PSYC 221 Fall 2012 Study Guide for Final Exam Note This study guide is for all the material since exam 2 All other material from the rest of the semester is fair game to appear on the final exam so you can utilize the other 2 study guides I posted for the midterms 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 I Religion Morality Functions of religion a Terror management death anxiety awareness of our own death results in anxiety stress cope with this by having an increased belief in supernatural powers agents after life mind body distinctions even after body dies soul lives on b Social identity communication bonding cooperation altruism judgments of others handles free rider problems Expressing self to larger world provides sense of continuity certainty when connecting with others Advertise self and share beliefs with others Make quick judgments of others based on their religious affiliation halo effect Holding norms morals values eliminates free rider problems b c ppl have strong sense of ethics and they don t ride on others successes Promotes in group coopertism altruism c Formation facilitation of large groups and common goals causes Trust facilitates cooperation in large groups community for social support altruistic motive helps individuals in group mobilizing around common causes same ethical norms help ppl to work together to overcome threats d Compliance with rules laws social norms and in group loyalty Govern everyday activities as each having a moral meaning value ex sex masturbation eating work daily activities scrutinized under moral lens Leads to more happiness more causes to live lives when thinking about the value each daily act has Also God enforcer external motivator for pro social behavior b c he is always watching when ppl are primed with god they cheat less Holding norms morals values keep authority structure in tact e Coping with stress pain suffering Religious community for social support Universality of suffering harm happens to innocent ppl everything has a purpose and is attributable to someone watching over us belief in t a just world Seek proximity to god when under stress more likely to seek God s help when something bad happens Compensatory control God compensates something that s out of our own control Meaning making through god as a source of meaning out of negative events all events are God s purpose Religious ppl are more healthy happy Effects of religious beliefs and or belief in God God enforcer external motivator Religious communities provide social support God parental figure that can guide us under stress Helps us with meaning making when bad things happen Reduced cheating less dishonesty believe someone is always watching you a Reduced cheating dishonesty b Coping and or social support from others in religious group or God Moralizing normative behavior Disgust promotes moral sanctity purity moralizing normative behavior 1 Association btwn social norms and suicide rates Lower suicide rates in society s with more social norms considered tighter societies c Competition conflict between groups in group favoritism Fight over resources territory ideas Moral strivings viciousness holy war Group deservingness victimization if god is on their side Prioritize help to those in same group Similarities between religious people and secular atheists Have religious experiences marked by feeling of unity with humanity universe transcendence of time space Holy ground emotion elevation awe Cognition karma tempting fate Behavior rituals superstition Discrimination against atheists Most distrusted least liked group openly discriminated against Job hiring that involves social trust ppl would much rather have a religious person doing it b c they believe they will behave in more ethical ways if they believe God is watching them Moral dumbfounding intuitiveness You can say something is moral but you don t know how to justify why it is Immediate emotional feeling automatic that something is wrong with the situation mind tries to justify rationalize what you are feeling afterwards Mind is a lawyer working backwards for reasoning to support emotions Emotion Moral judgment Reasoning Morality at 2 levels individual group level morality 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 Individual level morality liberals value this more 1 Care vs harm 2 Fairness and justice 3 Liberty vs oppression Group level morality conservatives value this more In group loyalty patriotism holding group in high esteem 1 2 Respect for authority figures 3 Purity and sanctity sex food everyday behavior is moralized Free will Superficial explanation for behavior We feel like we have free will b c there s a Tight temporal connection btwn intention physical action a Why it s a flawed concept Doesn t take into account emotions origin of intentions or causal chain of events automaticity environment yet beneficial Useful for organizing society when primed with ideas of free will motivation effort altruism job performance increases as well as decreasing aggressive behavior cheating b May not exist but we know humans have potential to change themselves for the better or for the worse c Agency over free will evidence for having some control in life ability to make something happen Men higher agency more likely to go after what they want evolution women need to be more protective as men need to spread more of their seeds II III How religion Evolved IV Moral norms for cooperation in large groups laws that govern society make ppl act in altruistic ways to help society promote social order V Religion evolved around same time as morality go hand in hand Side note ppl who are religious are healthier psychologically b c it increases certainty and reduces cog Dissonance VI Political psychology Change or lack thereof across the lifespan in ideology attitudes Little change across lifespan after 30 things pretty much set in stone Exceptions to this major political events change in geographic location going to college There is a change in political TRUST over lifespan younger Americans skeptical of gov t Psychological differences between liberals conservatives a E g Restricted vs open cognition Liberals Make external attribution quicker to integrate new
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