Overview
This lecture covers the foundational concepts of social psychology, including its big ideas, research methods, the development of self-concept, and the influence of culture on individual and group behavior.
Big Ideas in Social Psychology
- Social psychology studies how people think about, influence, and relate to one another.
- The three big ideas are social thinking, social influence, and social relations.
- People construct social reality through personal beliefs, values, and perceptions.
- Social intuitions are powerful but can be incorrect; critical thinking helps counter errors in judgment.
- Both social situations and internal dispositions shape behavior.
Social Behavior and Biology
- Social neuroscience studies the biological basis of social and emotional behavior.
- We are "biopsychosocial" organisms, influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors.
- Behavior, including prejudice, aggression, and kindness, has both social and biological roots.
Cultural Influences on the Self
- Culture affects social standards, behavior, and self-concept.
- Individualism prioritizes personal goals and attributes; collectivism values group goals and identity.
- Western cultures are generally more individualistic, while Eastern cultures emphasize collectivism and holistic thinking.
- Cultural changes over time can increase individualistic tendencies.
Self-Concept and Social Comparison
- Self-concept is what we know and believe about ourselves.
- Self-schemas organize self-relevant information.
- Social comparison involves evaluating oneself in relation to others.
- The "looking-glass self" refers to perceiving oneself based on how one imagines others see them.
- The spotlight effect is the belief that others notice us more than they do; illusion of transparency is overestimating how well our emotions are perceived.
Research Methods in Social Psychology
- Research uses scientific methods: forming/testing hypotheses, surveys, correlational and experimental designs.
- Theory: an integrated set of principles explaining and predicting events.
- Hypothesis: a testable proposition about relationships between variables.
- Random sampling ensures a representative sample; random assignment eliminates extraneous factors in experiments.
- Correlational research examines relationships; experimental research tests cause-effect with control and random assignment.
- Correlation does not imply causation; third variables or reverse causation may explain relationships.
Ethics and Limitations in Research
- Ethical guidelines require informed consent, protection, confidentiality, and debriefing.
- Deception and demand characteristics can affect participant behavior.
- Laboratory findings may not always generalize to real life due to sample biases and controlled settings.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Social Psychology — Study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another.
- Self-Concept — Our knowledge and beliefs about ourselves.
- Social Schema — Mental structures guiding self-related information processing.
- Individualism — Cultural focus on personal goals and attributes.
- Collectivism — Cultural focus on group goals and identity.
- Random Assignment — Allocating participants to conditions by chance to control for extraneous variables.
- Correlation Coefficient (r) — Statistic expressing the degree of relationship between variables.
- Mundane Realism — How closely an experiment mirrors real-life situations.
- Experimental Realism — How much an experiment involves participants.
- Hindsight Bias — Tendency to see events as predictable after they occur.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review definitions of key research terms.
- Reflect on cultural influences on your own self-concept.
- Read assigned textbook sections on research methods and cultural psychology.