Learning Objectives Chapter 1 The Mission and the Method Define social psychology 1st question on exam The scientific study of how people think about influence and relate to each other as groups and as individuals Scientific Study study most variable thing of all of life Humans Observable things peoples thoughts feelings expressed through behavior Want to be objective no bias Quantifiable different variables how are the researchers defining that variable Similar situations affect different people in different ways different personalities Think about how people think about ourselves and other people o Scales 1 10 o Check heart rate to observe level of attraction o Observe distance between people Focus on the person of situation by interaction People the study of people Different situations affect people in different ways How things affect you other people Why do people do things Influence depend on people all the time Conform to fit in Persuade others to do specific things Relate to each other How our emotions affect our relationships Need to belong Groups Quick to categorize people based on skin color gender etc Cultural differences Prejudices Stereotypes Individuals all about the self How we might self present Identify other academic areas related to social psychology and know their primary focus Anthropology study of human culture Provides a cultural context Helps us know if behaviors are caused by nature or culture Economics study of how people exchange goods and services Calls attention to larger social systems and how these systems shape behavior Sociology study of societies and the groups that form societies Supply and demand Similar to social psychologists o Both focus on behavior Different from social psychologists o Sociology Focus on the group as a single unit o Social psychology Focus on the individuals that make up the group Understand how social psychology is different from the other fields within psychology Biological psychology focus on what happens in the brain nervous system and other aspects of the body Biological psychology focus on identifying which parts of the brain contribute to specific behaviors Social psychology looks at behaviors and see social motives Clinical psychology interested in abnormal human functioning Social psychology interested in NORMAL human functioning Clinical psychology focus on abnormal behavior most popular field of psychology Cognitive psychology study thought processes ex memory Cognitive psychology interested in how people think Social psychology interested in how people think and other people situations Define and identify examples of the hindsight bias Saying you know something after you learned about it Hindsight bias I knew it all along Easier to say you knew it all along after learning it The tendency to exaggerate one s ability to have foreseen an outcome after learning about it Proverbial and anecdotal knowledge can support almost any claim Describe the 5 steps of the scientific method 1 State the problem 2 Formulate the hypothesis 3 Design experiment 4 Test hypothesis with data from experiment 5 Communicate results Know the 2 things that make a good theory 1 Economical Occam s razor simplest explanation is usually the best one 2 Falsifiable can I prove this wrong We don t prove hypotheses We disprove them Examples all swans are white Know whether science aims to prove or disprove hypotheses and why Science aims to disprove hypotheses Just because all you have seen are white swans it does not mean it s true Can prove it wrong Define theory and hypothesis Theory unobservable constructs that are linked together in some logical way principles that explain predicted and observed results multiple hypothesis clumped together Hypothesis an idea about the possible nature of reality a prediction tested in an experiment Identify and describe the different methods used in research Correlational Research good at making predictions Goal to test how one variable is associated with another variable Is there a relationship Positive Correlation Hypothesis There is a positive relationship between money and happiness Ask participants how much they make and how happy they are i s s e n p p a H 50 40 30 20 10 0 50 60 70 Income 80 in thousands of dollars Ask participants how much they make and how sad they are Negative Correlation 50 60 70 Income 80 in thousands of dollars Ask participants how much they make and how much they like beer o Should not expect a correlation No Correlation s s e n d a S 50 40 30 20 10 0 r e e B 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 50 55 60 75 80 85 65 70 Income in thousands of dollars Experimental Research Two key features o Random assignment of participants o Controlled manipulation of independent variable Two types of variables o Independent variable IV o Subject variables inherent to the subject gender race SES Cannot manipulate these things not a causal factor o Dependent variable DV Examples IV candy DV test performance 1 A researcher wonders if having candy in class will help students do better on tests 2 An experiment is conducted where participants are exposed to very bright light bright light and dim light and their comprehension of a reading passage is evaluated IV level of exposure of light DV reading comprehension 3 A study investigates whether people sleep better when soft music is played or 4 A marketer asks customers at a grocery store whether they like his product better when the room is silent IV music DV sleep than the product of his competitor IV Where they got the product DV How much they like it Be able to explain the direction and strength of a correlation when given the correlation coefficient and know what a zero correlation really means Correlation coefficient r Positive correlation variables go in the same direction no matter what Negative correlation variables are going in opposite directions as one goes up the other one goes down r 1 r 9 strongest correlation because it is closer to 1 r 0 Ranges from 1 to 1 Closer it is to 1 or 1 indicates strength Absolute value indicates magnitude closer to 1 stronger closer to 0 weaker Sign indicates direction Just because it has a correlation coefficient of 0 it means that there is no linear relationship Know the advantages and disadvantages of correlational research Don t know what is causing the other 3rd variable Iron law of correlation correlation DOES NOT equal causation A B B A C A B Explain the benefits and pitfalls of experimental research Benefits Better results
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