Study Guide for Social Psychology

What is social psychology?

What is an ingroup? What is an outgroup? What term is used to describe how we think about outgroup members?

• Ingroup: People who are similar to you and whom you identify with. (Related term: ingroup favoritism). Outgroup: People who are different from you and your ingroup. Term for how we think about outgroup members: Outgroup homogeneity effect – the tendency to view members of an outgroup as all the same.

• Ingroup: People who are different from you and your outgroup. Outgroup: People who are similar to you. Term for how we think about outgroup members: Ingroup bias – the tendency to favor members of your own group.

• Ingroup: People who are similar to you and whom you identify with. Outgroup: People who are similar to you but not in your group. Term for how we think about outgroup members: Group polarization – the tendency to make more extreme decisions in a group.

• Ingroup: People who are different from you and whom you do not identify with. Outgroup: People who are similar to you. Term for how we think about outgroup members: Social facilitation – the tendency to perform differently in the presence of others.

What are the components of an attitude? Describe each component.

• Attitudes are evaluations of objects, events, or ideas, and they consist of three components: • Cognitive: Knowledge and beliefs. • Affective: Feelings and values. • Behavioral: Actions and choices.

• Attitudes are evaluations of objects, events, or ideas, and they consist of three components: • Emotional: Instincts and drives. • Physical: Movements and gestures. • Social: Group influences.

• Attitudes are evaluations of objects, events, or ideas, and they consist of three components: • Sensory: Perceptions and sensations. • Logical: Reasoning and deduction. • Practical: Application and usage.

• Attitudes are evaluations of objects, events, or ideas, and they consist of three components: • Visual: Appearance and observation. • Verbal: Speech and language. • Nonverbal: Gestures and expressions.

What is attribution theory? What are the two types of attributions?

• Attribution theory explains how people interpret and assign causes to behavior. Personal (Internal) Attributions: Behavior is due to personal characteristics. Situational (External) Attributions: Behavior is due to external circumstances.

• Attribution theory is about how people remember facts. Personal (Internal) Attributions: Behavior is due to memory. Situational (External) Attributions: Behavior is due to forgetting.

• Attribution theory explains how people choose friends. Personal (Internal) Attributions: Behavior is due to popularity. Situational (External) Attributions: Behavior is due to group pressure.

• Attribution theory is about how people solve math problems. Personal (Internal) Attributions: Behavior is due to intelligence. Situational (External) Attributions: Behavior is due to luck.

What is the fundamental attribution error? When we make this error, what type of attribution do we assign to other’s actions?

• The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize personal factors and underestimate situational factors when explaining others’ behaviors. We tend to assign personal attributions to others’ negative behaviors.

• The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overemphasize situational factors and underestimate personal factors when explaining others’ behaviors. We tend to assign situational attributions to others’ negative behaviors.

• The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to attribute our own actions to personal factors and others’ actions to situational factors. We tend to assign situational attributions to others’ positive behaviors.

• The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to ignore both personal and situational factors when explaining others’ behaviors. We tend to assign random attributions to others’ actions.

What are the differences between stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination?

• Stereotypes: Beliefs about outgroups (cognitive). Prejudice: Negative feelings toward outgroups (affective). Discrimination: Biased behavior toward outgroups (behavioral).

• Stereotypes: Biased behavior toward outgroups (behavioral). Prejudice: Beliefs about outgroups (cognitive). Discrimination: Negative feelings toward outgroups (affective).

• Stereotypes: Negative feelings toward outgroups (affective). Prejudice: Biased behavior toward outgroups (behavioral). Discrimination: Beliefs about outgroups (cognitive).

• Stereotypes: Positive feelings toward outgroups (affective). Prejudice: Neutral beliefs about outgroups (cognitive). Discrimination: Unbiased behavior toward outgroups (behavioral).

To which components of attitudes do stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination match?

The Stereotype Content Model predicts how we view certain outgroups based on which two aspects?

• Warmth and competence

• Intelligence and appearance

• Age and gender

• Power and status

Which of the following best describes the causes/antecedents of prejudice, ways to reduce prejudice, and the Robber’s Cave Study?

• Prejudice is caused by social categorization and competition, can be reduced through intergroup contact, and the Robber’s Cave Study demonstrated conflict and cooperation between groups.

• Prejudice is only caused by genetics, cannot be reduced, and the Robber’s Cave Study focused on memory.

• Prejudice is caused by diet, can be reduced by exercise, and the Robber’s Cave Study was about sleep patterns.

• Prejudice is unrelated to social factors, can be reduced by isolation, and the Robber’s Cave Study was about language learning.

Which of the following best explains why people conform to others, the difference between informational and normative influence, factors impacting the level of conformity, and the concept of groupthink?

• People conform due to social pressure; informational influence is about seeking correct information, normative is about fitting in; group size and unanimity impact conformity; groupthink is when group harmony overrides realistic decision-making.

• People conform only for rewards; informational and normative influence are the same; conformity is not impacted by group factors; groupthink is about individual thinking.

• Conformity happens only in children; informational influence is about punishment, normative is about rewards; conformity is not influenced by group size; groupthink is unrelated to decision-making.

• People never conform to others; informational and normative influence do not exist; conformity is random; groupthink is about creativity.