Social Psychology (50:830:335 section 01) (TuTh 8:00am)

Questions from Lecture Outlines** 

(**Note that the questions for each Lecture Topic below were for Spring 2017 unless specifically marked as 2021.  See Myers & Twenge text for additional information about answers to these questions)
 

Questions from lecture outlines for Exam #1:

                     Lecture Topic 1: Introduction (2021)

I.    Introduction to the course

II.  What is social psychology?

III.  What questions do we have that social psychology might help answer?

IV.  How do social psychologists try 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 (2021)

I.    How do we understand and evaluate ourselves?

      A.    What is self-concept?

      B.    What is self-esteem?

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

      D.    How well to we know ourselves?

                1. How well do we know the causes of our own behavior?
                2. How well can we predict our own behavior?
                3. How well can we predict our feelings?
                4. Why are we often wrong when explaining and predicting
                     our feelings and behavior?

II.   How do thoughts about the self affect us?

      A.    What is self-efficacy?

      B.    What are the effects or correlates of self-efficacy?

      C.    How can self-efficacy be increased??

 III.   How does motivation for a positive self-image affect
        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.   Self-presentation: How do people present themselves to others so as to
        maintain a positive image of themselves?  

      A.    What is false modesty?  

      B.    What is self-handicapping? 

      C.    What is self-monitoring?

 

         Lecture Topic 3:  Social Beliefs and Judgments (2021)

I.    How do we perceive and remember our social world?

      A.   How do we perceive the social world? 

II.   How do we judge our social world?

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

      B.    How can we minimize these mistakes in judgment? 
 
III.  How do we explain our social worlds?

      A.    When do we try to explain?

      B.    Why do we try to explain?

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

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

      E.    How can we minimize mistakes in explanation?
 
 

               Lecture Topic 4:  Behavior and Attitudes (2021)

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?

      B.    How is this explained by Cognitive Dissonance Theory? 

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

I.    How can we apply we have learned from research on social cognition  
      to improve clinical judgments and explanations?

      A.    What are the implications for psychologists of specific findings
              from research on social thinking?

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

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

      B.    What does this knowledge tell us about causes of social anxiety?

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

III.  How can our knowledge of social cognition help us reduce
        psychological, behavioral, and physical health problems? 
 
      A.    In what ways might depression be reduced?
 
      B.    In what ways might negative emotions be managed?
 
      C.    What can be done about illness caused by unhealthy behavior? 
 
 

Outlines for Exam #2:
 

     Unig 6:  Genes, Culture, and Gender: How does Biology 
         Interact with Culture to Affect Social Behavior? (2021) 

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?
 

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                           Unit   7: Group Influence (2021)

I.     What is a collection of individuals 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?                

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

                          Unit 8: Conformity  (2021)

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

II.    What can we learn from classic studies by Sherif? Asch? and 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 a person resist social pressure?
 
 

                          Unit 9: Persuasion  (2021)

I.     What is persuasion?

II.     Why do social psychologists study persuasion?

III.    What are the steps in the persuasion process?

IV.   What factors make a persuasion attempt effective? 

       A.     What factors in the communicator?

       B.     What factors in the message? 

       C.     What factors about the channel of communication?

       D.     What factors in the audience? 

                1.     What is the effect of audience age?

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

                3.     Which audiences are thoughtful?

                4.     How can strong attitudes be changed?

V.   How can resistance to persuasion be increased?  
 
 

  Unit 10: Psychology and Law (Applying Knowledge of Social Influence) (2021)

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? 
              (discussed in more detail by Myers & Twenge, pp. 473-474)

       D.   What are the differences between 6-person and 12-person juries?
              (discussed in more detail by Myers & Twenge, pp. 474-476)

Outlines for Exam #3:

                   Lecture Topic 11: Prejudice  (2021) 

I. What is a stereotype? prejudice? discrimination?

II. How pervasive 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?

IV.  What are the consequences of prejudice?

                   Lecture Topic 12: Aggression  (2021)
 
  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)
 
 
                   Lecture Topic 13: Attraction and Intimacy  (2021)

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

II.     What causes one person to like another?

III.    What influences who loves whom? 

IV.    What influences relationship breakup and endurance?
 

                   Lecture Topic 14: Prosocial Behavior  (2021)

I.       What are some examples of helping?

II.      Why do people help others?

III.    When do people help others?

IV.     How can helping be increased?
 
 

                   Lecture Topic 15: Conflict and Peacemaking   (2021)

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 conflicts?

                    1.     How can contact between people reduce conflict? 

                    2.     How can cooperation reduce conflict? 

                    3.     How can communication reduce conflict? 

                    4.     How can conciliation reduce conflict?