PSYC200: Topics 1-4

The belongingness hypothesis proposes that:

• The need to belong is a secondary or minor human motivation alongside other primary motivations such as physiological, safety or esteem needs.

• The desire for interpersonal attachments and social connections is a universal and fundamental human motivation that affects people's cognitive, affective, and behavioural processes.

• The need to belong is only relevant for some individuals, such as those with insecure attachment styles or low self-esteem.

• The desire for interpersonal attachments is a learned or cultural phenomenon rather than an innate or biological process.

Which of the following experiences best exemplifies the power of the situation in social psychology?

• Feeling compelled to conform to a group's beliefs or actions, even if they go against your own values.

• Being able to resist peer pressure and make independent decisions, regardless of what others around you are doing.

• Believing that someone's behavior is solely determined by their personality traits, rather than acknowledging the influence of external factors.

• Feeling like your individual actions have little impact on the larger social systems and structures around you.

People perceive and interpret the social world in a way that is:

• Objective and consistent across all individuals

• Only influenced by personal experiences and not affected by societal norms

• Based solely on conscious thought and not affected by subconscious biases

• Driven by motivations to be accurate and to preserve self-esteem

Can a scientific theory ever be proved?

• It depends on the complexity of the theory and the available evidence to support it.

• Yes, once a theory is tested and verified it becomes an indisputable truth.

• No, scientific theories can only be supported by evidence, but never proven beyond any doubt.

• Only theories in certain fields of science, such as physics or chemistry, can be proven.

In an experiment, what is the difference between a dependent variable and an independent variable?

• A dependent variable is the variable that is changed or manipulated by the researcher, while an independent variable is the variable that is measured or observed.

• An independent variable is the variable that is changed or manipulated by the researcher, while a dependent variable is the variable that is measured or observed.

• A dependent variable is the variable that is consistent throughout the experiment, while an independent variable is the variable that varies depending on the conditions of the experiment.

• An independent variable is the variable that is consistent throughout the experiment, while a dependent variable is the variable that varies depending on the conditions of the experiment.

What method should be used in social psychology to establish a cause and effect relationship?

• Correlational studies

• Observational studies

• Cross-sectional studies

• Experimental studies

What should researchers do if telling a participant the true purpose of a study will ruin the study?

• Debrief the participant at the end of the study, giving them the full story and offering them the opportunity to withdraw their data if they want to.

• Deceive the participant and proceed with the study as planned.

• Obtain informed consent from the participant without revealing the true purpose of the study.

• Abandon the study altogether.

Social psychology is the scientific study of:

• feelings, thoughts, and behaviours of people in social situations.

• individual differences such as personality.

• how people’s social behaviors are shaped by their survival needs.

• our cognitive processes such as memory and sensation.

For social psychologists, one of the likely explanations for why people in different cultures behave differently is because they:

• have different genetic makeup.

• are influenced by different social factors.

• have different evolutionary origins.

• possess different personality traits.

Which one of the following statements is FALSE?

• Personality psychology investigates individual differences.

• Evolutionary psychology explains why we behave differently in social situations.

• Biology and neuroscience focus on individuals in a social context.

• All of the above.