PSYCH 350 EXAM #1 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Who was Norman Triplett and can you apply his findings? (Text) - Answer -Published
an article asking questions about bicyclists.(Why they go faster when competing against
others) First social psychological research study
What is the difference between personality psychology and social psychology? (Text) -
Answer -Personality psychology emphasizes the role of intrapersonal factors (within the
person), whereas social psychology emphasizes interpersonal ones (between people)
How does an individual mind morph into a group mind? (Lecture) - Answer -Self-
categorization is the process via which individual minds become group minds
Accentuation effect: ie Us vs Them - exaggerating like qualities within the same
category, exaggerating differences between different categories
Categorization generates category-congruent behavior that are stereotypical.
What is a correlation and how can it be represented? (Text/Lecture) - Answer -
Relationship between two independent variables. It can be represented with a graph,
with one variable on x and another on Y. Autism on one and fruits eaten on another. If
they both rise there's a positive correlation, if they both fall there is a negative
correlation and if they do the inverse there is none, but it does not mean they cause
each other.
What does it mean to accentuate intergroup differences and intragroup similarities?
(Lecture). - Answer -We over emphasize/exaggerate the differences between groups
and within groups. We do this so that we can feel more in place/fit in better.
"Belongingness" is part of being a social animal, accentuation makes it so that we seem
more in tune with our groups.
Information-based - Answer -we can tap into a hive mind of information
Praxis - Answer -language? practiced, accepted custom
Progressive - Answer -we gain information from out
Explain Social Identity Theory to your roommate. (Lecture) - Answer -You are the group
you put yourself in. "You ARE the sun devils"
You also take on the dominant traits of the group that you involve yourself with.
What is "self" according to your text? (Text) - Answer -Collection of things you know
about your self such as your overall cognitive understanding (learned beliefs, attitudes,
and opinions).
, What does it mean to self-handicap and why do it? (Text/Lecture) - Answer -protecting
ones self-image by creating a handy excuse for future failure ie: giving opponent
advantage; not going as prepared to a test; not getting book before class. Makes you
not look as bad, because you have an excuse for failure.
Who was Kurt Lewin and what were his contributions to this field? (Text)
A Nazi Germany Refugee who moved to the US in 1933. "His contributions were
primarily in the realm of theory and method" (pg6) - Answer -Refugee from Nazi
Germany who moved to the US in 1933
· Believed outside forces affected behavior of the individual
· Ex: theorized that the actions and decisions of the individual are constrained by what
he described as 'fields of force'
· Primarily in the realm of theory and method
· The way he did social psychology is was made him important
· Explained that Behavior was a function of both the person and the environment
· Behavior is "B" function is "F" person is "P" and environment is "E" resulting in an
equation written as B=F(P,E)
· Coined the term "group dynamics" = how a group interacts with each other
· Leadership style study made him famous in the US - had groups led by an
authoritarian style of leadership and other groups lead by a democratic style leadership
and the groups led in the authoritarian style had a higher rate of "hostile behavior"
(more aggressive, more primal etc.) =)
What are subjective belief structures? (Lecture) - Answer -Social Mobility
Social Mobility - Answer -permeable boundaries, mythical, dominant promulgates social
mob.
Social Change - Answer -cannot change reality; i.e. boundaries are fixed and
impermeable...
within social change there are four methods to overcome fixed boundaries
Social creativity - Answer -redefine group characteristics in positive terms in order to
attempt to change society's evaluation of this group by introducing and emphasizing
alternative dimensions on which the group is superior
Redefine - Answer -proved alternate definition for the minority group (e.g. during Civil
Rights Movement, African Americans redefined themselves as beautiful instead of
negative)
Don't compare with dominant - Answer -don't compare ASU to Harvard but to MCC
Compete - Answer -once all other methods are exhausted; constitutional change,
violent terrorism, civil war, revolution, passive resistance
Who was Norman Triplett and can you apply his findings? (Text) - Answer -Published
an article asking questions about bicyclists.(Why they go faster when competing against
others) First social psychological research study
What is the difference between personality psychology and social psychology? (Text) -
Answer -Personality psychology emphasizes the role of intrapersonal factors (within the
person), whereas social psychology emphasizes interpersonal ones (between people)
How does an individual mind morph into a group mind? (Lecture) - Answer -Self-
categorization is the process via which individual minds become group minds
Accentuation effect: ie Us vs Them - exaggerating like qualities within the same
category, exaggerating differences between different categories
Categorization generates category-congruent behavior that are stereotypical.
What is a correlation and how can it be represented? (Text/Lecture) - Answer -
Relationship between two independent variables. It can be represented with a graph,
with one variable on x and another on Y. Autism on one and fruits eaten on another. If
they both rise there's a positive correlation, if they both fall there is a negative
correlation and if they do the inverse there is none, but it does not mean they cause
each other.
What does it mean to accentuate intergroup differences and intragroup similarities?
(Lecture). - Answer -We over emphasize/exaggerate the differences between groups
and within groups. We do this so that we can feel more in place/fit in better.
"Belongingness" is part of being a social animal, accentuation makes it so that we seem
more in tune with our groups.
Information-based - Answer -we can tap into a hive mind of information
Praxis - Answer -language? practiced, accepted custom
Progressive - Answer -we gain information from out
Explain Social Identity Theory to your roommate. (Lecture) - Answer -You are the group
you put yourself in. "You ARE the sun devils"
You also take on the dominant traits of the group that you involve yourself with.
What is "self" according to your text? (Text) - Answer -Collection of things you know
about your self such as your overall cognitive understanding (learned beliefs, attitudes,
and opinions).
, What does it mean to self-handicap and why do it? (Text/Lecture) - Answer -protecting
ones self-image by creating a handy excuse for future failure ie: giving opponent
advantage; not going as prepared to a test; not getting book before class. Makes you
not look as bad, because you have an excuse for failure.
Who was Kurt Lewin and what were his contributions to this field? (Text)
A Nazi Germany Refugee who moved to the US in 1933. "His contributions were
primarily in the realm of theory and method" (pg6) - Answer -Refugee from Nazi
Germany who moved to the US in 1933
· Believed outside forces affected behavior of the individual
· Ex: theorized that the actions and decisions of the individual are constrained by what
he described as 'fields of force'
· Primarily in the realm of theory and method
· The way he did social psychology is was made him important
· Explained that Behavior was a function of both the person and the environment
· Behavior is "B" function is "F" person is "P" and environment is "E" resulting in an
equation written as B=F(P,E)
· Coined the term "group dynamics" = how a group interacts with each other
· Leadership style study made him famous in the US - had groups led by an
authoritarian style of leadership and other groups lead by a democratic style leadership
and the groups led in the authoritarian style had a higher rate of "hostile behavior"
(more aggressive, more primal etc.) =)
What are subjective belief structures? (Lecture) - Answer -Social Mobility
Social Mobility - Answer -permeable boundaries, mythical, dominant promulgates social
mob.
Social Change - Answer -cannot change reality; i.e. boundaries are fixed and
impermeable...
within social change there are four methods to overcome fixed boundaries
Social creativity - Answer -redefine group characteristics in positive terms in order to
attempt to change society's evaluation of this group by introducing and emphasizing
alternative dimensions on which the group is superior
Redefine - Answer -proved alternate definition for the minority group (e.g. during Civil
Rights Movement, African Americans redefined themselves as beautiful instead of
negative)
Don't compare with dominant - Answer -don't compare ASU to Harvard but to MCC
Compete - Answer -once all other methods are exhausted; constitutional change,
violent terrorism, civil war, revolution, passive resistance
