Chapter 13: Social Psychology Practice Questions and Answers

Chapter 13: Social Psychology Practice Questions and Answers What do social psychologists study? How do we tend to explain others' behavior and our own? - Answer️️ -Social psychologists use scientific methods to study how people think about, influence and relate to one another. They study the social influences that explain why the same person will act differently in different situations. When explaining others' behavior, we may (especially if we come from an individualist Western culture) commit the fundamental attribution error, by underestimating the influence of the situation and overestimating the effects of stable, enduring traits. When explaining our own behavior, we more readily attribute it to the influence of the situation. Social Psychology - Answer️️ -the scientific study of how we think about, influence and relate to one another Attribution Theory - Answer️️ -the theory that we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition Fundamental Attribution Error - Answer️️ -the tendency for observers, when analyzing others' behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition How do attitudes and actions interact? - Answer️️ -Attitudes are feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in certain ©SOPHIABENNETT@ Monday, August 19, 2024 12:35 AM Page 2 of 13 ways. Peripheral route persuasion uses incidental cues (such a celebrity endorsement) to try to produce fast but relatively thoughtless changes in attitudes. Central route persuasion offers evidence and arguments to trigger thoughtful responses. When other influences are minimal, attitudes that are stable, specific and easily recalled can affect our actions. Actions can modify attitudes, as in the foot-in-the-door phenomenon (complying with a large request after having agreed to a small request) and role playing (acting a social part by following guidelines for expected behavior). When our attitudes don't fit with our actions, cognitive dissonance theory suggests that we will reduce tension by changing our attitudes to match our actions. Attitude - Answer️️ -feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people and events Peripheral Route Persuasion - Answer️️ -occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness Central Route Persuasion - Answer️️ -occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts Foot-In-The-Door Phenomenon - Answer️️ -the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request Role - Answer️️ -a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave ©SOPHIABENNETT@ Monday, August 19, 2024 12:35 AM Page 3 of 13 Cognitive Dissonance Theory - Answer️️ -they theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. For example, when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes. Ex. (1) Breakups versus relationships that last. (2) Going on a date with someone whom you're unsure about. (3) Taking a job you don't like. What is automatic mimicry, and how do conformity experiments reveal the power of social influence? - Answer️️ -Automatic mimicry (the chameleon effect) - our tendency to unconsciously imitate others' expressions, postures, and voice tones - is a form of conformity. Solomon Asch and others have found that we are most likely to adjust our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard when (a) we feel incompetent or insecure, (b) our group has at least three people, (c) everyone else agrees, (d) we admire the group's status and attractiveness, (e) we have not already committed to another response, (f) we know we are being observed, and (g) our culture encourages respect for social standards. We may conform to gain approval (normative social influence) or because we are willing to accept others' opinions as new information (informational social influence). Conformity - Answer️️ -adjusting our behavior o