1. Social Psychology as Science

2. Definition of social psychology
The influence that people have upon the beliefs and behavior of others.

3. Today Quiz – Ch. 1 and 9 Complete group presentation Syllabus review
Social Psychology as a Science

4. Concerns of social psychology
How are people influenced?
Why do people accept influence?
What variables increase and decrease the effectiveness of social influence?
Is the effect permanent or transitory?
Do the same principles apply to everyone?

5. Hindsight bias
This is the tendency to overestimate our ability to predict events, once we know the outcome
Everyone is susceptible to this bias

6. Problem Solving…

7. Confirmation Bias
A tendency to search for, and see, information that confirms one’s preconceptions.

8. Science! Wonder why Formulate hypothesis Test hypothesis
Draw conclusions
Report results

9. Primary Concerns with Research
Are the data reliable?
Are the data valid?
Aronson uses “experimental realism” and “mundane realism”
Ethics of the experiment
Effects on subject
Use of results

10. Experimental Design Strengths Weaknesses
Only way to determine cause and effect.
Weaknesses
Validity –
Ethical considerations
Practicality
Why the only way to determine causation?
Random assignment
Control variables

11. Examples of Experimental Designs
Most famous Social Psy:
Milgram
Zimbardo
Love Experiment

12. In love experiment… Wonder why – what do you want to know?
Formulate hypothesis – specific question?
Test hypothesis – suspension bridge
Draw conclusions –
Ethical Considerations?

13. Opinion Polls Current polls on questions on upcoming ballot:
Referendum 71
Two polls – Elway and Greenberg, et al.
Both random samples –
One shows approval among likely voters at 51% to 44% ‘reject’.
The other shows 48% to 40% approve
But 10% didn’t understand – would vote opposite to opinions – support ‘everything but marriage’
Other polls show over 65% support for domestic partnership laws.

14. Opinion Polls
I- 1033
Rasmussen Reports, in a statewide phone poll conducted Sept. 22 among 500 likely voters, shows 61 percent definitely or probably in favor of I-1033, 31 percent definitely or probably against and 8 percent not sure. 
The independent Elway Poll also put it ahead by a 2-to-1 margin — 46 percent to 22 percent, with a large segment, 32 percent, undecided. 

15. Opinion Polls Wonder why – what is the question?
Formulate hypothesis – is this the case? What do they expect to learn?
Test hypothesis – how reliable and valid is the survey instrument?
Draw conclusions – what conclusions and where do they lead?

16. Design an experiment!
Wonder why – what do we want to know (perhaps about BA students?)
Formulate hypothesis – specific question?
Test hypothesis
Draw conclusions
Ethical considerations