.01)
 

(**Note that the questions for each Lecture Topic below were for Fall 2008 unless specifically marked as 2012)
 

Questions from lecture otlines for Exam #1:

                     Lecture Topic 1: Introduction (2012)

I.    What is social psychology?

II.   What questions might social psychology help us answer?

III.  What methods do social psychologists use to answer those questions?

      A.    What is 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 (2012)

I.    How do people think about and evaluate themselves?

      A.    What is self-concept?

      B.    What is self-esteem?

      C.    What factors influence self-concept and self-esteem?

      D.    How accurate is self-knowledge?

II.   How do thoughts about the self affect people?

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

      B.    What is learned helplessness?

      C.    What is self-efficacy?

      D.    How do these thoughts about the self affect us?

      E.    How can people influence perceptions of self-efficacy?

III.   How does motivation for a positive self-image affect people?

      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 people show self-serving bias?  What are
              the possible benefits (and costs) of self-serving bias?

IV.   How do people present themselves to others to create a favorable 
        impression?

      A.    What is false modesty?

      B.    What is self-handicapping? 

      C.    What is self-monitoring?
 

         Lecture Topic 3:  Social Beliefs and Judgments (2012)

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 internal
              vs. external causation?

      D.    What mistakes are people 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 (2012)

I.    What is an attitude?

II.   Do attitudes determine behavior?

III.  Does behavior determine attitudes?

IV.   Why do behaviors influence attitudes?

      A.    How is this explained by Self-Presentation Theory?

      B.    How is this explained by Cognitive Dissonance Theory?

      C.    How is this explained by Self-Perception Theory?
 
 

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

II.   How can our knowledge of social cognition help us
       understand the causes of psychological, behavioral,
       and health problems?  (see Myers text)

III.  How can our knowledge of social cognition help us reduce
        these problems?  (see Myers text)
 
 
 

Outlines for Exam #2:
 

     Lecture Topic 6:  Genes, Culture, and Gender: How does biology 
         Interact with Culture to Affect Social Behavior? (2012) 

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

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

III.   What gender differences in social behavior have been confirmed
        by research evidence?

IV.   What produces these gender differences in social behavior?
 

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    Lecture Topic 7: Group Influence: How is Behavior Influenced by
     Collections of Individuals and by Self-Defined Groups? (2012)

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

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

       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?
                see Myers text, pp. 290-295, including Figure 8.11 on p. 294,
                on (1) causes ("social conditions") of groupthink,
                (2) symptoms of groupthink (what it's like to be in such a group),
                (3) effects of groupthink ("symbols of defective decision making"),
                and (4) ways to prevent groupthink

       C.     What is minority influence, and when does it occur?
                see Myers text, pp. 299-304, on
                (1) definition of minority influence, and
                (2) three factors that can increase the chances of minority influence
                (3) how leaders can be an influential in a group  

IV.   What is pluralistic ignorance and when does it occur (see reading by
        Prentice and Miller on the Group Influence unit of syllabus)

                          Lecture Topic 8: Conformity  (2012)

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? (What predicts conformity?)

IV.   Why do people conform?

       A. What is informational influence? 

       B. What is normative influence?

V.     Who conforms most? (see Myers text)

VI.   How can people resist social pressure? (consider lessons learned
        from Milgram film, and Myers text on "reactance" and uniqueness)
 
 

                          Lecture Topic 9: Persuasion  (2012)

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?

       B.     What factors in the message? 

       C.     What factors in the channel (medium) of communication?
                (see Myers text, pp. 246-250)

       D.     What factors in the audience? (see Myers text, pp. 250-253) 

                1.     What are the two routes to persuasion, and with
                        with which audiences is each one most effective?
                        (see chart on p. 234, and other information in Myers text)

IV.   How can resistance to persuasion be increased? (see Myers text, pp.
        259-264, and discussion of cult influence on pp. 254-259) 
 
 

                                   Lecture Topic 10: 
Applying Knowledge of Social Influence to Jury Decision-making  (2012)
(note: as specified on syllabus, relevant reading in Myers text is chapter 15)
(as requested, lecture outline is available by clicking here)

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 affect jurors?

       C.     To what extent does the judge influence jurors?

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

       A.   To what extent do juror characteristics affect 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.   What factors can increase the chances that people with a minority
              viewpoint will influence those in the majority? 

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

Outlines for Exam #3:

                   Lecture Topic 11: Prejudice  (2012) 

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 (see Myers text)?
 
 

                   Lecture Topic 12: Aggression  (2012)
 

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?
 
 

                   Lecture Topic 13: Attraction and Intimacy  (2012)

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

II.     What factors influence who comes to like whom?

III.    What factors influence who comes to love whom? 

IV.    What factors influence relationship breakup and endurance? 
 
 

                   Lecture Topic 14: Prosocial Behavior  (2012)

(Note: lecture outline for this topic is available by clicking here)

I.       What are some examples of helping?

II.      Why do people help others?

III.    When do people help others?

IV.    Who is most likely to be helped? (see Myers text)

V.     How can helping be increased? (see Myers text)
 
 

                   Lecture Topic 15: Conflict and Peacemaking   (2012)

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 ways to reduce Zero-Sum conflicts?

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

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

                    1.     How can contact reduce conflict? (see Myers text)

                    2.     How can cooperation reduce conflict? (see Myers text)

                    3.     How can communication reduce conflict? (see Myers text)

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