Deck 1: Studying Social Psychology

Question 1

LaPiere's (1934) classic study is not technically an experiment because:

A) it lacked random assignment
B) there was no control group;
C) no independent variable was manipulated
D) all of the above.

Answer 1

all of the above.

Question 2

Which of the following research methods did LaPiere (1934) employ following his trips with the Chinese graduate student and the student's wife?

A) archival research
B) questionnaire research
C) observational research
D) experience sampling research

Answer 2

questionnaire research

Question 3

When LaPiere (1934) wrote to the establishments he and his friends visited previously on their trips, he asked whether the establishments whether "members of the Chinese race" were welcome as guests? This questions is best labeled a/an:

A) independent variable
B) dependent variable
C) control group
D) hypothesis

Answer 3

dependent variable

Question 4

Participants in the Klinesmith, Kasser, and McAndrew (2006) experiment were asked to put a drop of hot sauce in a glass of water that a later participant in the research would drink. The amount of hot sauce served as the:

A) independent variable
B) control group
C) dependent variable
D) hypothesis

Question 5

Which field of inquiry examines individual emotion, thought, and actions influenced by interactions with other individuals and groups?

A) social psychology
B) personality
C) developmental psychology
D) anthropology

Question 6

Which of the following fields is arguably the most collective in terms of its focus?

A) social psychology
B) personality
C) anthropology
D) developmental psychology

Question 7

Which of the following research approaches is not classified as a non-experimental approach?

A) observational research
B) surveys
C) diary research
D) meta-analytic research

Question 8

Another term for social thought is:

A) social cognition
B) social influence
C) social connections
D) none of the above

Question 9

Laboratory settings provide researchers with ___ control whereas field settings provide them with ___ control.

A) no, more
B) decreasing, increasing
C) more, no
D) increasing, decreasing

Question 10

Laboratory settings generally allow for ____ amount(s) of generalizability whereas field settings allow for ____ amount(s) of generalizability.

A) no, more
B) decreasing, increasing
C) more, no
D) increasing, decreasing

Question 11

How did LaPiere's (1934) study illustrate attitude-behavior inconsistency? Why can't any firm conclusions be drawn from this nonetheless class piece of research?

Question 12

LaPiere's (1934) careful survey research following his trips with the Chinese graduate student and the student's wife was not experimental-why not?

Question 13

What are the main elements of an experiment? Define and describe each one in the context of some social psychology experiment you create.

Question 14

Can we claim that respondents to LaPiere's (1934) follow-up survey after his trips were prejudiced? Why or why not? Can we claim that the employees who never refused to serve LaPiere and his friends were not prejudiced? Why or why not?

Question 15

Write your own definition for the areas of research and inquiry known as social psychology.

Question 16

Klinesmith, Kasser, and McAndrew (2006) conducted an experiment demonstrating that holding a weapon leads to a hormonal reaction increasing the likelihood of subsequent aggressive behavior. Briefly describe how the study was conducted and identify the independent variable, the dependent variable, and the main results.

Question 17

LaPiere (1934) conducted an observational study, whereas Klinesmith, Kasser, and McAndrew conducted an experiment. Compare and contrast these two research approaches: What are their relative strengths and weaknesses?

Question 18

How did Klinesmith, Kasser, and McAndrew (2006) determine that all of the male participants had similar levels of testosterone before the independent variable was presented to them? Why was demonstrating similar levels of testosterone at the study's start an important concern for the experiment's methodology and hypothesis?

Question 19

What do social psychologists mean when they claim that a situation can sometimes be more powerful and, therefore, have a more influential effect on behavior than personality variables? Provide an everyday example that illustrates this point of view.

Question 20

Explain why different fields in the social sciences and sub-fields within psychology have different levels of explanation. Be sure to explain the distinction between fields of inquiry that have a more collective focus as opposed to those with a more individual focus.

Question 21

How does social psychology differ from sociology, anthropology, and personality? Why are social psychology and personality often linked together conceptually and in research efforts?

Question 22

List the five steps found in the scientific method for doing research in social psychology.

Question 23

Define the three related lines of inquiry that are studied in social psychology.

Question 24

How do lab-based studies differ from field-based studies? Explain how experimental control and generalizability relate to these different research settings.

Question 25

How does basic research differ from applied research? In your opinion, is this distinction an important one? Why or why not?