Exam 1 Personality Social Study Guide
Social Psychology Study Guide
Exam 1
Note: in this guide, I focus a bit more on textbook material, as that is probably the hardest material to digest. I’m assuming in doing so that you have come to class faithfully, taken good notes, and asked questions about any concepts you did not understand. This guide is best used as a check on your comprehension after you have already studied your notes and the book chapters (and don’t forget to review the Rosenthal and Jacobson reading as well).
Ch. 1
Be able to separate the levels of analysis of related social science disciplines and describe how Social Psychology compares to these.
How does Social Psychology relate to Personality Psychology? In what ways are they similar, different? Why might there sometimes be a tension between researchers in these areas?
Know the basics of Social Psychologists’ research methods. For example:
Correlation versus experimentation – including the issues of “confounds”
What are "mundane realism" and "experimental realism"? What is external validity?
Independent and dependent variables, confederates
Random sampling vs. random assignment
Ch. 2
Be able to describe Trivers’s parental investment theory and some of the predictions derived from this theory.
What is error management theory, and how does it seek to explain certain male-female differences in thinking and behavior?
What is meant by “the duplex mind”? Relate this idea to other topics we’ve covered so far in the course.
What is the difference between “gender” and “sex,” and how does this relate to theory and research on the self-concept (Ch. 3)?
How is the notion of “inclusive fitness” different from the simple idea of “survival of the fittest”?
Ch. 3
Be able to discuss the differences between self-enhancement theories and self-verification theory. In particular, be familiar with Tesser's SEM model and Swann's research on self-esteem motives.
What is self-handicapping, and when is it most likely to
Exam 1
Note: in this guide, I focus a bit more on textbook material, as that is probably the hardest material to digest. I’m assuming in doing so that you have come to class faithfully, taken good notes, and asked questions about any concepts you did not understand. This guide is best used as a check on your comprehension after you have already studied your notes and the book chapters (and don’t forget to review the Rosenthal and Jacobson reading as well).
Ch. 1
Be able to separate the levels of analysis of related social science disciplines and describe how Social Psychology compares to these.
How does Social Psychology relate to Personality Psychology? In what ways are they similar, different? Why might there sometimes be a tension between researchers in these areas?
Know the basics of Social Psychologists’ research methods. For example:
Correlation versus experimentation – including the issues of “confounds”
What are "mundane realism" and "experimental realism"? What is external validity?
Independent and dependent variables, confederates
Random sampling vs. random assignment
Ch. 2
Be able to describe Trivers’s parental investment theory and some of the predictions derived from this theory.
What is error management theory, and how does it seek to explain certain male-female differences in thinking and behavior?
What is meant by “the duplex mind”? Relate this idea to other topics we’ve covered so far in the course.
What is the difference between “gender” and “sex,” and how does this relate to theory and research on the self-concept (Ch. 3)?
How is the notion of “inclusive fitness” different from the simple idea of “survival of the fittest”?
Ch. 3
Be able to discuss the differences between self-enhancement theories and self-verification theory. In particular, be familiar with Tesser's SEM model and Swann's research on self-esteem motives.
What is self-handicapping, and when is it most likely to