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Introducing Social Psychology
Social Psychology
by David G. Myers 9th Edition
Introducing Social Psychology
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
What is Social Psychology?
• Social Psychology: the scientific study of
how people think about, influence, and
relate to one another
– How individuals in general influence and affect
one another
– In comparison, sociology studies groups while
social psychology focuses on individuals
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
Perspectives on Research in
Social Psychology
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
What is Social Psychology?
• What is the difference
between Sociology
and Social
Psychology?
• How do our values
enter into the study of
Social Psychology?
• What are the main
areas of research
today?
1. Social Thinking
2. Social Influence
3. Social Relations
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
What Are Social Psychology’s Big Lessons?
• We construct our social
reality
– We react to things
differently because we think
differently
– Example: We may or may
not interpret someone’s
reaction as hostile based on
how we think
– There is an objective reality
out there, but we always
view it through the lens of
our beliefs and values
– We explain people’s
behaviors to suit our needs
• Our social intuitions are
often powerful but
sometimes perilous
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
What are Social Psychology’s Big Lessons?
• Social influences shape our behavior
– We are social animals, we long to connect,
make bonds, and belong
– Culture can be very influential and can define
who we are
• Whether you prefer a slim or voluptuous female can
depend on when and where you live
• Whether you focus primarily on yourself or your
family
• Any examples?
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
What are Social Psychology’s Big Lessons?
• Personal attitudes and dispositions also
shape behavior
– Internal attitudes also matter, our inner attitudes
affect our behavior
– Personality also affects behavior. Different
people may react differently to the same
situation
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
What Are Social Psychology’s Big Lessons?
• Social behavior is biologically rooted
– The interaction between nature and nurture makes us
who we are.
• Social psychology’s principles are applicable to
everyday life and other disciplines
– Makes visible the subtle influences that guide your
thinking and acting
– How to get to know yourself and others better
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
Social Psychology and Human Values
• Obvious ways in which values enter
– When you choose your research topics
– Values can influence what people are attracted to
certain topics
• Not-so-obvious ways in which values enter
– The subjective aspects of science
• Science is not purely objective, it is interpreted
– Nature is interpreted
– Psychological concepts contain hidden values
• Psychologist’s values can influence the theories
and judgments they support
• Psychologists can talk about people being adjusted
or maladjusted, mature or immature, but these are
all judgements
• Systematic observation and experimentation are
needed to check our ideas against reality
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
Is Social Psychology Simply
“Common Sense”?
• Is psychology common sense?
• Does it just tell us what we already know?
• Studies:
– Better educated soldiers suffered more
adjustment problems than less educated soldiers
(intellectuals were less prepared for battle than
those who were street smart)
– Southern Soldiers coped better with the hot
south sea island climate than Northern Soldiers
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
Is Social Psychology Simply Common Sense?
• Hindsight bias
– The tendency to exaggerate, after learning an
outcome, one’s ability to have foreseen it
– The I-knew-it-all-along phenomenon
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
How Do We Do Social Psychology?
Forming and Testing Hypotheses
•
•
•
Theory: An integrated set of principles that explain
and predict observed events
Hypothesis: A testable proposition that describes
the relationship that may exist between events
Research may take place in the field or in a
laboratory
–
•
Which do you think is better?
Two primary research methods are correlational
and experimental
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
Correlational Research:
Detecting Natural Associations
Correlational Research:
• Study naturally occurring
relationships among variables
• Allow prediction; do NOT infer
causation
• Ex. Children with high self
esteem have high grades. Why?
• Changing one variable does not
mean there will be changes in
the other
Survey Research:
• Random samples help obtain a
representative group
• Unrepresentative samples
Concerns:
 Order of
questions
 Response options
 Framing
(wording of
questions)
Examples?
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
Understanding Correlations
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Introducing Social Psychology
Experimental Research:
Searching for Cause and Effect
Control: Manipulating Variables
–
Independent and Dependent Variables
•
•
–
Independent Variable: what is manipulated
Dependent Variable: what is being measured
Random Assignment: all persons have the same
chance of being in a condition (eliminates extraneous
variables so that people in both conditions will
average at about the same)
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Introducing Social Psychology
Ethical Concerns
– Ethical Concerns:
– Mundane/Experimental Realism: the degree to which an
experiment is superficially similar to everyday situations
» sometimes psychologists can venture into areas that
engage intense thoughts or emotions
» This may not be important, it may be more important
to have experimental realism (degree to which an
experiment absorbs and involves its participants)
– Deception: when participants are misinformed or misled
about the study’s purpose or methods
– Demand Characteristics: cues in an experiment that tell the
participant what kind of behavior is expected
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
Ethical Concerns
– Informed Consent: research participants must be told enough to enable
them to choose whether they want to particpate
» Need to be truthful
» Protect participant information
» Protect participants and bystanders from harm
– Potential Harm:
» Consider that people may have come in feeling good
» Disclose potential harms
– Confidentiality:
» Disclose when confidentiality will be breached
» Keep all client records confidential
» How do you feel about confidentiality and breaching
confidentiality?
– Debriefing: the post experimental explanation of the study to its
participants. Usually discloses any deception and asks participants
regarding their understanding and feelings.
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
Understanding Experiments
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
Two Methods of Doing Research:
Correlational and Experimental
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
Understanding Experiments
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
The Research Process
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
The Research Process
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Introducing Social Psychology
Things to Consider in Social
Psychological Research
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Theory
Hypothesis
Population
Sample
Representative sample
Random sample
Random assignment
Blind procedures
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Independent variable
Dependent variable
Survey
Placebo effects
Third variables
Causation
Reliability
Validity
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.