,Ch .
1 INTRODUCTION TO
p .
9 -
40 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY The scientific study of how people 's
-
thoughts , feelings and behaviours
are influenced by other people .
two general categories description and explanation
.
:
THEORY
-
Scientific explanation that connects
and organizes existing observations
and suggests fruitful paths for
future research .
→ future research ; predict and control events
interdisciplinary bridges in social psychology
•
many
MAJOR THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
→ ⑤ s
SOCIOCULTURAL -
The theoretical viewpoint that
PERSPECTIVE Searches for the causes of social
behavior in influences from larger
social groups .
-
B
e.g .
nationality ,
social class ,
etc .
→ focuses on the central importance of social norms
and culture
EVOLUTIONARY A theoretical viewpoint that searches
-
PERSPECTIVE for the causes of social behavior in
the physical and psychological pre
-
dispositions that helped our ancestors
survive and reproduce .
• the central
driving forces of evolution are adaptations
-
and natural selection
fear
e.g paternal
→ .
; care
, SOCIAL LEARNING A theoretical viewpoint that focuses on
past
-
PERSPECTIVE learning experiences as determinants of a
person
's social behavior .
→ reward and punishment
→
focuses on individually unique experiences
SOCIAL COGNITIVE A theoretical viewpoint that focuses the
-
on
PERSPECTIVE mental processes involved in
paying attention
to , interpreting . and remembering social
experiences .
b
emphasizes subjective interpretations of situations
-
b related to current
goals
=D interaction between inner experience and outside
world
=D
Combining perspectives ?
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF
b. ⇒
-
-
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
•
two principles shared by all perspectives
i. social behavior is
goal-oriented . People interact
With each other to achieve some goal or satisfy
some inner motivation .
2. Social behavior represents a continual interaction
between the person and the situation .
•
social behavior is goal-oriented . . .
→ to establish social ties
↳ innate desire
D to understand ourselves and others
.
b
managing our lives ; fundamental to relationships
→ to gain and maintain status
cos social benefits
, to
→
defend ourselves and others
↳ survival
→
to attract and retain mates
cos reproduction
hierarchical
=D
goals are
Maslow 's
CD see e.g .
hierarchy of needs
•
the interaction between the person and the situation
PERSON -
Features or characteristics that individuals
carry into social situations .
SITUATION -
Environmental events or circumstances outside
the person .
⇒ neither person nor situation are fixed
↳ different social situations trigger different goals
HOW PSYCHOLOGISTS STUDY
ggg€$
⇐zga
-
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
-
DESCRIPTIVE METHOD
-
DESCRIPTIVE Procedure for
measuring or
recording behaviors
-
,
METHOD thoughts ,
and feelings in their natural state
C
including naturalistic observations case
,
studies archival studies surveys , and
, ,
psychological tests ) .
① NATURALISTIC Recording everyday behaviors as
they unfold
-
OBSERVATION in their natural settings .
→
advantages : spontaneous and natural behavior
e
→
disadvantages :
.
hard to ensure people don't notice
,
they are being observed
behaviors rare
•
some are
OBSERVER -
Error introduced into measurement when an
BIAS observer overemphasizes behaviors he or she
expects to find and fails to notice behaviors
he or she does not expect .
, ② CASE STUDY -
An extensive examination of an individual or
group .
→
understand a rare I unusual individual group
→
causes not clear , only hypothesis
GENERAL ABILITY The extent which of
to
findings particular
-
the a
research study extend to other similar
or cases circumstances
.
③ ARCHIVAL -
Examination of systematic data originally
METHOD collected for other purposes C such as marriage
licenses or arrest records ) .
of similar solution to
→
examining a number cases : the
of
problem generalize bi lily
→
disadvantage :
many social phenomena do not get recorded
→
advantage :
provide an
easy access to an abundance
of real .
world data
④ SURVEY A
technique in which the researcher asks
-
METHOD people to report on their beliefs , feelings ,
or behaviors .
→
advantage : collect data about phenomena that are
rarely demonstrate 'd in public
→
disadvantage :
dishonesty , memory biases
social The for
tendency people to say what they
-
DESIRABILITY believe is appropriate or acceptable .
BIAS
REPRESENTATIVE A of characteristics
group respondents having
-
SAMPLE that match those of the larger population
the researcher wants to describe .
⑤ PSYCHOLOGICAL Instrument for person 's abilities
assessing
-
a
,
TEST motivations
Cognitions ,
or .
1 INTRODUCTION TO
p .
9 -
40 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY The scientific study of how people 's
-
thoughts , feelings and behaviours
are influenced by other people .
two general categories description and explanation
.
:
THEORY
-
Scientific explanation that connects
and organizes existing observations
and suggests fruitful paths for
future research .
→ future research ; predict and control events
interdisciplinary bridges in social psychology
•
many
MAJOR THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
→ ⑤ s
SOCIOCULTURAL -
The theoretical viewpoint that
PERSPECTIVE Searches for the causes of social
behavior in influences from larger
social groups .
-
B
e.g .
nationality ,
social class ,
etc .
→ focuses on the central importance of social norms
and culture
EVOLUTIONARY A theoretical viewpoint that searches
-
PERSPECTIVE for the causes of social behavior in
the physical and psychological pre
-
dispositions that helped our ancestors
survive and reproduce .
• the central
driving forces of evolution are adaptations
-
and natural selection
fear
e.g paternal
→ .
; care
, SOCIAL LEARNING A theoretical viewpoint that focuses on
past
-
PERSPECTIVE learning experiences as determinants of a
person
's social behavior .
→ reward and punishment
→
focuses on individually unique experiences
SOCIAL COGNITIVE A theoretical viewpoint that focuses the
-
on
PERSPECTIVE mental processes involved in
paying attention
to , interpreting . and remembering social
experiences .
b
emphasizes subjective interpretations of situations
-
b related to current
goals
=D interaction between inner experience and outside
world
=D
Combining perspectives ?
BASIC PRINCIPLES OF
b. ⇒
-
-
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
•
two principles shared by all perspectives
i. social behavior is
goal-oriented . People interact
With each other to achieve some goal or satisfy
some inner motivation .
2. Social behavior represents a continual interaction
between the person and the situation .
•
social behavior is goal-oriented . . .
→ to establish social ties
↳ innate desire
D to understand ourselves and others
.
b
managing our lives ; fundamental to relationships
→ to gain and maintain status
cos social benefits
, to
→
defend ourselves and others
↳ survival
→
to attract and retain mates
cos reproduction
hierarchical
=D
goals are
Maslow 's
CD see e.g .
hierarchy of needs
•
the interaction between the person and the situation
PERSON -
Features or characteristics that individuals
carry into social situations .
SITUATION -
Environmental events or circumstances outside
the person .
⇒ neither person nor situation are fixed
↳ different social situations trigger different goals
HOW PSYCHOLOGISTS STUDY
ggg€$
⇐zga
-
SOCIAL BEHAVIOR
-
DESCRIPTIVE METHOD
-
DESCRIPTIVE Procedure for
measuring or
recording behaviors
-
,
METHOD thoughts ,
and feelings in their natural state
C
including naturalistic observations case
,
studies archival studies surveys , and
, ,
psychological tests ) .
① NATURALISTIC Recording everyday behaviors as
they unfold
-
OBSERVATION in their natural settings .
→
advantages : spontaneous and natural behavior
e
→
disadvantages :
.
hard to ensure people don't notice
,
they are being observed
behaviors rare
•
some are
OBSERVER -
Error introduced into measurement when an
BIAS observer overemphasizes behaviors he or she
expects to find and fails to notice behaviors
he or she does not expect .
, ② CASE STUDY -
An extensive examination of an individual or
group .
→
understand a rare I unusual individual group
→
causes not clear , only hypothesis
GENERAL ABILITY The extent which of
to
findings particular
-
the a
research study extend to other similar
or cases circumstances
.
③ ARCHIVAL -
Examination of systematic data originally
METHOD collected for other purposes C such as marriage
licenses or arrest records ) .
of similar solution to
→
examining a number cases : the
of
problem generalize bi lily
→
disadvantage :
many social phenomena do not get recorded
→
advantage :
provide an
easy access to an abundance
of real .
world data
④ SURVEY A
technique in which the researcher asks
-
METHOD people to report on their beliefs , feelings ,
or behaviors .
→
advantage : collect data about phenomena that are
rarely demonstrate 'd in public
→
disadvantage :
dishonesty , memory biases
social The for
tendency people to say what they
-
DESIRABILITY believe is appropriate or acceptable .
BIAS
REPRESENTATIVE A of characteristics
group respondents having
-
SAMPLE that match those of the larger population
the researcher wants to describe .
⑤ PSYCHOLOGICAL Instrument for person 's abilities
assessing
-
a
,
TEST motivations
Cognitions ,
or .
