Social Psychology
Psych 3870
Spring, 2009
Old Exam Questions for Exam One
Given below are 34 questions that I have asked on previous exams in this class. These questions
are meant to be used as a starting point for your studying, and to give you an idea of the type of
questions that I am likely to ask on your exam. These questions should not be taken as a
complete representation of the material you need to know for this exam.
It should be noted that I have made a number of changes in how the course is taught this
semester. In particular, I have not previously used this textbook, so some content may not be
represented in these questions.
Also, there are some things that I did talk about in previous semesters, that I have not covered in
this semester. I tried to remove any of those questions from this list. However, I may have
missed some.
1.
Allport wrote that social psychologists study how the ‘actual, imagined, or implied
presence of others’ affects one’s psychology. Discuss what he meant by the actual, the
implied, and the imagined presence of others.
2.
Define random assignment. When is it used by social psychologists? How does it
accomplish its purpose.
3.
In class, we discussed the fact that correlational methods and experimental methods differ
in the degree to which they allow us to tell whether one variable caused another variable.
Choose either correlational methods or experimental methods, and discuss what that type
of method allows to know (or, not know) about causality. Be sure to explain why that
method lets us know what it does, and why it keeps us from knowing what it does.
4.
For a study of effective teaching techniques, I gather a list of all EIU students. From this
list, I randomly select 200 students. 100 of these students are taught in a traditional
lecture format. The other 100 are taught in small discussion groups. At the end of the
class, I give a test on the material. Answer the following questions: What is the
independent variable? What is the dependent variable? What group of people will I be
justified in generalizing my results to? Be sure to briefly explain each answer.
5.
What is the definition of an experiment? That is, what is it that makes an experiment an
experiment. How does this relate to whether or not an experiment will allow you to
determine whether one variable causes another?
6.
Define random selection. (NOTE: Not random assignment). What is random selection
used for?
7.
“A situation defined as real is real in its consequences.” Explain what this means, and
give one original example. (An original example is one that you make up – one that we
did not discuss in class and that is not covered in your textbook.)
8.
Discuss how the implied or imagined presences of others can affect one’s thoughts,
feelings, or behaviors. Give an original (see above) example.
9.
Discuss the similarities and differences between random assignment and random
selection. When would you use each, and for what purpose?
10.
Discuss the differences between qualitative methods and quantitative methods. Discuss
one reason you would use each method, and one thing you would give up by using that
method.
11.
In an experiment, we can determine whether or not an independent variable causes a
change in the dependent variable. In a correlational study, we cannot. Explain why an
experiment allows us to tell about causality.
12.
Allport said that social psychology studies the effects of the actual, implied, and
imagined presence of others on the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of individuals.
Describe one example of the effect of the actual presence of others, one example of the
effect of the implied presence of others, and one example of the effect of the imagined
presence of others. Be sure you make the differences between these three types of
‘presence’ clear.
13.
“A situation defined as real is real in its consequences.” Discuss the concept of reality as
it is used in this ‘mantra’. What does the mantra have to say about our ability to
understand what is really happening in a situation?
14.
Suppose while driving around town I observe that most people who drive pick-up trucks
are male. Is this science? Explain, with particular attention to the concept of empiricism.
15.
Discuss the relationship of social psychology to either personality psychology or
sociology.
16.
Compare & Contrast: Experimental realism & mundane realism
17.
There are at least two definitions of social psychology. One, similar to the definition of
Gordon Allport discussed in class, says that social psychology is the study of how our
psychology is affected by the presence of others. The second definition says that social
psychology is the study of how the situation affects one’s psychology. Discuss how these
two definitions could really be thought of as the same.
18.
Social psychology is said to be a science. What makes social psychology a science?
19.
In correlational research, we should use random selection. In (some) experimental
research, we should use both random selection AND random assignment. Explain.
20.
Discuss the ethical conflict presented by the requirement of informed consent in research,
and the need to deceive research participants in some studies.
21.
When two variables are correlated, that tells us that the causal relationship between the
two variables may be one of three types. Suppose I find a correlation between the
number of times someone says “I Love You” to their girlfriend or boyfriend on
Valentine’s Day, and the reported happiness in the relationship. What are the three
different types of causal relationships that might exist between saying “I Love You” and
relationship happiness. Give a specific example of each type of causal relationship.
22.Compare and Contrast: Repeated Measures Experiment and Between-Groups Experiment.
Do you think one method is better than the other? Why or why not? If one is better than
another, why would you ever use the one that’s worse?
23.
Which is better: A between-subjects (randomized group) experiment, or a within-subjects
(repeated measures) experiment? Explain your answer.
24.
What does representativeness mean? Why is this desirable in psychological research, and
how does random selection relate to representativeness?
25.
Is all empiricism science? Explain.
26.
When two variables, A & B, are correlated, we say that either changes in A cause
changes in B, or changes in B cause changes in A, or a third variable, C causes changes
in both A & B. An experiment doesn’t have this problem. What is it about an
experiment that avoids this problem and why does it work?
27.
What is a social role? Give an example. How do social roles relate to the fact that people
will act, think, and feel differently in different situations?
28.
Define construal. How does this relate to the fact that two people may be in the same
situation but act differently?
29.
In class, I argued that all situations are social – even when you are alone. Explain my
argument. (Be sure to make reference to the idea of the actual, implied, and imagined
presence of others).
30.
If a researcher does an experiment, then it is possible to determine if there is a cause and
effect relationship between two variables. What is it about an experiment that allows one
to make this conclusion?
31.
In class, we said that you cannot tell the causal relationship between two variables just
because they correlate. Use an original example (not one given in class or in your
textbook) to explain what we do know if two variables correlate, and why we can’t know
about causality.
32.
What is generalizability? How does this relate to random selection?
33.
Compare and contrast: Experimental Realism and Mundane Realism.
34.
What is the relationship between the following two quotes: “A situation defined as real is
real in its consequences” and “The effects of the actual, imagined, or implied presence of
others”