Term
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Definition
Simple rule: The power of the situation to influence individuals.
Ex: A party (extraversion), a threat to honor (aggression), infatuation (shyness) |
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Term
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Definition
Looks at how individuals assert themselves on the world.
Ex: Extraversion, hostility, shyness. |
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Term
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Definition
Social psychologists build the situation into their analysis, but situations and people are not competing forces. At times, situation forces exert their influence through their effects on personality.
Situation effects can flow through momentary personality changes
Situations and personality can mimic one another |
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Term
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Definition
State is temporary
Trait is stable |
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Term
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Definition
Trait: I am of self worth, I like myself
State: Right now, I feel worthy, at this moment, I like myself. |
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Term
| Experiments done on resistance to persuasion, based on levels of high and low self-esteem. |
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Definition
| Those with higher self-esteem or were affirmed, were more likely to be resistant to persuasion, than people with low self esteem or were insulted. |
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Term
| Social psychologists are most interested in events for which we observe some degree of... |
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Definition
...consensus. If many people are acting in a similar fashion, then we can look to the situation for an answer.
Ex: WWII, Nazi reign. |
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Term
| Features of Social Psychology |
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Definition
We study consensual more than idiosyncratic reactions.
We study groups more than individuals.
We study “normal psychology” more than abnormal psychology. |
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Term
| True or False: Social psychologists think that people are all the same. |
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Definition
False. It is just that as scientists, we tend to be more interested in studying the shared causes that bind us together.
However, shared causes can lead different people to act differently. |
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Term
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Definition
A group whose opinions and evaluations matter to us.
All of us care how we measure up in relation to some reference group or another. |
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Term
| Social Psychology of Difference |
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Definition
| Even if many of us end up in different places, we can study the “shared psychology” that generated those differences. |
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Term
| “Personalities” w/ Strong Biology |
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Definition
Antisocial personality disorder
Autism
Schizophrenia
My sister’s crazy in-laws. |
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Term
| Do biology/genes exert an influence on us? |
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Definition
Absolutely, our genetic/biological endowments affect each of us.
But, our “shared biology” can also be a basis for understanding human behavior.
Example: Ways that we seem “genetically wired” to form groups, to be social. |
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Term
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Definition
Our biology makes us each different, but it also causes common human reactions.
Collective concerns
Good communication skills
Contingent self-worth |
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Term
| The influences of personality and biology can be understood... |
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Definition
| ... by examining shared reactions to situations |
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Term
| Construal (a way we differ) |
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Definition
Difference in how we interpret (construe) situations
Example:
Nervous vs. Confident College Professors |
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Term
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Definition
In this course, you will see many studies of individual differences:
Self-Esteem
Narcissism
Attachment Styles
Each of these can be understood by considering differences in how people interpret situations. |
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Term
| Where do construal differences come from? |
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Definition
Socialization- You and I and the person next to you, we all grew up in different situations.
It then is natural to consider why we see the world differently.
In this sense, “personality” differences are in part accumulated “situational” differences. |
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Term
| Common Criticism: Is social psych simply common sense? |
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Definition
Common sense knowledge is not critically analyzed
Examples - Old wives’ tales
Reading in the dark will ruin your eyes
The more you cut your hair, the faster it grows |
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Term
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Definition
"I knew it all along" phenom
- Ex: given a word jumble
Actual solving: 15%
Those who said they knew it after the experimentor gave them the answer: 70% |
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Term
| Common sense doesn't state when... |
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Definition
behavior will occur. For example, contradicting proverbs.
Too many cooks in the kitchen spoil the broth OR Two heads are better than one.
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks OR You’re never too old to learn.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder OR Out of sight, out of mind. |
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Term
| Psychological constructs vs. Scientific theory |
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Definition
“Psychological constructs” linked in some logical way
Bad: self-esteem is good
Good: High SE leads to aggression
Scientific theory stated in a fashion that is empirically testable
Bad: Good people are nice
Good: Happy people will help |
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Term
| Problem with studying psychology |
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Definition
The things psychologist study are invisible, not able to be observed.
Ever “seen” any of the following?
Self-esteem
Neuroticism
An attitude
Power |
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Term
| Independent vs. Dependent variables |
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Definition
Independent Variable:
Observable event that causes person to do something
Dependent Variable:
Observable result, produced by the person |
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Term
| Independent vs. Dependent variables |
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Definition
Independent Variable:
Observable event that causes person to do something
Dependent Variable:
Observable result, produced by the person |
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Term
| Construct validity of the cause |
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Definition
Independent variable can “stand in for” the theoretical stimulus
Frustration: Unsolvable anagrams
Esteem threat: Failure feedback |
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Term
| Construct validity of the effect |
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Definition
Dependent variable can “stand in for” the theoretical response
Aggression: Hot sauce
Liking: Seating distance |
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Term
| Common research methods, if you can't link causes to effects in a study (which would lead to construct validity) |
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Definition
Correlational studies
True Experiments |
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Term
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Definition
Studies that focus attention on correlations.
Positive: # of people at a party increases, # of drinks needs increases
Negative: # of drinks increases, ability to drive decreases. |
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Term
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Definition
| Here, we consider a particularly complex form of situational influence, culture. |
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Term
| Nature (Evolution) vs. Nuture (Culture) |
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Definition
Nature: Natural selection favors genes that promote certain brain structures and other innate processes to create the human condition.
Nuture: Social factors (parents, friends and the larger society) promote ideas and actions that create the human condition. |
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Term
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Definition
Process of selecting which traits will endure; which will disappear. Focuses on genes that influence:
Survival until reproduction
Ability to reproduce |
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Term
| Explaining People with Nature |
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Definition
Useful for explaining natural pressures that influence all of us:
e.g., Desires for safety, food, sex, pleasure.
Rarely adapted to explain differences between people. |
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Term
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Definition
Culture – an information-based system includes shared ideas and common ways of doing things
Ideas – mental representations that are abstract and that can be expressed in language |
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Term
| Explaining People with Culture |
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Definition
Focuses attention on learning experiences:
Parents, teachers, peers, media, experiences
Western vs. Eastern cultures, etc.
Useful at explaining differences in people.
Doesn’t easily explain what is similar about humans everywhere.
Doesn’t easily explain why humans have a unique capacity for culture. |
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Term
| 3 perspectives of culture & nature |
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Definition
1. “Nature versus Nurture”
2. Psychological Tension (I)
3. Cultural Animal Perspective (II) |
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Term
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Definition
This is the old way of thinking
Examples….
Geniuses
Criminals
Great athletes
Homosexuals
Leaders
Researcher biases often dictates the conclusions researchers drawn (in my opinion). |
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Term
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Definition
According to this view, nature promotes certain actions and culture other actions.
From this, comes “conflicting forces” and psychological conflict.
Tendencies typically associated with Nature
Aggression
Sex
Pleasure
Tendencies typically associated with Culture
Civility
The arts
Technological advances |
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Term
| 3. Cultural Animal Perspective |
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Definition
People were made by nature to develop culture
Instead of “nature or culture” or “nature against culture,” nature made people in a way that promoted culture
Nature and culture “co-authored” the human mind. |
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Term
Civilization and its Discontents
Freud (1930) |
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Definition
Nature = “Instincts”
“Needs” for food, safety, etc.
Promotes self-automated behavioral tendencies (instincts)
Eros = “Life Instinct”
The desire to live and to experience life. |
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Term
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Definition
Problem #1: Social contact stimulates Eros.
In adults, this is expressed by the desire for sex.
And it is expressed by the desire for more sex.
Problem # 2: Social contact stimulates Thanatos
The Death instinct
The desire to find death. |
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Term
| Society & It’s Discontents, summed |
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Definition
To be more than our “nature” we need society.
But, society stimulates the destructive tendencies in our nature.
From this inherently unstable arrangement comes war, psychosis, arts and literature. |
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Term
| Freud thought “nature” and “culture” were... |
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Definition
...in a constant state of tension.
Nature pushes us toward pleasure (sex) and aggression.
Culture tries to put constraints on these influences. |
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Term
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Definition
To live, trees take water & “food” from soil, and chemical help from sunlight
Point: What is inside a tree is there to help it get what it needs from the environment
Their needs are simple and so their “psychology” is simple. |
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Term
| Animals and Their Environment |
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Definition
All animals need things from their environment
They are built to be able to get these things
Find food (nose, eyes; hunger)
Extract nutrients from food (teeth, digestion)
Avoid predators (nose, ears; fear)
Reproduce (desire for pleasure, sex organs) |
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Term
| Some Requirements for Being “Social Animals” |
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Definition
Must recognize fellows, “friends”
Must want to be with them, from “herd instinct” to “need to belong”
Coordinate action. Mimicry, cooperation
How to resolve disputes
Competitive ambition, dominance
Self-control (follow rules)
Rivals, alliances
Possibly a longer learning phase (childhood), which requires more nurturance from adults |
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Term
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Definition
| Becker’s argument in a nutshell was that Freud was right, just not about sex. The fuel that drives society is not Eros (Life) and Libido (Sex) but fear of death. |
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Term
| Nature and Culture: Dealing with death |
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Definition
| Culture teaches each of us ways of transcending death by finding (cultural) immortality. |
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Term
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Definition
When people are reminded of their own mortality, they should be more interested in activities that will cause parts of their own identity to live on after them.
Common example?
One way we leave our mark on society is by having children. |
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Term
| Terror Management Studies |
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Definition
| In a study, those who were asked to think about their death, responded high desire for children, rather than people who were asked to think about dental pain, who showed lower levels of desire for children. |
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Term
| Terror Management Studies |
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Definition
| In a study, those who were asked to think about their death, responded high desire for children, rather than people who were asked to think about dental pain, who showed lower levels of desire for children. |
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Term
| Ways of Transcending Death? |
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Definition
Raising a (respectful) child?
Building a bridge?
Writing a book?
Opening a family store?
Adhering to a religious code?
...In general, leaving a mark, making your life meaningful. |
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Term
“Symblic Transcendence”
(Existing Beyond Death) Requires: |
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Definition
1. Shared system of meaning (Culture)
2. Representation of self as valued within the culture (Self-Esteem) |
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Term
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Definition
Thinking of death caused individuals to act in defense of their own culture (national identity).
Related effects
Greater criticism of immigrants
Greater criticism of “out-groups”
Liking of one’s own sports teams
Liking of leader’s (particularly if conservative) |
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Term
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Definition
| Perhaps people who are deviant from their culture do not live in a constant state of terror, because Terror Management does not assume we all conform to one dominant culture, but that we seek a culture that is meaningful. |
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Term
| How is the self structured? |
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Definition
Self Knowledge
Interpersonal Self
Agent Self |
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Term
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Definition
Self-concept
= information and beliefs we have about who we are |
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Term
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Definition
Public self
= image of self that is conveyed to others
Concerned about how others see you
Think about self on date or interview. |
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Term
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Definition
Executive Function of the Self
Involved in choices and self-control
(Ch. 4) |
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Term
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Definition
Self-Concept vs. Public Self
Example
How much do you like getting drunk?
Answer in front of respected elder
Answer in front of roommate
How much do you like getting drunk?
Answer after thinking of respected elder
Answer after thinking of roommate |
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Term
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Definition
Self-awareness
= attention directed at the self
Self originates from human capacity to turn attention toward itself
Situations known to increase self-awareness
Mirrors
Evaluated by others
Being videotaped |
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Term
| Self-Awareness & Motivation |
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Definition
1. Change behavior to meet standard
When in front of mirror, people less likely to:
Cheat on exam
Eat fattening foods
Act aggressively
2. Escape from self-awareness
Occurs when unable to resolve discrepancy
Results in destructive and/or socially undesirable behaviors |
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Term
| Escape from Self-Awareness |
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Definition
Binge eating
Alcohol abuse
Drug use
Suicide |
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Term
| Origins of Self-Knowledge |
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Definition
Introspection
Looking Glass Self *
Social Comparison *
* more social, involve other people |
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Term
| 1. Looking Inside: Introspection |
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Definition
Examine own mind
Assumes we have privileged (direct) access to our inner states
Not exactly the most reliable or accurate. |
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Term
| 2. The Looking-Glass Self |
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Definition
Research shows there is often a considerable gap between what people think of us and what we think they think of us.
Although people are not accurate, they seem to value the (perceived) opinions of others.
This can lead to false consensus. |
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Term
| 3. Looking at Others: Social Comparison |
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Definition
| More often than not, the standards that are used to evaluate the self involve other people. |
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Term
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Definition
| Ex: Memory of high school grades, we tend to reply that we had a higher GPA than we actually did. |
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Term
| Studies of the Looking Glass Self |
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Definition
| We tend to think that more people agree with our way of thinking: ex: class was polled on their opinion on the legalization of pot, and then were asked how they thought the class voted. Higher percentage presumed most would agree and saw things their way. |
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Term
| Studies of Social Comparison |
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Definition
| Rating how smart you felt after seeing a pic of Einstein vs. a clown, rating how good looking you felt after seeing a picture of someone pretty vs. someone ugly, with young and old... etc. |
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Term
| Three-Selves Model of Social Comparison |
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Definition
Personal Selves
Possible Selves
Collective Selves |
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Term
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Definition
| We tend to contrast our selves with others when assessing personal abilities. |
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Term
| Contrast vs. Assimilation |
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Definition
Many times, social comparison leads to assimilation effects.
“Upward comparisons” raises self-evaluation
“Downward comparison” lowers self-evaluation |
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Term
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Definition
At times, social comparisons with other people make us mindful of what we can become
Example: Role models |
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Term
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Definition
Collective comparisons tell us the attributes of our groups.
Example: Team pride. |
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Term
| Problems with correlation |
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Definition
Dogs improve well-being: Having dogs is associated with self-esteem.
- Reverse causality:
Ice cream and homicide: As ice cream sales go up, so do murder rates.
- Third variable problem |
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Term
| What factors affect aggression? |
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Definition
Mood
Self-Esteem
Gender
Health
Age |
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Term
| Mundane Realism and Psychological (also Experimental) Realism |
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Definition
| Does the study “look” and "feel" like the real world? |
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Term
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Definition
| A positive attitude towards yourself. |
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Term
| Self-Esteem & Pop Culture |
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Definition
Many common conceptions of self-esteem are brought to us courtesy of popular culture.
… journalistic coverage
… the self-help industry
… television/entertainment |
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Term
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Definition
#1: It is ____ to have high self-esteem.
good
our right
our duty
our purpose
#2: High self-esteem is the root source of positive things in our lives.
#3: Thinking positively can overcome a negative reality.
#4: Society undermines our quest for self-esteem.
“STEP 1: We admitted we were powerless over ____ and that our lives had become unmanageable.”
Alcohol
Shopping
Gambling
Sex
#5: The power is in each of us to overcome low self-esteem. |
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Term
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Definition
Fact #1. Ours is not a low self-esteem society.
Fact #2: Self-esteem is not a strong predictor of many meaningful outcomes.
Outcomes poorly predicted by self-esteem:
Academic success
Relationship quality
Parenting/Child abuse
Substance use
Workplace productivity
Fact #3. There is little evidence that esteem can be increased to any substantial degree in adult populations. |
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Term
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Definition
As a general rule, people who are high in self-esteem appear to be more defensive.
That is, they protect themselves from threats they perceive.
Although this may help build esteem, it can result in destructive beliefs and behaviors. |
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Term
| Conclusion of Self Esteem |
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Definition
Positive self-views can increase defensiveness; rejection of threatening information.
Although many popular conceptions about self-esteem are false, esteem does appear to shape how we respond to situations.
This can be for the worse, as when we defensively deny tangible (real) threats to our well-being.
But, there are many ways that these same tendencies might improve life outcomes by helping us respond to threats in adaptive ways. |
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