UNIT #1-3: Social Psychology, Psyc 379,
Athabasca University UPDATED ACTUAL
Questions and CORRECT Answers
1. Define social psychology. - CORRECT ANSWER - Social Psychology is the scientific study of
how individuals think, feel and behave in a social context.
2. Provide two questions from your daily life that social psychologists are trying to answer. - CORRECT
ANSWER - 1. What are my private and possibly unconscious beliefs and attitudes?
2. What are my most passionate emotions, my heroic and cowardly public behaviours?
7
3. How is social psychology different from other fields of psychology? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Social psychology is concerned with a diverse set of topics. It is a very broad science. It is unique because
of its emphasis on the social nature of individuals.
4. How is social psychology different from other social sciences, such as sociology? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Sociology typically classifies people in terms of nationality, race and other GROUP
factors. Social psychology typically focuses on the psychology of the individual. Social psychology and
Sociology are related. When the two disciplines intersect, it often results in a more thorough
understanding of a topic. (9)
5. Provide several examples of common sense sayings about human behaviours in social situations. -
CORRECT ANSWER - _Beauty and brains don't mix. Smart people are not as attractive as less
smart people.
- People will like an activity more if you attach a reward to it.
, - Playing violent video games releases aggression and makes people less likely to vent anger in violent
ways.
6. Describe how social psychological findings may be distinguished from common sense or traditional
folk wisdom. - CORRECT ANSWER - Social psychology, unlike common sense, uses the scientific
method to put its theories to the test. Despite offering compelling predictions and explanations, common
sense is sometimes wildly inaccurate and misleading in its simplicity.
7. List the major periods in the history of social psychology. - CORRECT ANSWER - The birth
and infancy 1880's-1920's
1930's-50's The years just before, during and soon after WW1 (hitler) marked an explosion in the interest
in social psychology.
8. Describe briefly the birth and infancy of social psychology. - CORRECT ANSWER - American
psychologist Norman Triplett, is credited with having published the first research article in Social
psychology at the end of the 19th century (1897-1898).
French agricultural engineer Max Ringelmann conducted research in the 1880's, that wasn't published
until 1913.
Credit for establishing social psychology as a distinct field of study go to the writers of the first 3
textbooks, William McDougall 1908, Edward Ross 1908 and Floyd Allport 1924. Allport's book
emphasized the use of experimentation and helped establish the discipline to what it is today.
9. Who are considered the founders of social psychology? - CORRECT ANSWER - Adolf Hitler
had a big impact. People were desperate for for answers about what causes violence, prejudice and
genocide, as well as conformity and obedience.
1936- Gordon Allport (brother of Floys) and other psychologists founded the Society for the
Psychological Study of Social Issues.
1936- Muzafer Sherif- after witnessing the murder of his friend by a group of Greek soldiers, began to
conduct research on the influences groups can exert on individual members. Sherif's research was critical
because it demonstrated that it is possible to study complex social processes in a scientific manner.
Athabasca University UPDATED ACTUAL
Questions and CORRECT Answers
1. Define social psychology. - CORRECT ANSWER - Social Psychology is the scientific study of
how individuals think, feel and behave in a social context.
2. Provide two questions from your daily life that social psychologists are trying to answer. - CORRECT
ANSWER - 1. What are my private and possibly unconscious beliefs and attitudes?
2. What are my most passionate emotions, my heroic and cowardly public behaviours?
7
3. How is social psychology different from other fields of psychology? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Social psychology is concerned with a diverse set of topics. It is a very broad science. It is unique because
of its emphasis on the social nature of individuals.
4. How is social psychology different from other social sciences, such as sociology? - CORRECT
ANSWER - Sociology typically classifies people in terms of nationality, race and other GROUP
factors. Social psychology typically focuses on the psychology of the individual. Social psychology and
Sociology are related. When the two disciplines intersect, it often results in a more thorough
understanding of a topic. (9)
5. Provide several examples of common sense sayings about human behaviours in social situations. -
CORRECT ANSWER - _Beauty and brains don't mix. Smart people are not as attractive as less
smart people.
- People will like an activity more if you attach a reward to it.
, - Playing violent video games releases aggression and makes people less likely to vent anger in violent
ways.
6. Describe how social psychological findings may be distinguished from common sense or traditional
folk wisdom. - CORRECT ANSWER - Social psychology, unlike common sense, uses the scientific
method to put its theories to the test. Despite offering compelling predictions and explanations, common
sense is sometimes wildly inaccurate and misleading in its simplicity.
7. List the major periods in the history of social psychology. - CORRECT ANSWER - The birth
and infancy 1880's-1920's
1930's-50's The years just before, during and soon after WW1 (hitler) marked an explosion in the interest
in social psychology.
8. Describe briefly the birth and infancy of social psychology. - CORRECT ANSWER - American
psychologist Norman Triplett, is credited with having published the first research article in Social
psychology at the end of the 19th century (1897-1898).
French agricultural engineer Max Ringelmann conducted research in the 1880's, that wasn't published
until 1913.
Credit for establishing social psychology as a distinct field of study go to the writers of the first 3
textbooks, William McDougall 1908, Edward Ross 1908 and Floyd Allport 1924. Allport's book
emphasized the use of experimentation and helped establish the discipline to what it is today.
9. Who are considered the founders of social psychology? - CORRECT ANSWER - Adolf Hitler
had a big impact. People were desperate for for answers about what causes violence, prejudice and
genocide, as well as conformity and obedience.
1936- Gordon Allport (brother of Floys) and other psychologists founded the Society for the
Psychological Study of Social Issues.
1936- Muzafer Sherif- after witnessing the murder of his friend by a group of Greek soldiers, began to
conduct research on the influences groups can exert on individual members. Sherif's research was critical
because it demonstrated that it is possible to study complex social processes in a scientific manner.
