Research Methods
This type of variable is manipulated by the researcher.
What is the independent variable?
The beliefs, thoughts, and feelings you have about yourself.
What is self-concept?
Fast, automatic, intuitive thinking.
What is System 1?
Conforming because you want to be liked.
What is normative social influence?
Attitudes we can consciously report.
What are explicit attitudes?
A statistic ranging from -1 to +1 that shows strength and direction of a relationship.
What is the correlation coefficient (r)?
Comparing yourself to someone better than you.
What is upward social comparison?
Mental shortcuts that help us make decisions quickly.
What are heuristics?
Conforming because you believe others are correct.
What is informational social influence?
The psychological discomfort from holding conflicting beliefs.
What is cognitive dissonance?
This improves internal validity and helps establish cause and effect.
What is random assignment?
Tajfel’s theory stating our self-worth is tied to group membership.
What is Social Identity Theory?
Valuing something more simply because you own it.
What is the endowment effect?
The study where participants conformed to incorrect line judgments.
What is the Asch Line Experiment?
In Festinger & Carlsmith’s $1 vs. $20 study, this was the dependent variable.
What is participants’ reported enjoyment of the task?
When a third variable explains the relationship between two variables.
What is the third-variable problem?
The difference between your actual self and ideal self.
What is self-discrepancy?
Imagining how things could have turned out better or worse.
What is counterfactual thinking?
Asking for a small favor first, then a bigger one.
What is the foot-in-the-door technique?
Explaining counterattitudinal behavior as due to the situation.
What is external justification?
Clearly describing how you manipulate the IV and measure the DV so others can replicate it.
What is an operational definition?
People who adjust their behavior depending on social situations are called this.
What are high self-monitors?
A memory structure that assumes everyone in a group shares the same characteristics.
What is a stereotype?
Following orders from someone in authority, demonstrated in shock experiments.
What is obedience (Milgram study)?
After choosing between two good options, we convince ourselves our choice was better.
What is post-decision dissonance (spreading of alternatives)?