User:Marie92~enwikiversity/Social Psychology

22:55, 2 August 2012 (UTC)Marie92 (talk)In this course we will be studying from the book: “Social Psychology – 11th Edition; by: Robert A Baron, Donn Byrne, and Nyla R. Branscombe.

In this first section we will cover: Then we will recap what we have learned.
 * The definition of Social Psychology
 * Social Psychology Scientific in nature
 * Social Psychology’s focus
 * Cognitive Processes
 * Cultural Context

The Definition
Some people believe that social psychology is merely common sense. Although many have this view-social psychology is a scientific field; in fact its definition is as follows, “the scientific field that seeks to understand the nature and cause of individual behavior and thought in social situations” (p. 6). What makes social psychology scientific in nature? The field is considered scientific because it has four core values that all scientific fields must adhere to in order to be considered as such. These include: “Accuracy, Objectivity, Skepticism, and Open-mindedness” (p. 8). These values are very important within the field and they are applied in order to receive a better understanding of “social behavior and social thought” (p.8).

Focus
--Marie92 (talk) 22:55, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Social psychology focuses on the behavior of individuals in social situations. The field also seeks to understand social behavior and thought (p.9). We may also be affected by others, for instance: You’re speeding on a highway and you see a state trooper pull over another driver in order to issue them a ticket-how would you react (p. 9). We are also affected by appearances. Have you ever felt uncomfortable because you have overdressed for an occasion or under dressed? “Do you ever behave differently toward a highly attractive person versus a less attractive one,” (p. 10)?

Cognitive Processes
--Marie92 (talk) 22:55, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

Cognitive processes plays a role as well, for instance, “if an individual makes plans with a friend but the friend is thirty minutes late and still has not arrived. The individual may begin to question their friends’ arrival. Once their friend arrives, and gives the excuse I am sorry I was late I forgot we had plans until a few minutes ago. What would be your reaction? What is the excuse is I was caught in traffic or there was construction on the road? Would you feel less annoyed? These questions may also be taken into account considering how often your friend is late when you make plans. In other words your reactions depend strongly on your memories of your friends past behavior and your inferences about whether her or his explanation is actually true. Situations such as these call attention to the fact that cognitive processes play a crucial role in social behavior and social thought. We are constantly trying to make sense of our social world as such questions as: Why do people react this way, why did I react that way, and what would I do if I were in that situation. These processes are often studied by social psychologist. Social cognition is one of the most important areas of research within the field (p. 11).”

Cultural Context
--Marie92 (talk) 22:55, 2 August 2012 (UTC)

“Many television programs in the 1950’s and 60’s depicted a very exaggerated happy and whole life. It contained mom, dad, and children. Divorce was not an issue on these shows, although divorce existed during this time” (p 11). Divorce was less common during that time period. Today divorce continues to increase due to change in morals and values. We can also see how sexual views have changed. The old television programs showed a husband and wife in separate beds. Today a couple is shown lying in bed together despite their marital status. When we look at society many are living together before actually getting married, “therefore cultural factors strongly affect social behavior and thought,” (p. 12).

Recap
-	Social Psychology is a science -	It focuses on understanding causes of social behavior and thought -	It identifies factors that shape our feelings, behaviors, and thoughts in social situations (p. 14)

Reference
Baron, A. R., Byrne, D., Branscombe, R. N. (2006). Social Psychology (11 ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

This lesson is being taught by Mrs. I. Sims. She has a Masters in Psychology.