Short Answer---Review for Social Psychology
1. David's history teacher asked him why so many German people
complied with Hitler's orders to systematically slaughter millions of innocent
Jews. David suggested that the atrocities were committed because the Germans
had become unusually cruel, sadistic people with abnormal and twisted
personalities. Use your knowledge of the fundamental attribution error and
Milgram's research on obedience to highlight the weaknesses of David's
explanation.
2. A crowd at a soccer game starts to boo, yell at the home
team, and throw cups and trash at the players after the team loses a very close
match. Explain how social facilitation and deindividuation contribute to the
crowd's behavior.
3. If representatives from the Republican and Democratic
parties gathered to discuss a minimum wage bill, how might the concepts of
group polarization and groupthink influence the discussion and eventual vote?
4. Jill, a female employee at ACME Industries, recently
complained that she had been sexually harassed by one of her male supervisors.
Upon hearing of this complaint, Luis, a fellow employee, commented, “If the
women around here would stop some of their flirting, they'd be left alone.”
Jason, another co-worker, quickly added, “If the women in this country stopped
trying to act like men, they'd all be treated with more respect.” Explain how
these insensitive remarks illustrate some of the social, emotional, and
cognitive roots of prejudice.
5. Your psychology class is studying aggression. Phyllis, an
outspoken student, says, “I think one big cause of aggression are those
horrible violent video games. Boys play those games more often than girls, and
I bet there’s some connection.” Evaluate Phyllis' statement according to
psychological findings about the biological factors of aggression and the
psychological and social-cultural factors of aggression.
6. Research indicates that we often form more positive
impressions of beautiful people than of those who are physically unattractive.
Explain how advertisements and movies might encourage this tendency. Use your
knowledge of the factors that facilitate interpersonal attraction to suggest
how people could be influenced to feel more positively about those who are
physically unattractive.
7. While walking through a busy city park, Mr. Cruz
experiences sharp chest pains that indicate the onset of a heart attack.
Describe several things Mr. Cruz should do to increase the chances that someone
will come to his aid and quickly provide him with appropriate medical
attention. Explain the rationale for your advice in light of research on
altruism and the decision-making process underlying bystander intervention.
Mod 78-80
Social Psychology : Terms to Know
Prejudice
Stereotype
Discrimination
Just-world phenomenon
Ingroup
Outgroup
Ingroup bias
Scapegoat theory
Other-race effect
Aggression
Frustration-aggression principle
Social script
Mere exposure effect
Passionate love
Companionate love
Equity
Self-disclosure
Altruism
Bystander effect
Social exchange theory
Reciprocity norm
Social-responsibility norm
Conflict
Social trap (Prisoner’s Dilemma)
Mirror-image perceptions
Superordinate goals
GRIT
