PYC3701 SUMMARY 2021S02
SUMMARY
PYC3701
Social Psychology
Table of Contents
ABBREVIATIONS & KEYS ................................................................................................................................................... 2
ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS................................................................................................................................................ 2
***NOTE: CHAPTERS 1 & 12 ARE NOT PART OF THE CURRICULUM*** ..................................................................... 2
CHAPTER 2 – Social Cognition: How we Think about the Social World .......................................................................... 3
CHAPTER 3 – Social Perception: Perceiving & Understanding Others .......................................................................... 11
CHAPTER 4 – The Self (Who am I?) ................................................................................................................................ 18
CHAPTER 5 – Attitudes: Evaluating & Responding to the Social World ....................................................................... 26
CHAPTER 6 – Stereotyping, Prejudice & Discrimination: The causes, effects & cures ................................................. 33
CHAPTER 7 – Interpersonal Attraction & Close Relationships ...................................................................................... 40
CHAPTER 8 – Social Influence: Changing Others’ Behaviour......................................................................................... 47
CHAPTER 9 – Prosocial Behaviour: Helping Others ....................................................................................................... 55
CHAPTER 10 – Aggression: Nature, Causes & Control ................................................................................................... 62
CHAPTER 11 – Groups & Individuals: The Consequences of Belonging ........................................................................ 70
L.Smith (67337163) Page.1
,PYC3701 SUMMARY 2021S02
ABBREVIATIONS & KEYS
ABBR MEANING
// Versus / Compared to
(-) Negative
(+) Positive
**abc The definition of a specific word / concept
abc Information from the Study Guide
abc The word / concept being defined
abc Additional info obtained from internet sources
abc Experiments &/ studies highlighted in the Prescribed Book
eg. Example(s)
ie. Such as / For instance
ito In terms of
LTM Long-Term Memory
msg Message
OCB Organisational Citizenship Behaviour
SE Self-Esteem
STM Short-Term Memory
ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS
TERM DEFINITION
Catharsis An emotional release. According to psychoanalytic theory, this emotional release is linked to a need to relieve
unconscious conflicts. For example, experiencing stress over a work-related situation may cause feelings of
frustration and tension.
Entiativity The extent to which a group or collective is considered by others to be a real entity having unity, coherence, and
internal organization rather than a set of independent individuals.
Social Perception The process through which we seek to know other people involving an understanding the ways in which we gather
& analyse info about them.
Social Psychology The scientific study of how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of individuals are influenced by the actual,
imagined, and implied presence of others, 'imagined' and 'implied presences' referring to the internalized social
norms that humans are influenced by even when alone.
***NOTE: CHAPTERS 1 & 12 ARE NOT PART OF THE CURRICULUM***
L.Smith (67337163) Page.2
,PYC3701 SUMMARY 2021S02
CHAPTER 2 – Social Cognition: How we Think
about the Social World
2.1 Heuristics: How we reduce our effort in social cognition
“Rules of Thumb” -Common guidelines used when making choices, predictions or judgements
Heuristics **Simple rules for making complex decisions or drawing inferences in a rapid and efficient manner
Info Overload **Occurs when the demands on our cognitive ability are greater than its capacity (capacity also depleted by excessive
stress)
Coping Strategies -Strategies for “Stretching Cognitive Capacity”
1. Representativeness Heuristic **A mental shortcut used when making judgments about the probability of an event under uncertainty [proz.com]
a. Prototypes
**A list of attributes commonly possessed by persons linking them to a certain category
**Preconceived notions [proz.com]
-Mostly accurate but sometimes wrong because base rates are ignored
-Base Rates: **Frequency with which given events / categories occur in the total population
-The more frequent, the higher the likelihood of a prototype fitting those characteristics
b. Causes & Effects
-Judging whether specific causes resemble each other
-Expected that the strength / magnitude of the cause match the effect
-This differs, however between cultures
2. Availability Heuristic **Also known as availability bias, is a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a given person's
mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method or decision [Wikipedia]
a. Overestimation
-Makes sense most of the time but can lead to errors in social judgement
The likelihood of rare & dramatic events are frequently overestimated
-This happens because they are easily brought to mind (eg. more exposure through media)
b. Desires
-Human behaviour doesn’t always conform to rational choice predictions
-Instead we act irrationally because of what we desire instead of what we actually need
Factors Ease -How easy relevant info comes to mind
-The greater its impact on subsequent judgement / decisions
-When judgements involve emotions / feelings
-Judgements about others & less familiar things
Amount -How much relevant info is brought to mind
-The more info we can think of, the greater its impact on our judgment
-When judgements involve facts & are inherently difficult
-Self-relevant judgements & things we’re personally familiar with
L.Smith (67337163) Page.3
, PYC3701 SUMMARY 2021S02
3. Anchoring & Adjustment **Tendency to deal with uncertainty by using what we know as a starting point (anchor) and then making adjustments
Heuristic to it
-Its effect is very powerful
=Shortcuts in social cognition can have real consequences in important life contexts in very subtle ways
=Eg. High initial selling prices, Judge sentences, appropriate donation affording, Portion size effect
Marchiori, Papies & Klein (2014): Portion Size Effect
**The tendency to eat more when receiving a larger portion than with a smaller portion
-Group 1 given a low gram anchor food serving
-Group 2 given a no / high anchor portion
=Estimated that Group 1 would eat less than expected
=Estimated that Group 2 would eat more than expected
>>How much we eat is insufficiently adjusted downward when presented with larger portions
4. Status Quo Heuristic **The belief that things are better the way they are currently than any other novel alternative
~Eidelman, Pattershall, and Crandall (2010)
-Objects / Options retrieved more easily are heuristically judged as being good / better
-Eg. Longstanding marketed items vs new arrivals
=Older products preferred as result of belief of superiority, inertia or habitual purchasing
L.Smith (67337163) Page.4
SUMMARY
PYC3701
Social Psychology
Table of Contents
ABBREVIATIONS & KEYS ................................................................................................................................................... 2
ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS................................................................................................................................................ 2
***NOTE: CHAPTERS 1 & 12 ARE NOT PART OF THE CURRICULUM*** ..................................................................... 2
CHAPTER 2 – Social Cognition: How we Think about the Social World .......................................................................... 3
CHAPTER 3 – Social Perception: Perceiving & Understanding Others .......................................................................... 11
CHAPTER 4 – The Self (Who am I?) ................................................................................................................................ 18
CHAPTER 5 – Attitudes: Evaluating & Responding to the Social World ....................................................................... 26
CHAPTER 6 – Stereotyping, Prejudice & Discrimination: The causes, effects & cures ................................................. 33
CHAPTER 7 – Interpersonal Attraction & Close Relationships ...................................................................................... 40
CHAPTER 8 – Social Influence: Changing Others’ Behaviour......................................................................................... 47
CHAPTER 9 – Prosocial Behaviour: Helping Others ....................................................................................................... 55
CHAPTER 10 – Aggression: Nature, Causes & Control ................................................................................................... 62
CHAPTER 11 – Groups & Individuals: The Consequences of Belonging ........................................................................ 70
L.Smith (67337163) Page.1
,PYC3701 SUMMARY 2021S02
ABBREVIATIONS & KEYS
ABBR MEANING
// Versus / Compared to
(-) Negative
(+) Positive
**abc The definition of a specific word / concept
abc Information from the Study Guide
abc The word / concept being defined
abc Additional info obtained from internet sources
abc Experiments &/ studies highlighted in the Prescribed Book
eg. Example(s)
ie. Such as / For instance
ito In terms of
LTM Long-Term Memory
msg Message
OCB Organisational Citizenship Behaviour
SE Self-Esteem
STM Short-Term Memory
ADDITIONAL DEFINITIONS
TERM DEFINITION
Catharsis An emotional release. According to psychoanalytic theory, this emotional release is linked to a need to relieve
unconscious conflicts. For example, experiencing stress over a work-related situation may cause feelings of
frustration and tension.
Entiativity The extent to which a group or collective is considered by others to be a real entity having unity, coherence, and
internal organization rather than a set of independent individuals.
Social Perception The process through which we seek to know other people involving an understanding the ways in which we gather
& analyse info about them.
Social Psychology The scientific study of how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviours of individuals are influenced by the actual,
imagined, and implied presence of others, 'imagined' and 'implied presences' referring to the internalized social
norms that humans are influenced by even when alone.
***NOTE: CHAPTERS 1 & 12 ARE NOT PART OF THE CURRICULUM***
L.Smith (67337163) Page.2
,PYC3701 SUMMARY 2021S02
CHAPTER 2 – Social Cognition: How we Think
about the Social World
2.1 Heuristics: How we reduce our effort in social cognition
“Rules of Thumb” -Common guidelines used when making choices, predictions or judgements
Heuristics **Simple rules for making complex decisions or drawing inferences in a rapid and efficient manner
Info Overload **Occurs when the demands on our cognitive ability are greater than its capacity (capacity also depleted by excessive
stress)
Coping Strategies -Strategies for “Stretching Cognitive Capacity”
1. Representativeness Heuristic **A mental shortcut used when making judgments about the probability of an event under uncertainty [proz.com]
a. Prototypes
**A list of attributes commonly possessed by persons linking them to a certain category
**Preconceived notions [proz.com]
-Mostly accurate but sometimes wrong because base rates are ignored
-Base Rates: **Frequency with which given events / categories occur in the total population
-The more frequent, the higher the likelihood of a prototype fitting those characteristics
b. Causes & Effects
-Judging whether specific causes resemble each other
-Expected that the strength / magnitude of the cause match the effect
-This differs, however between cultures
2. Availability Heuristic **Also known as availability bias, is a mental shortcut that relies on immediate examples that come to a given person's
mind when evaluating a specific topic, concept, method or decision [Wikipedia]
a. Overestimation
-Makes sense most of the time but can lead to errors in social judgement
The likelihood of rare & dramatic events are frequently overestimated
-This happens because they are easily brought to mind (eg. more exposure through media)
b. Desires
-Human behaviour doesn’t always conform to rational choice predictions
-Instead we act irrationally because of what we desire instead of what we actually need
Factors Ease -How easy relevant info comes to mind
-The greater its impact on subsequent judgement / decisions
-When judgements involve emotions / feelings
-Judgements about others & less familiar things
Amount -How much relevant info is brought to mind
-The more info we can think of, the greater its impact on our judgment
-When judgements involve facts & are inherently difficult
-Self-relevant judgements & things we’re personally familiar with
L.Smith (67337163) Page.3
, PYC3701 SUMMARY 2021S02
3. Anchoring & Adjustment **Tendency to deal with uncertainty by using what we know as a starting point (anchor) and then making adjustments
Heuristic to it
-Its effect is very powerful
=Shortcuts in social cognition can have real consequences in important life contexts in very subtle ways
=Eg. High initial selling prices, Judge sentences, appropriate donation affording, Portion size effect
Marchiori, Papies & Klein (2014): Portion Size Effect
**The tendency to eat more when receiving a larger portion than with a smaller portion
-Group 1 given a low gram anchor food serving
-Group 2 given a no / high anchor portion
=Estimated that Group 1 would eat less than expected
=Estimated that Group 2 would eat more than expected
>>How much we eat is insufficiently adjusted downward when presented with larger portions
4. Status Quo Heuristic **The belief that things are better the way they are currently than any other novel alternative
~Eidelman, Pattershall, and Crandall (2010)
-Objects / Options retrieved more easily are heuristically judged as being good / better
-Eg. Longstanding marketed items vs new arrivals
=Older products preferred as result of belief of superiority, inertia or habitual purchasing
L.Smith (67337163) Page.4
