⋆ ⋆ ⋆
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PYC3701: Social Psychology
May/June Examination 2026 – Comprehensive Revision Guide
Based on May/June 2025 & May/June 2023 Past Papers
⋆ ⋄ ⋆ ⋄ ⋆ ⋄ ⋆ ⋄ ⋆
[Book] Psychology – Human Sciences
[Book] Exam Revision Guide
PYC3701
Module Code:
Social Psychology
Module Name:
May/June 2025 & May/June 2023
Papers Covered:
2026
Year:
100 (Multiple choice + Essays)
Total Marks:
2 Hours
Duration:
This guide covers all major exam topics in question-and-answer format. Study for
understanding, not memorisation. Predicted exam questions are included at the
end.
⋆ Exam Revision Notes | PYC3701 | 2026
,PYC3701 | Exam Revision Social Psychology – May/June 2026
Section A – Social Cognition [20 marks]
(1) [2 marks]
Question: Define social cognition and explain why schemas are central to how people
process social information.
Answer: Social cognition refers to the mental processes by which people perceive,
interpret, and store information about themselves and others in their social world.
Schemas are mental frameworks built around a specific theme that organise social
information. They are central for several reasons:
• They act as cognitive shortcuts, helping people process large amounts of social
information quickly and efficiently.
• They direct selective attention – people notice schema-consistent information
more readily.
• They fill in gaps in information, allowing people to make inferences when details
are missing.
• They influence memory encoding and retrieval, making schema-consistent infor-
mation easier to recall.
Exam Tip
Examiners expect you to link schemas to efficiency in processing. Always men-
tion that schemas can also lead to biases and errors because they cause people to
ignore inconsistent information.
(2) [3 marks]
Question: Distinguish between automatic (System 1) and controlled (System 2) informa-
tion processing in social cognition. Provide an example of each.
Answer:
Page 2 of 30 ⋆
, PYC3701 | Exam Revision Social Psychology – May/June 2026
Key Concept
The dual-process model underpins much of social cognition. Automatic processing
relies on heuristics (mental shortcuts); controlled processing involves deliberate
reasoning. Under high cognitive load or time pressure, people default to System 1.
(3) [3 marks]
Question: Explain the concept of priming and describe how it influences social be-
haviour.
Answer: Priming occurs when exposure to a stimulus or concept activates related
information in memory, making it more accessible and thus more likely to influence
subsequent thoughts and behaviour.
How priming influences social behaviour:
• Behavioural activation: If a person is primed with words related to aggression,
they are more likely to interpret ambiguous actions as hostile.
• Schema activation: Priming activates relevant schemas which then filter percep-
tion – e.g., priming “professor” leads to better performance on a general knowledge
task.
• Persistence: Priming effects persist until the activated concept is expressed in
thought or behaviour, after which the effect fades.
• Unconscious influence: People are generally unaware that their thinking has been
influenced by priming stimuli.
Example
In South African workplaces, stereotypes about certain groups can be primed by
media reports, leading colleagues to misinterpret neutral behaviour from those
group members as threatening or incompetent.
Page 3 of 30 ⋆
]]
PYC3701: Social Psychology
May/June Examination 2026 – Comprehensive Revision Guide
Based on May/June 2025 & May/June 2023 Past Papers
⋆ ⋄ ⋆ ⋄ ⋆ ⋄ ⋆ ⋄ ⋆
[Book] Psychology – Human Sciences
[Book] Exam Revision Guide
PYC3701
Module Code:
Social Psychology
Module Name:
May/June 2025 & May/June 2023
Papers Covered:
2026
Year:
100 (Multiple choice + Essays)
Total Marks:
2 Hours
Duration:
This guide covers all major exam topics in question-and-answer format. Study for
understanding, not memorisation. Predicted exam questions are included at the
end.
⋆ Exam Revision Notes | PYC3701 | 2026
,PYC3701 | Exam Revision Social Psychology – May/June 2026
Section A – Social Cognition [20 marks]
(1) [2 marks]
Question: Define social cognition and explain why schemas are central to how people
process social information.
Answer: Social cognition refers to the mental processes by which people perceive,
interpret, and store information about themselves and others in their social world.
Schemas are mental frameworks built around a specific theme that organise social
information. They are central for several reasons:
• They act as cognitive shortcuts, helping people process large amounts of social
information quickly and efficiently.
• They direct selective attention – people notice schema-consistent information
more readily.
• They fill in gaps in information, allowing people to make inferences when details
are missing.
• They influence memory encoding and retrieval, making schema-consistent infor-
mation easier to recall.
Exam Tip
Examiners expect you to link schemas to efficiency in processing. Always men-
tion that schemas can also lead to biases and errors because they cause people to
ignore inconsistent information.
(2) [3 marks]
Question: Distinguish between automatic (System 1) and controlled (System 2) informa-
tion processing in social cognition. Provide an example of each.
Answer:
Page 2 of 30 ⋆
, PYC3701 | Exam Revision Social Psychology – May/June 2026
Key Concept
The dual-process model underpins much of social cognition. Automatic processing
relies on heuristics (mental shortcuts); controlled processing involves deliberate
reasoning. Under high cognitive load or time pressure, people default to System 1.
(3) [3 marks]
Question: Explain the concept of priming and describe how it influences social be-
haviour.
Answer: Priming occurs when exposure to a stimulus or concept activates related
information in memory, making it more accessible and thus more likely to influence
subsequent thoughts and behaviour.
How priming influences social behaviour:
• Behavioural activation: If a person is primed with words related to aggression,
they are more likely to interpret ambiguous actions as hostile.
• Schema activation: Priming activates relevant schemas which then filter percep-
tion – e.g., priming “professor” leads to better performance on a general knowledge
task.
• Persistence: Priming effects persist until the activated concept is expressed in
thought or behaviour, after which the effect fades.
• Unconscious influence: People are generally unaware that their thinking has been
influenced by priming stimuli.
Example
In South African workplaces, stereotypes about certain groups can be primed by
media reports, leading colleagues to misinterpret neutral behaviour from those
group members as threatening or incompetent.
Page 3 of 30 ⋆
