Social Psychology Flashcards
Complete Flashcard Set
Q: What is meant by social psychology?
A: The scientific study of how individuals think, feel, and behave in a social context.
Q: What is meant by theory?
A: A set of interrelated ideas used to explain social phenomena and make predictions.
Q: What is Symbolic Interactionism (SI)?
A: A perspective focusing on how people use symbols and interactions to create social
life.
Q: What are the three principles of Symbolic Interactionism?
A: 1. Meaning: We act based on meanings. 2. Language: Meaning comes from interaction. 3.
Thought: Interpretation modifies meaning.
Q: What is meant by role taking?
A: The process of assuming the perspective of others to understand their thoughts,
feelings, and behaviors.
Q: What are the purposes behind role taking?
A: Helps understand expectations, guides behavior, and develops empathy and sense of self.
Q: What are the limitations of SI?
A: Focuses mainly on small-scale interactions and overlooks societal structures.
Q: What is the link between social structure and personality?
A: SSP examines how social positions and roles influence individual attitudes and
behaviors.
Q: What are the limitations of SSP?
Social Psychology Flashcards
A: Overlooks individual agency and oversimplifies complex social behaviors.
Q: How do status, equity, and exchange theory help us understand social behavior?
A: They show how power, fairness, and social transactions shape interactions.
Q: What are the limitations of GP?
A: Findings often come from artificial lab settings and ignore broader social contexts.
Q: Which is the most sociological perspective in social psychology?
A: Symbolic Interactionism because it focuses on meaning-making within social contexts.
Q: What is a hypothesis?
A: A testable prediction about the relationship between variables.
Q: Difference between independent and dependent variables?
A: IV: cause (manipulated); DV: effect (measured).
Q: Difference between sample and population?
A: Population: entire group of interest. Sample: subset of that group.
Q: Probability vs. non-probability samples?
A: Probability: random (e.g., random sampling). Non-probability: non-random (e.g.,
convenience sampling).
Q: Why is random assignment important?
A: It ensures that each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to any group,
reducing bias.
Q: What is meant by informed consent?
A: Participants must be informed about the study and voluntarily agree to participate.
Q: What is the developmental perspective of socialization?
Social Psychology Flashcards
A: Focuses on how biological and psychological development shapes learning.
Q: What is the interpretive perspective?
A: Children learn meaning and social norms through interaction and role-taking.
Q: What is the social learning perspective?
A: Behavior is learned through observation, reinforcement, and modeling.
Q: Impact of social structure on child development?
A: Social positions affect access to resources and opportunities.
Q: Difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation?
A: Intrinsic: internal (curiosity); Extrinsic: external (rewards).
Q: Peer groups vs. other agents of socialization?
A: Peers provide equal-status relationships and influence in adolescence.
