SOP 3004 - exam 1 Final Exam with All
Correct/Verified Answers 2025-2026
Updated.
social psychology - Answer the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors are influenced by other people
as scientists, social psychologists have two tasks - Answer describe (observe) & explain
(theories)
the scientific method - Answer - observation
- generate hypotheses about why
- develop a testable hypothesis
- design a study/experiment
surveys tell us that - Answer two variables are related/correlated/associated with each other
correlation - Answer two or more variables co-occur together
positive correlation - Answer both variables occur in the same direction
negative correlation - Answer as one variable increases, the other decreases
directional problem - Answer there is a relationship between two variables, but it cannot be
determined which variable may have caused changes in the other variable
third variable problem - Answer there could be some other variable we didn't think of that
causes both of the other variables
experiments can uncover __________ relations between variables - Answer causal
aronson and mills (1959) study - Answer - 63 college women in a study on "discussing sex"
- pre-study "screening"
- experimentally manipulated initiation severity
- randomly assigned
- group 1: no test (control group)
,- group 2: mild initiation test (recitation of neutral words and text)
- group 3: difficult initiation test (recitation of obscene words and text)
independent variable (IV) - Answer the variable that is systematically manipulated; typically
involves more than one condition; this is the variable that you think will cause differences in
behavior
dependent variable (DV) - Answer the variable that is measured because you think it is
affected by ("dependent on") the experimental conditions; the effect of the independent
variable
key features of an experiment - Answer control, random assignment, experimental realism
control - Answer - experiments can take place in a setting where the researcher can control
many potential third variables
- can make sure that the experimental setting is exactly the same for every participant, so that
the only thing that differs is the manipulation (IV)
random assignment - Answer - participants are put into conditions through randomization
- each person has an equal chance of being in any condition
- any third variables not controlled in the experiment are equally distributed across conditions
experimental realism - Answer - maintaining control is important so that participants take
the experiment seriously and don't alter their behavior
- to achieve this, it is sometimes necessary to disguise the purpose of the study through cover
stories/deception
challenges of research - Answer - controlling confounding third variables
- achieving experimental realism
- problems with surgery methods (ex: social desirability bias)
- not everything is easily tested through an experiment
- a lot of existing research has used WEIRD participants
WEIRD participants - Answer western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic
theories - Answer scientific explanations that connect and organize existing observations
, sociocultural perspective - Answer - theorizes that larger social groups exert a lot of
influence on social behavior of an individual
social norms - Answer rules about appropriate behavior; influenced by culture
culture - Answer a set of beliefs, customs, habits, and language shared by people living in a
particular time and place
evolutionary perspective - Answer - theorizes that humans have deep-rooted physical and
psychological dispositions that aid survival and reproduction
- interested in how humans are alike, regardless of culture
- also predicts and appreciates differences between people
natural selection - Answer process in which characteristics that aid in survival are passed
onto offspring
adaptions - Answer characteristics well-suited to particular environments; lead to survival
and procreation; leads to probabilistic changes in a population
3 principles of natural selection and sexual selection - Answer variation, heritability,
differential survival/reproductive success
correcting misconceptions - Answer - evolution is not purposeful (adaptations arise from
random mutations)
- traits do not appear in response to need
- evolution is not an event; it is a continuous process
- instincts are hard-wired at birth
evolutionary mismatches - Answer interactions with outgroup members and food availability
social learning perspective - Answer - theorizes that social behavior is driven by prior
learning experiences, and shaped through reinforcement and punishment
- searches for causes of behavior in a person's environment
social learning can be - Answer direct (specific reinforcement or punishment) or indirect
(observation, imitation)
Correct/Verified Answers 2025-2026
Updated.
social psychology - Answer the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors are influenced by other people
as scientists, social psychologists have two tasks - Answer describe (observe) & explain
(theories)
the scientific method - Answer - observation
- generate hypotheses about why
- develop a testable hypothesis
- design a study/experiment
surveys tell us that - Answer two variables are related/correlated/associated with each other
correlation - Answer two or more variables co-occur together
positive correlation - Answer both variables occur in the same direction
negative correlation - Answer as one variable increases, the other decreases
directional problem - Answer there is a relationship between two variables, but it cannot be
determined which variable may have caused changes in the other variable
third variable problem - Answer there could be some other variable we didn't think of that
causes both of the other variables
experiments can uncover __________ relations between variables - Answer causal
aronson and mills (1959) study - Answer - 63 college women in a study on "discussing sex"
- pre-study "screening"
- experimentally manipulated initiation severity
- randomly assigned
- group 1: no test (control group)
,- group 2: mild initiation test (recitation of neutral words and text)
- group 3: difficult initiation test (recitation of obscene words and text)
independent variable (IV) - Answer the variable that is systematically manipulated; typically
involves more than one condition; this is the variable that you think will cause differences in
behavior
dependent variable (DV) - Answer the variable that is measured because you think it is
affected by ("dependent on") the experimental conditions; the effect of the independent
variable
key features of an experiment - Answer control, random assignment, experimental realism
control - Answer - experiments can take place in a setting where the researcher can control
many potential third variables
- can make sure that the experimental setting is exactly the same for every participant, so that
the only thing that differs is the manipulation (IV)
random assignment - Answer - participants are put into conditions through randomization
- each person has an equal chance of being in any condition
- any third variables not controlled in the experiment are equally distributed across conditions
experimental realism - Answer - maintaining control is important so that participants take
the experiment seriously and don't alter their behavior
- to achieve this, it is sometimes necessary to disguise the purpose of the study through cover
stories/deception
challenges of research - Answer - controlling confounding third variables
- achieving experimental realism
- problems with surgery methods (ex: social desirability bias)
- not everything is easily tested through an experiment
- a lot of existing research has used WEIRD participants
WEIRD participants - Answer western, educated, industrialized, rich, democratic
theories - Answer scientific explanations that connect and organize existing observations
, sociocultural perspective - Answer - theorizes that larger social groups exert a lot of
influence on social behavior of an individual
social norms - Answer rules about appropriate behavior; influenced by culture
culture - Answer a set of beliefs, customs, habits, and language shared by people living in a
particular time and place
evolutionary perspective - Answer - theorizes that humans have deep-rooted physical and
psychological dispositions that aid survival and reproduction
- interested in how humans are alike, regardless of culture
- also predicts and appreciates differences between people
natural selection - Answer process in which characteristics that aid in survival are passed
onto offspring
adaptions - Answer characteristics well-suited to particular environments; lead to survival
and procreation; leads to probabilistic changes in a population
3 principles of natural selection and sexual selection - Answer variation, heritability,
differential survival/reproductive success
correcting misconceptions - Answer - evolution is not purposeful (adaptations arise from
random mutations)
- traits do not appear in response to need
- evolution is not an event; it is a continuous process
- instincts are hard-wired at birth
evolutionary mismatches - Answer interactions with outgroup members and food availability
social learning perspective - Answer - theorizes that social behavior is driven by prior
learning experiences, and shaped through reinforcement and punishment
- searches for causes of behavior in a person's environment
social learning can be - Answer direct (specific reinforcement or punishment) or indirect
(observation, imitation)
