Social Psychology Essentials: Group Dynamics & Influence
Why Milgram Experiment Results Were Unpredictable
The results of the Milgram experiment were difficult to predict due to a fundamental attribution error. Researchers and participants alike underestimated the powerful influence of the situation and overestimated the role of individual personality traits in determining behavior.
Conformity vs. Obedience: Key Differences
While both conformity and obedience involve yielding to social pressure, they differ in several key aspects:
- Conformity: The pressure
Psychological Science: Historical Roots, Key Theories, and Research Design
Cognitive Biases in Thinking
- Confirmation bias: Ignoring evidence that opposes our beliefs (e.g., on vaccines).
- Failing to accurately judge source credibility (e.g., celebrity endorsements).
- Misunderstanding or not using statistics (e.g., gambler’s fallacy).
Scientific Foundations of Psychology (Antiquity–18th Century)
Psychology originated in philosophy, with roots in epistemology (the study of how we gain knowledge).
Plato: Founder of Rationalism
- Advocated rational analysis to understand the world
Effective Data Collection in Observational Research
Challenges in Observational Data Collection
Visual Recording: Reactivity and Privacy Concerns
Visual recording methods often trigger reactivity in research subjects. Cameras, in particular, can be highly intrusive, leading to an explicit loss of anonymity. While their use in open environments might sometimes be overlooked, it frequently faces strong rejection. When observing actions in private spaces, the use of visual recording requires an intense and arduous negotiation process.
Audio Recording:
Read MoreKey Concepts in Human Development and Psychology
Language Development Fundamentals
Key Concepts in Language
- Mutual Exclusivity: A child’s assumption that a given entity has only one name.
- Gaze Following: The ability to follow another person’s gaze to understand their point of reference.
- Morphemes: The smallest units of meaning in a language.
- Phonemes: The smallest units of sound in a language.
Stages of Language Acquisition
- Prelinguistic Stage: Characterized by babbling, cooing, and crying.
- Single-word Stage: Uttering single words to convey meaning.
- Two-
Child Development: Research Methods & Prenatal Growth
Understanding Processes in Development
What is a Process?
A description of what change happens, along what timeline. Remember that constancy can be thought of as ‘the lack of change’.
Identifying Process Components
Can you identify the cause, mechanism, and outcome of a given process and explain your answer?
- Cause: The initial factor (e.g., teacher math anxiety).
- Mechanism: The apparatus, method, or tool – how do we get from cause to outcome?
- Outcome: The results, change, or lack of change (e.g.,
Clinical Psychology: Understanding and Practice
What is Clinical Psychology?
Clinical psychology is the field of psychology dedicated to the research, teaching, and services related to understanding, predicting, and alleviating cognitive, emotional, biological, social, and behavioral maladjustment, impairment, distress, and discomfort. This is applied to a wide range of client populations.
Goals of Clinical Psychology
- Integrate science and practice.
- Apply integrated knowledge to alleviate suffering and promote health.
- Meet these goals for clients