Social Psychology: Key High-Yield Concepts for the MCAT

Introduction

• Example Scenario: Why do 24 people witnessing a crime assume someone else will call the police? This ties into the bystander effect.
• Today's Focus: Key concepts in social psychology, including the bystander effect, groupthink, conformity, and group polarization.
• Context: Covering material from Psych-Soc Chapter 3 high-yield topics for MCAT prep.

High-Yield Social Psychology Concepts

Groupthink

• Definition: Group makes faulty decisions due to the desire to maintain harmony or conformity within the group, often leading to irrational decisions.
  • Wikipedia Definition: Group decision-making prioritizes unanimity over critical evaluation.
• **Key Points: **
  • People avoid upsetting the group or dissenting.
  • Example: Fabricating answers in a physics lab without consulting consequences.
  • MCAT Focus: Scenarios often test the drive for consensus and reduction of conflict.
• Scenario Example: Challenger explosion
  • NASA failed to heed engineers' warnings about O-rings due to groupthink, leading to disaster.

Group Polarization

• Definition: Tendency for group discussion to amplify the inclinations of group members.
• Example: A group discussing politics becomes more extreme in their views after conversation.
• Visual Representation: The average opinion of a group becomes more radical toward one side after group discussion.
• MCAT Scenarios: Groups tend to become more ideologically extreme after discussion, not more moderate or switching sides.

Conformity

• Definition: Tendency to align beliefs and behaviors with group norms without explicit instructions or pressure.
  • Difference: Compliance occurs when asked to conform; obedience occurs when instructed to conform.
• Famous Study:
  • Participants matched line lengths—Confederates (research team members) chose wrong answers to see if real participants would conform (most did).

Bystander Effect

• Definition: Individuals are less likely to help a victim when others are present, expecting someone else to intervene.
• Classic Example: Genovese murder case, where numerous eyewitnesses reportedly didn’t intervene.
  • Recent findings: Some people did call the police, and the perpetrator was convicted and never took responsibility.
• MCAT Application: Scenarios often show that the more bystanders present, the less likely any one individual is to help.

Practice Questions and Insights

Groupthink Question

• Question Approach: Recognize language about consensus and avoiding conflict.
• Answer Insight: Correct answer reflects failure to critically evaluate alternatives due to conformity pressures.

Group Polarization Question

• Question Insight: Groups discussing an issue are more likely to become more extreme in their initial views.
• Correct Answer: Students opposing policy will oppose it more strongly after discussing in a group.

Evaluating Alternatives in Groups Question

• Concept: Groups tend to generate fewer, less critically evaluated alternatives than individuals.
• Correct Answer: Individuals generate more alternatives alone compared to groups.

Bystander Effect Question

• Scenario Insight: The fewer people around, the more likely an individual will take action to help.
• Correct Answer: Presence of a single witness makes aid more likely.

Conclusion

• Key Tip: Recognize scenarios on the exam and relate them to concepts like groupthink, group polarization, conformity, and the bystander effect.
• Reminder: With clear definitions and examples, these questions become intuitive. Practice with flashcards to internalize concepts.