Exam 1: What Is Social Psychology

Social psychology is the study of large groups, such as entire societies, rather than individuals.

Scientific conclusions are sounder and more resistant to challenge than common-sense knowledge.

We are usually aware of how we are impacted by social influences.

Because of social psychology's preexisting focus on people's perceptions and interpretations of events, which of the following 'revolutions' in the 1960s was not considered a revolution at all in the area of social psychology?

The study by Axsom, Yates and Chaiken (1987), in which students listened to a political candidate discuss the merits of offering probation as an alternative to imprisonment for convicted criminals showed that:

How do the views of the behaviorists differ from those of the social psychologists? How are their views similar?

Describe how philosophy and physiology both contributed to the development of psychology. Next, briefly describe one of the first studies in the field of social psychology.

The study by Hastorf and Cantril (1954) on perceptions of a particularly rough football game between Princeton and Dartmouth showed that…

Some have stated that Adolf Hitler had the most impact on the development of social psychology.

Research has shown that individuals from _______ are more likely to explain behaviors as being due to characteristics of the actor, whereas individuals from _______ are more likely to explain behaviors as being due to other people's social expectations.

Which of the following events impacted the development of social psychology in the 1930s and 1940s?

At the beginning of chapter 1, the different perceptions of football fans from Princeton and Dartmouth were compared. This real world example demonstrates which basic principle?

Compare and contrast cultural psychology and evolutionary psychology. How would each perspective approach the study of helping among groups?

In 1987, Axsom, Yates and Chaiken asked students to consider whether convicted criminals should be given probation as an alternative to imprisonment. Each student then listened to a tape in which they heard a political candidate speaking in favor of the issue. The researchers showed that students who thought the issue _________ and who heard _________ on the tape, were more persuaded by the argument.

In seeking connectedness, individuals will conform to group norms.

The broad field of psychology developed from the questions being asked by the _________ and the methods developed by the _________ .

_________ are the ways in which input from the people and groups around us affect our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

With which of the followings statements would social psychologists and behaviorists be most likely to agree?

When people process information superficially, they pay little attention to the quality of persuasive arguments.

The scientific aspect of psychology came from the ancient philosophers.