SOP3004 Study Guide for Exam 1 RESEARCH METHODS Social Psychology The scientific study of how people think about others influence others and relate to one another Essentially it is the study of people How different situations can effect people differently Another level looks at groups in addition to the individual How we think about others and how we think about ourselves Constantly making judgments about other people during our lives How social influence takes part in our life like persuasion or conformity How we relate to each other Sometimes we are nice and helpful sometimes we are violent and mean to others What factors play into this Experimental Design A design in which there are two variables the dependent and independent variables Participants are randomly assigned to different conditions and the experiment is controlled through the manipulation of the independent variable Correlational Design A design that tests if there is a relationship between two variables Gives an r value Remember correlation does not equal causation Experimental vs Correlational Design In a correlational design one begins with two variables to see if they are correlated In an experimental design one manipulates the independent variable to see if it effects the dependent variable Independent Variable the variable experimenters attempt to control Dependent Variable the variable the follows the independent variable and is sometimes due to the independent variable It depends on the independent variable R Value The correlation coefficient It shows if two variables are correlated It ranges from 1 to 1 and if the r value is closer to either end of the spectrum the correlation is stronger than if the value lies closer to 0 Operational Definition A statement of the procedures or ways in which a researcher is going to measure behaviors or qualities For example let s say you wanted measure and define life change You could do this by giving people the Social Readjustment Rating Scale and then operationally define life change as the score on the social readjustment rating scale Internal Validity refers to how well an experiment is done especially whether it avoids confounding more than one possible independent variable cause acting at the same time The less chance for confounding in a study the higher its internal validity is External Validity the validity of generalized causal inferences in scientific research usually based on experiments as experimental validity In other words it is the extent to which the results of a study can be generalized to other situations and to other people Reliability the degree to which an assessment tool produces stable and consistent results Test retest reliability is a measure of reliability obtained by administering the same test twice over a period of time to a group of individuals Must be reliable across items and across time The Scientific Method 1 State problem or research question 2 Formulate hypothesis 3 Design experiment 4 Test hypothesis with data from experiment 5 Communicate results 6 Replicate and extend findings Theory vs Hypothesis experiment Hypothesis An idea about the possible nature of reality a prediction tested in an Theory Unobservable constructs that are linked together in some logical way principles that explain predicted and observed results ATTITUDES AND COGNITIVE DISSONANCE LaPiere Study 1934 Traveled around with Asian couple He expected anti Asian attitudes would produce discrimination yet the vast majority of hotels allowed them to stay Later he wrote to the hotels months later asking if they would accommodate Asians 90 said they would not Lord Ross Lepper Study 1979 Participants were extremely pro or anti capital punishment They were given two studies to read one pro and one anti capital punishment They did not change their views in face of mixed evidence Instead it made their original stance stronger Attitude Polarization attitudes become more extreme by convincing ourselves they are right Halo Effect the tendency for an impression created in one area to influence opinion in another area For example if someone has one good trait like being attractive that they have other good traits Like being more trustworthy or intelligent Festinger and Carlsmith Study Had individuals turn knobs for an hour Some individuals were offered 1 or 20 to tell the next person that the study was interesting there was also a no lie control group Afterwards the participants attitude towards knob turning was measured Those who lied about it and received a dollar came out of the experiment actually convincing themselves it was enjoyable where those who lied for 20 knew it wasn t because they had a justifiable reason for lying the state of having inconsistent thoughts beliefs or attitudes Cognitive Dissonance especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change It is cause when attitudes and behaviors are inconsistent This is an uncomfortable state of being so the individual experiencing this will do something to reduce the dissonance Effort Justification an idea and paradigm in social psychology stemming from Festinger s theory of cognitive dissonance It is people s tendency to attribute a greater value to an outcome they had to put effort into acquiring or achieving If there is insufficient justification then the individual will begin to compensate for it in other ways Attitudes a favorable unfavorable indifferent or ambivalent evaluative reaction toward something or someone Implicit Attitudes automatic and nonconscious evaluative responses o Measured by implicit association tests good and bad words paired with black and white individuals Explicit Attitudes controlled deliberate and conscious evaluative responses There can be a weak relationship between implicit and explicit attitudes because individuals desire to be socially desirable no one wants to be labeled as racist sexist or homophobic Need for Cognition a personality variable reflecting the extent to which individuals are inclined towards effortful cognitive activities SOCIAL INFLUENCE AND PERSUASION Asch line experiment 1955 Each participant was in the experiment alone with only confederates Individuals were asked to match a particular line to the corresponding line among three different choices At first the confederates would answer correctly to the matching but after awhile they would begin choosing the incorrect line The participant would often conform to what the others said even though it was
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