PS1014: Approaches to Psychology - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 / 17
About This Presentation
Title:

PS1014: Approaches to Psychology

Description:

Personality psychodynamic, humanistic. Intelligence cognitive. Biological evolutionary ... Other disciplines interested in social influence: Folk Wisdom ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

Number of Views:54
Avg rating:3.0/5.0
Slides: 18
Provided by: cen7151
Category:

less

Transcript and Presenter's Notes

Title: PS1014: Approaches to Psychology


1
PS1014 Approaches to Psychology
  • Dr Gug Calvini
  • Social Perspective

2
Essential readings
  • Glassman, W.E. Hadad, M. (2004). Approaches to
    psychology (4th Ed.). Buckingham Open University
    Press. (Chapter 8).
  • Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., Akert, R. M. (2002).
    Social psychology (5th Ed.). Upper Saddle River
    Prentice Hall. (Chapter 1, 2).

 Recommended readings
  • Aronson, E. (2004). The Social Animal (9th
    ed.). New York Worth Publishers. (Chapter 1).

3
Psychology in Context
  • Social Psychology
  • concerned with how people influence individuals
    thinking, feeling and behaviour
  • social dimensions on individual behaviour
  • social context
  • real presence vs. abstract representation
  • small groups

4
Psychology in Context
  • Not a theoretical framework
  • different perspectives explain social influence
  • defined by its subject matter (social dimensions
    of individual behaviour)
  • Theoretical perspectives interested in social
    influence
  • Personality psychodynamic, humanistic
  • Intelligence cognitive
  • Biological evolutionary

5
Psychology in Context
  • Other disciplines interested in social influence
  • Folk Wisdom practical interpretation
  • Philosophy
  • Sociology general laws of society
  • Anthropology different societies
  • Personality Psychology individual differences

6
Domains of Social Psychology
  • Social Cognition
  • understanding ourselves and others
  • social perception
  • cognitive dissonance
  • causal attribution
  • Social interaction
  • behaviour with others
  • social influence
  • obedience
  • prosocial behaviour
  • scripts

7
Domains of Social Psychology
8
Social Psychology Methods
  • Social Psychology an empirical science
  • no idle speculation
  • Testing Hypotheses
  • Theory-driven hypotheses
  • Observation-driven hypotheses

9
Social Psychology Methods
  • Methods of hypothesis testing
  • Observational method
  • Description What is the nature of the
    phenomenon?
  • Correlational method
  • Prediction From knowing X, can we expect Y?
  • Experimental method
  • Causality Is variable Y caused by variable X?

10
Observational Method
  • Observing behaviour in certain people and/or
    condition and recording it
  • Ethnography
  • Observation from within a group or culture
  • Participant observation
  • Observer interacts with people observed
  • Archival analysis
  • Observation of recorded material

11
Observational Method
  • Shortcomings of the observational method
  • Some behaviours are more frequent than others
  • Limited to specific groups, settings, behaviours
  • Not generalisable
  • Messy
  • we observe what is available, how it is available

12
Correlational Method
  • Measuring (two) variables and analysing whether
    they are related (i.e. how much one predict the
    other)
  • Survey
  • Measurement of variables in a representative
    (large) sample

13
Correlational Method
  • Issues with the correlational method
  • Sampling
  • Random is not always representative
  • Response accuracy
  • Telling more than you can know Nisbett
    Wilson, 1977
  • Correlation is not causation
  • It doesnt tell us why the variables are related
  • alternative explanations
  • Intervening variable(s)

14
Experimental Method
  • Recording behaviour controlling and manipulating
    variables
  • Causal inference
  • Dependent Independent variables
  • Internal validity
  • Isolating the IV - random assignment to
    experimental conditions
  • External validity
  • generalisability importance of replications
  • across situations
  • across people

15
Basic Dilemma
  • Identifying causality vs. preserve
    generalisability
  • Field experiment
  • experiment in natural setting
  • Cross-Cultural research
  • identify what is universal (common across
    cultures)
  • identify what is cultural (effect of culture on
    psychology)

16
Social Research Issues
  • Reactivity
  • Social behaviour is particularly affected by
    observers
  • Social setting
  • Natural settings are particularly difficult to
    recreate for social behaviour
  • Experimental Realism
  • Deception

17
Social Research Issues
  • Person vs. situation
  • The extent of individual influence vs. social
    influence on behaviour
  • Behaviourism
  • Psychodynamic theories
  • Biological approach
  • Humanistic approach
  • Empiricism
  • Proximal vs. distal causes
  • The extent of the influence of immediate vs.
    indirect variables on social psychology
  • Social variables have often indirect effects
    (social values, family structure, etc.)
Write a Comment
User Comments (0)
About PowerShow.com