1. Social Psychology by David G. Myers 9th Edition
Introducing Social Psychology
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

2. 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.

3. Perspectives on Research in Social Psychology
What does it mean if two variables are correlated?
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4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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
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12. 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.

13. Correlational Research: Detecting Natural Associations
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?
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14. Understanding Correlations
What does it mean if two variables are correlated?
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15. 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)
To determine causation
Control & Random Assignment
Control – experimenter controls all variables (actively manipulates one or a few)
Random Assignment – Ss have equal chance of being in either control or Experimental group
these differ only in who gets treatment
Concerns:
Placebo Effects – effects due to study itself
Ex: Ss given a sugar pill also have decreased depression because they expect to get better
Demand Characteristics
Ex: S’s modify behavior because they know they are being studied (Hawthorne effect)
Solutions
Single and double-blind procedures – neither subjects (nor experimenter) knows who gets experimental treatment.
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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
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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.
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18. Understanding Experiments
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19. Two Methods of Doing Research: Correlational and Experimental
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20. Understanding Experiments
What does it mean if two variables are correlated?
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21. Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The Research Process
What does it mean if two variables are correlated?
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

22. Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The Research Process
What does it mean if two variables are correlated?
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

23. Things to Consider in Social Psychological Research
Theory
Hypothesis
Population
Sample
Representative sample
Random sample
Random assignment
Blind procedures
Independent variable
Dependent variable
Survey
Placebo effects
Third variables
Causation
Reliability
Validity
Design a Study Exercise
“Design a Group Study” Exercise
Spend three minutes reviewing and modifying your own ideas.
Get in groups of 6 (1 person is elected note taker/master organizer)
Each person takes 1 – 2 minutes to present ideas to group (Organizer takes notes)
Group discusses each idea AFTER all have been presented
Decide on 1 study that is reasonable for group study (and doable)
Develop idea further, focusing on the following:
Develop a hypothesis
Does this fit with any theory (personal or scientific) ask me for help here
Identify population, samples, independent and dependent variables,
Are measures valid?
Can we determine reliability of measures?
What are the benefits and costs of this method?
Is this Ethical?
What must you worry about (wording, third variables, placebo)?
What can you conclude (scientifically speaking)?
Why should anyone care about these results?
Put on Post paper in the following format
Introduction
         i.      Background theory development
         ii.      Hypothesis
Methods
         i.      Participants
         ii.      Materials
         iii.      Procedure
Results
        i.      What you expect (use a graph or table)
Discussion
        i.      Conclusions
        ii.      Concerns
        iii.      Implications
Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.