Study Guide Notes

Chapter 12: Social Psychology

Situationism vs. Dispositionism

• Situationism: Behavior is influenced by the environment/situation.
• Dispositionism: Behavior is influenced by internal traits such as personality and temperament.

Key Concepts

• Fundamental Attribution Error: Overestimating personality traits while underestimating situational influences when explaining someone's behavior.
• Just-World Hypothesis: Belief that people get what they deserve (e.g., blaming victims).
• Self-Serving Bias: Taking credit for successes while blaming outside factors for failures.

Social Structures

• Roles: Expected behavior in a given context (e.g., student).
• Norms: Rules for behavior (e.g., don’t interrupt).
• Scripts: Expected sequence of events in a situation (e.g., how to act at a restaurant).

Experiments and Theories

• Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment: Demonstrated how social roles can lead to extreme behavior.
• Cognitive Dissonance: Discomfort from holding conflicting beliefs/behaviors motivates change.
• Foot-in-the-Door Technique: Persuasion method starting with a small "yes" to lead to a bigger favor.
• Conformity and Asch Effect: Changing behavior to match the group; Asch’s Experiment showed people gave wrong answers to conform.
• Milgram’s Obedience Experiment: Demonstrated obedience to authority can lead to unethical actions.
• Groupthink: Desire for harmony leads to poor decisions, ignoring alternatives.
• Group Polarization: Group discussion strengthens the dominant view.

Attraction and Love

• Factors of Attraction: Proximity, similarity, physical attractiveness, and reciprocity.
• Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love: Love consists of intimacy, passion, and commitment.
• Social Exchange Theory: Relationships involve a cost-benefit analysis; aim to maximize rewards.

Chapter 13: Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Branches

• Industrial Psychology: Focuses on hiring, job analysis, and performance.
• Organizational Psychology: Involves motivation, leadership, and workplace culture.

Key Concepts and Methodologies

• Human Factors Psychology: Designing tools and workspaces for safety and ease of use.
• Army Alpha and Beta Tests: Intelligence tests used in WWI for military job placements.
• Hawthorne Effect: Improved performance when workers know they are being observed.
• Job Analysis:
  • Task-oriented: Defines job tasks.
  • Worker-oriented: Defines necessary skills/abilities.

Interview Types

• Structured Interviews: Same questions for all candidates.
• Unstructured Interviews: More flexible, informal.

U.S. Workplace Laws

• EEOC: Prevents discrimination.
• Equal Pay Act: Ensures equal pay for equal work.
• Title VII: Protects against discrimination based on race, sex, and religion.
• Pregnancy Discrimination Act
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

Leadership Theories

• Douglas McGregor – Theory X vs. Y:
  • Theory X: People are lazy, need control.
  • Theory Y: People are motivated, seek responsibility.
• Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership:
  • Transactional: Uses rewards/punishments.
  • Transformational: Inspires and motivates employees to grow.

Chapter 14: Stress, Lifestyle, and Health

Stress Definitions

• Stimulus-based: Stress is something that causes stress.
• Response-based: Stress is how we respond.

Types of Stress

• Eustress: Positive stress (e.g., before a race).
• Distress: Negative, harmful stress.

Stress Management

• Cognitive Appraisal:
  • Challenge: “I can handle this.”
  • Threat: “This is too much for me.”
• Fight or Flight (Cannon): Body’s immediate reaction to danger.
• General Adaptation Syndrome (Selye):
  • Alarm, Resistance, Exhaustion stages.

Stress Physiology

• Holmes & Rahe’s Stress Scale: Measures stress from life events.
• Sympathetic Nervous System: Increases heart rate, energy.
• HPA Axis: Hormonal system involved in long-term stress.
• Cortisol: Stress hormone; excessive levels are harmful.

Personality and Health

• Type A: Competitive, impatient → higher heart disease risk.
• Type B: Relaxed → lower risk.

Coping Styles

• Problem-focused: Fix the issue.
• Emotion-focused: Deal with feelings.
• Learned Helplessness: Giving up after repeated failures.

Stress Reduction Methods

• Exercise, relaxation, support, time management.
• Mindfulness: Focus on the present moment with awareness and acceptance.
• Positive Psychology: Study of strengths, happiness, resilience.
• Flow: Full immersion in a task.

Chapter 17: Sexuality and Gender

Key Definitions

• Sex: Biological.
• Gender: Identity.
• Orientation: Who you’re attracted to.

Variations and Norms

• Natural Variation: Biological normalcy of identity and orientation differences.
• Cultural Gender Norms: Vary by society.
• Biological Evidence for LGBTQ+: Brain structure, hormones, and genetics.

Studies and Theories

• Kinsey Scale: Sexual attraction exists on a continuum.
• Conversion Therapy: Ineffective and harmful.
• Masters & Johnson Study: Observed real sexual activity; identified a 4-stage sexual response.
• Sex in the Brain (Rat Study): Separate brain systems control sexual desire and performance.
• Dopamine: Brain’s “feel good” chemical tied to sexual reward.

Consent and Safety

• Consent: Must be clear, ongoing, and voluntary. No means no.
• Sexual Behaviors vs. Paraphilias:
  • Kinks: Safe, consensual, not harmful.
  • Paraphilic Disorders: Harmful, distressing, illegal.