PSYC 221 Fall 2012 Study Guide for Final Exam I Religion Morality Functions of religion The exam will be weighted towards newer material So probably between 50 60 of the questions will be on stuff since the last exam with the remaining 40 50 on older material a Terror management death anxiety i Mortality salience anxiety and distress 1 When primed to think about our own death our anxiety increases 2 Constantly aware of own mortality and have a desire for self 3 When reminded of our mortality our anxiety and terror give preservation potential to alter behavior ii Humans have an increased belief in supernatural agents afterlife mind body distinctions b Social identity communication bonding cooperation altruism handles free rider problems i Religious identity is stronger than other social identities i e ethnic geographic etc ii Knowing ones identity allows you to 1 Advertise for yourself 2 Share beliefs to connect with others 3 Gives a better ease to generate values and influence judgments and decisions c Formation facilitation of large groups and common goals causes i Groups with strong moral norms had a competitive advantage over those that didn t ii Morality binds large communities iii Social contract common norms rules 1 Trust facilitates cooperation in large groups iv Norms morals and values promotes 1 In group cooperation altruism 2 Eliminates free rider problems 3 Keeps authority structure in tact 4 Assists in mobilizing around common causes d Compliance with rules laws social norms and in group loyalty i Mean Gods make good people e Coping with stress pain suffering i Everyone suffers even innocent people ii Use our community as a social support Effects of religious beliefs and or belief in God a Reduced cheating dishonesty i Christians and Jews both believe adultery as morally wrong Christians believe lust is just as bad b c thoughts lead to actions b Coping and or social support from others in religious group or God i Seek proximity to god in times of trouble stress c Moralizing normative behavior 1 Association between social norms and suicide rates a Lower rates of suicide in societies with more social norms tighter societies 2 Common norms lead to moralizing normative behavior a Sex masturbation eating work daily activities d Competition conflict between groups in group favoritism Similarities between religious people and secular atheists i Less adultery more happiness in religious people ii Atheists and secular people have religious experiences a Feeling unity with humanity b Transcendence of time space psychedelic drugs c Emotions such as elevation and awe d Cognition karma tempting fate e Behavior rituals superstition Discrimination against atheists i Most distrusted least liked group by far ii Discrimination in job hiring Moral dumbfounding intuitiveness i Don t actually know and cant explain why something is right or wrong ii Acting some way because it is instinctive logic and reason are afterthoughts Morality at 2 levels individual group level morality i Moral Foundations Theory a Individual vs Group level morality i Individual level morality 1 Care vs harm 2 Fairness and justice 3 Liberty vs oppression ii Group level morality 1 Loyalty In group patriotism 2 Authority respect parents police institutions 3 Purity sanctity sex food 6 moral foundations differences for liberals conservatives described in Haidt s TED talk on moral roots of liberals conservatives and the article New Synthesis on Moral Psychology a Care harm people feel compassion when we see others suffer b Fairness cheating humans readily form alliances which leads to reciprocal altruism develop virtues related to fairness and justice c Loyalty betrayal develop emotions related to recognizing trusting and cooperating with people in your group and are weary of people in other groups underlies patriotism and self sacrifice for a group d Liberty oppression feel resentment toward those who dominate our liberty restrict your freedom II Political psychology e Authority Subversion Respect and obedience for people in leadership prestigious positions underlies leadership and follwership f Purity sanctity believe people are not pure and have disgust for those who act upon sexual desires other immoral activities ii Conservatives treat all these five factors as moderately important iii Liberals focus almost exclusively on the harm caring or fairness reciprocity principles Free will a Why it s a flawed concept yet beneficial i It doesn t take into account emotions and other mental states ii Free will is useful for organizing society iii Priming free will increases motivation effort altruism job performance and decreases aggressive behavior and cheating Change or lack thereof across the lifespan in ideology attitudes i Modeling learning through rewards and punishments ii Genetic correlations with political attitudes and similarities Psychological differences between liberals conservatives a Conservatives are more psychologically restricted i E g Restricted vs open cognition Increased need for closure certainty stability 1 2 Decreased openness to experience 3 Decreased tolerance for ambiguity b Liberals are quicker to integrate new stimuli information The moral foundations and their association with political ideology i Conservatives rhetoric prioritizes traditional American values ii Liberals rhetoric prioritizes worldliness and human rights What variables make people more conservative a Situational variables priming i Priming danger and death increases conservative ideology Perceptions of income inequality and economic behavior i Income inequality is steadily rising in association with mortality a People with more money live longer ii People underestimate income inequality and don t realize that it is steadily iii Overall state of economy trumps individual economic status sociotropic rising hypothesis Motivated reasoning and skepticism for incongruent political arguments evidence i once it s been established motivated skepticism a Biased political information processors arguments are evaluated as stronger weaker depending on prior attitude generate counter arguments time spent seeking other information attitude polarization Hot automatic vs cold conscious rational processing for political information i Priming Bill Clinton Gray Davis independents ii Priming the flag more conservative implicit attitudes voting behavior 8 months later Role of the media i Outlet for mass communication don t shape attitudes opinions
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