315 Social Psychology
Summer, 2008
Test 1 STUDY GUIDE
This study guide is designed to help you focus on the key terms and concepts presented in the
reading and lecture for this course. You will be expected to have read all material listed on the
syllabus prior to the test and be familiar with all lecture materials (including discussions and
examples).
Try to focus on applying the material you have heard and read about, rather than simply trying to
memorize definitions or facts. Authors’ names will only be used to help you remember particular
studies--you will not be required to recall names and/or dates.
NOTE: PLEASE BRING A SCANTRON AND #2 PENCIL TO THE EXAM
TERMS AND CONCEPTS
Stanford Prison Experiment: What is the study? Why is it important? Be able to describe how
prisoners were deindividuated and the effects of a lack of sensory information. What are
the ethical concerns involved with the study?
What types of information do people seek according to attribution theory? How does this
information combine to result in internal vs. external vs. temporary attributions?
What is the fundamental attribution error? How has it been demonstrated empirically? What are
some of the factors that increase or decrease dispositional vs. situational attributions?
What is the actor-observer bias and how does it relate to the fundamental attribution error?
What
are the implications for watching videos?
What are the major self-serving biases that relate to attributions?
How does context influence our judgments? Describe studies that show the importance of
context?
How do contrast effects influence our judgments? Describe relevant studies.
What is the representativeness heuristic? How does it influence judgments?
What is the availability heuristic? How does it influence judgments? How does it relate to the
halo
effect?
What are various types of conformity? Give examples of each. How does conformity relate to
norms? Why do people conform?
Be familiar with Asch’s studies on conformity. What factors affected the degree of conformity?
Why did people conform?
Be familiar with Milgram’s studies on conformity. What was the set up? What were the main
findings? What factors influence whether people resisted or conformed? Why did people
conform?
What is the law of social impact? What does it suggest about the factors that determine whether
people will conform?
What is an attitude and what are its components? How is evaluation linked to an attitude?
One way that attitudes are formed is through learning. What are the major ways that we learn
attitudes? How does affect transfer occur?
How does the desire for cognitive consistency influence attitudes? How does balance theory
relate to attitudes? How does cognitive dissonance relate to attitudes? What is the
empirical evidence that supports cognitive dissonance interpretations? What is the
relationship to self perception theory?
What is the elaboration likelihood model? What factors influence attitudes according to this
model? What is the danger associated with sleeper effects?