MCQ-

1. Cognitive Dissonance – When two inconsistent cognitions happen

simultaneously.
2. Bystander Effect – Tendency of people to not help when there are already people
helping or when the person is in distress.
3. Individualistic and Collectivist Culture - Individualistic culture emphasize on
personal achievement while Collective Culture emphasize on group goals above
personal achievement.
4. Social Loafing - Tendency of people to put in less effort when they pool their
efforts towards a common goal compared to when they are individually
accountable.
5. Groupthink - Psychological phenomena that occurs within a group of people in
which the desire for harmony and conformity in the group that results in an
irritational or dysfunctional decision- making outcome.
6. Deindividuation – Loss of self-awareness and evaluation apprehension. It occurs
in group situations that foster responsiveness to group norms. May be bad or
good.
7. Door in the face – Technique of compliance where one asks for a bigger favour at
first and getting rejected and then asking for a smaller favour and is approved.
8. Foot in the door – Tendency of people agreeing to help with a small favour first
and the later eventually helping with a bigger favour.
9. Low balling technique – A persuasion technique where and item is offered for a
lower price in order to get the buyer to commit and then the price is slowly
increased.
10. Independent variable – A variable that is systematically changed in an experiment.
11. Dependant Variable - A variable that is measured in an experiment.
12. In-group Bias – Tendency to favour one’s own group. Due to social identification
we conform to group norms. When our group succeeds, we strongly identify with
it.
13. Out-group Bias – People who are not from our own group. We tend to have
negative biasness towards them as they are not similar to us.
14. Scapegoating – Blaming something/someone else when something fails.
15. Debriefing – A conclusion procedure that is done at the end of the research where
the participants are given the full information about the nature of the research
and the hypothesis/ hypotheses that are involved.
16. Informed Consent – A procedure where participants are given as much
information as possible about the research before, they decide whether or not to
participate in the research.
17. Group polarization - Group polarization is a phenomena where a person’s beliefs,
decisions and opinions in group setting becomes more extreme than their actual
beliefs that are held privately.
18. Mere exposure effect- The tendency for novel stimuli to be liked or rated more
positively when the rater has been repeatedly exposed to it.
19. Central route of persuasion
20. Peripheral route of persuasion
21. Altruism – The genuine need to help without expecting anything in return.
 22. Social facilitation – Tendency of people to perform well-learned task better when
in presence of people than when they are alone. Strengthening dominant
responses in the presence of others.
23. Information social influence
24. Personal attractiveness
25. Interpersonal attraction – The attraction between two people that leads to a
platonic or romantic relationship.
26. Correlation and study

Short answers -
1. Intro to Social psychology (Chapter 1)

a) Define Social Psychology.

Scientific field of study that seeks to understand our behaviours, feelings and
thoughts in social situations or environments. Basically, it seeks to
understand how social situations influence our behaviours, feelings and
thoughts.

b) How does Social Psychology differ from other disciplines?

Social psychology is closely related to Personality Psychology, Organizational

Psychology and Sociology.

It differs from personality psychology as it focuses on the environmental/

social situations that influence our behaviours rather than individual
differences between people.

It differs from organizational psychology as it does not focus specifically on

behaviour in an organization.

It differs from Sociology as it focuses on behaviours of individuals and small

groups instead of large groups and societies.

c) What makes Social Psychology Scientific in Nature?

Scientific field does not always mean biology, chemistry and physics. A field
is considered scientific if it adopts a certain set of values and has several
methods to study a wide range of topics. Social Psychology adopts the set of
values and has a few methods to study a wide range of topics.

d) List and explain the 4 Core values.

 The 4 core values are Accuracy, Objectivity, Skepticism and Open-
mindedness.

Accuracy is a commitment to gather and evaluate information about the

world in as careful, precise and error-free manner as possible.

Objectivity is a commitment to gather and evaluate the information in a

manner that is as free rom bias as humanly possible.

Skepticism is a commitment to only accept the finding as accurate only when

it has been verified over and over again.

e) How do we conclude that one theory is better than the other?

A theory should be able to summarize many observations and make clear

predictions that we can use to:
i) confirm and modify the theory.
ii) generate new exploration.
iii) suggest practical applications.

f) List and Explain the Methods of Research.

There are initially 2 methods of research, but one last method was added in
2012.
First method is the Correlational method. This method is where we observe 2
or more variables whether changes in one is accompanied by changes in
other variables. Does one change create another change.
Correlations range from -1.00 to +1.00. If the correlation is positive that
means the changes are parallel, if the correlation is negative it means changes
move in opposite directions. The further away from 0 the stronger the
correlation.

Second method is the Experimental method where 2 or more factors are

systematically changed (Independent variables) to determine whether such
changes affects one or more factors (Dependent variable).

Third method is the Systematic Observation. The method is accompanied by

careful, accurate measurement of a particular behaviour across people.
Basically the researchers just sits and observes and then records their
observations. It is important for the research to not influence the behaviours
of the people who are being observed.

2. Group think (Chapter 8) - how to reduce or prevent, group polarization, social loafing
a) Define Group.
Two or more people who, for more than a few moments, interact with each
other and influence one another an perceive one another as “us”.
b) Define and Explain Social Loafing.
Social Loafing is a tendency of people to put in less effort when they pool
their efforts to achieve a common goal compared to when they are
individually held accountable.

Many hands make light work. This means, as the size of the group grows,
efforts decrease. Freeloaders are people who benefit greatly from the group
but give in minimal effort.

c) When do people loaf less?

Social Loafing in a group will decrease when the task at hand is challenging,
the reward is attractive, there is team spirit that motivates the members to
put in effort, when members all are held accountable, when members are
given specific roles and tasks and finally when the reward will benefit self
and the punishment will effect self.

d) Define Deindividuation and Explain what evokes this state.

Deindividuation is a psychological state where an individual loses their self-

awareness and evaluation apprehension. It occurs in group situations that
foster responsiveness to group norms. It may be bad or good.

Doing together what we would not do alone is what evokes the state of
deindividuation. Arousal and distraction, aggressive outbursts are usually
started by minor actions that cause arousal and distractions.

Group chanting, shouting and dancing serves the same purpose; hype us up
and makes us lose self-consciousness. We act impulsively as a group as a
group and we do not think about ourselves. When the size of the group
increases, the more members will lose their self-consciousness which is led by
the ‘everyone is doing it’ attitude.

e) Define and Explain Group Polarization.

Group polarization is a phenomena where a person’s beliefs, decisions and

opinions in group setting becomes more extreme than their actual beliefs that
are held privately.

f) Define Groupthink.
 Psychological phenomena that occurs within a group of people in which the
desire for harmony and conformity in the group that results in an irritational
or dysfunctional decision- making outcome.

g) Symptoms of Groupthink.
- Leads group to overestimate group’s might.
- Leads group members to become close minded.
- Leads group to feel pressure towards uniformity.

h) How to reduce or prevent Groupthink.

- Be objective.
- Occasionally subdivide the group and bring it together to air differences.
- Accept critiques from outside experts.
- Encourage critical evaluation
- Call in for second chance meeting
3. Prosocial Behaviour (Chapter 12) –
a) What is Helping?
The act of a person giving aid or supporting someone who needs assistance.

b) What is Prosocial Behaviour?

Is the act of the person that is helping. If a person is helping it can be said
that the person is portraying prosocial behaviour. Prosocial behaviour is
characterized by having concerns about rights, feelings and welfare of other
people.

c) What is Altruism?
Is the motivation to help people without expecting anything in return. A true
act of selflessness. Example – Soldiers

d) What is Bystander Effect?

The tendency of people to not help when they are in distress or when they see
other people already present in helping the victim in need.

e) how is different from typical helping and altruism.

Typical helping is motivated by multiple reasons like:
- Attractive Victim
- A sense of guilt
- There are only a few people helping – conforming to the helping act
Altruism on the other hand is genuine feeling to help without considering any
of the above factors.
f) How to increase helping
- Reduce uncertainty obstacles
- Educated people about bystander effect
- Model helpfulness
- Teach Moral inclusiveness

4. Prejudice Discrimination (Chapter 9) - the difference and examples

a) Define Prejudice.
A negative set of judgement about a group and its individual members. It is
usually supported by stereotype.

b) Explain the dual attitude system of prejudice.

The dual attitude system means, automatic reactions (implicit) that still occur
regardless of one’s conscious (explicit) prejudice.

Explicit – conscious (central channel)

 Implicit – Automatic (peripheral). Its about what you know without you
knowing that you know. (Greenwald & others 2008).

There’s an online test called Implicit Association Test that has been taken
over 6 million people. It measure one’s speed of association. Black= bad and
white = good.

Example of study of 44 alcohol and drug nurses, in which the ones that
displaying high implicit bias towards drugs users faced job stress and was
most likely to want another job. (von Hipple & others 2008)

A study of 287 physicians, where the ones that had high levels of implicit
racial bias were less likely to prescribe/ recommend clot-busting drugs to
Black patient that described to have chest pain. (Green & other 2007)

c) Define Stereotype.
A belief about personal attributes about a group of people. It is usually
overgeneralized, inaccurate and resistant to new knowledge. Is not always
negative.

d) Define Discrimination.
A behaviour or attitude that we have towards a group of people fuelled by
our prejudice and stereotype.

e) Explain the relationship between prejudice, stereotype and discrimination.

Stereotypes can be positive or negative. Stereotypes can not only lead to
faulty beliefs but can also result in prejudice and discrimination.

f) List the Types of prejudice.

Racial Prejudice.
- Has been decreasing in us. 77% approve of black-white mariages.
Gender Prejudice.
- Can be known and sexism.

Causes Discrimination
- Reduced in western countries. Still strong in Asian countries.
- Gender biasness.
Causes Stereotypes.
- Strong gender stereotypes still exists.
- Members of the stereotyped group accepts the stereotypes.
- Men and women are viewed as different yet equal.
- Women’s work aren’t devalued
 - Prejudice on women has eventually decreased like the ones on Black
people.

g) How to break prejudice behaviour?

- Knowledge and Awareness
- Seeking out diverse experiences
- Monitoring and controlling the prejudice behaviour/ habit.

5. Liking and Intimacy (Chapter 11) - Interpersonal attraction -Attraction factors

a) Factors that lead to friendship and attraction.

Proximity, Similarity, Feeling liked, Physical Attraction & Rewards

b) 4 Types of proximity

Geographical Proximity – How Close you guys live

Mere Exposure – tendency for novel stimuli to be liked more when it’s
frequently exposed to the person. Assigned seats experiment.
Anticipation Interaction – when you anticipate an interaction with someone it
will boost your liking towards them.
Interaction – More significant than geographical closeness. How often you
cross paths. Random roommates assigned – better friendship (Newcomb,
1961)

c) What is physical attraction?

We believe that looks are unimportant but it may be a naïve way we deny the
influence it has on us. Good looks are good assets.

Attractiveness and dating – good looks of men and women are good
predictors to know how frequent they date. (Reis&other 1980, 1982)

Matching phenomenon – Tendency of men and women to choose partners

who are a good match in attractiveness and also other traits.

d) Similarity vs. complementarity.

Birds of same feathers flock together. Couples with similarity tend to be

happier and less likely to divorce. (Caspi & Herbene 1990)

Dissimilarity causes dislike. At first you may be okay it eventually there’ll be

strong dislike. Opposites do not attract except for gender.

Complementarity. Completing one and another. But people lean more

towards shared similarities.
 e) Liking those that likes us.

When you know a certain someone likes or admire you, you tend to develop
reciprocal affection.

f) What is interpersonal attraction?

The attraction between two people that leads to a platonic or romantic
relationship.

Essay -
Intro - define
Body - points and ellaborate and evidence
Conclusion

Topic : -
Prejudice (Chapter 9) and Groupthink (Chapter 8)