Social Thinking: Crash Course Psychology

The video explores social psychology, focusing on how situations influence behavior. It introduces attribution theory, explaining how we attribute actions to personality or situations, and discusses the fundamental attribution error. Persuasion is examined through central and peripheral routes, showing how attitudes can change behavior. The Stanford prison experiment highlights situational power over personality. Cognitive dissonance theory explains how conflicting thoughts and actions create tension, influencing behavior. The video concludes with a summary of these concepts.

What does social psychology primarily focus on?

• Biological influences on behavior

• The power of the situation

• Historical events

• Individual cognitive processes

What is the fundamental attribution error?

• Underestimating environmental factors

• Overestimating personality influences

• Underestimating personality traits

• Overestimating situational influences

Which route of persuasion involves logical reasoning and evidence?

• Emotional route

• Peripheral route

• Incidental route

• Central route

What is an example of peripheral route persuasion?

• Analyzing a candidate's policies

• Voting based on a candidate's attractiveness

• Reading a detailed report

• Listening to a scientific debate

What does the foot-in-the-door phenomenon suggest?

• People comply only with large requests

• Large requests are always rejected

• Small requests lead to compliance with larger ones

• People resist small requests

How did Darth Vader's transformation illustrate the foot-in-the-door phenomenon?

• He immediately became a dark lord

• He was gradually enticed to the dark side

• He resisted all temptations

• He was forced into his role

What did the Stanford prison experiment demonstrate?

• Personality traits are fixed

• Prisoners are naturally submissive

• Situational factors can override personality

• Guards are inherently cruel

What is cognitive dissonance?

• Discomfort from conflicting thoughts and actions

• Agreement with societal norms

• Consistency in beliefs

• Harmony between thoughts and actions

How might someone resolve cognitive dissonance?

• By avoiding new information

• By reinforcing the conflict

• By changing their beliefs to match their actions

• By ignoring the conflict

What ethical concerns arise from the Stanford prison experiment?

• It was too short

• It lacked realism

• It had too many participants

• It caused emotional distress