Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Psychology and Sociology

Conversation Analysis

• An approach to studying social interaction, encompassing verbal and non-verbal conduct in everyday life.

• Seeks to uncover how members of a society create a sense of social order.

• CA posits that the meaning of an action derives from its placement within a series of actions. For example, "I did it too" only makes sense in context.

• It establishes its own assumptions, methodology, and theoretical framework.

• Its primary concerns are the organization of knowledge, social order, sense-making, social rules, and structures within interactions.

Ethnomethodology

• A sociological perspective focusing on how people interpret their everyday world.

• "Analysis of ways of doing and knowing".

• Its central focus is connecting knowledge, action, and context.

What Are Humans According to Bandura?

We will talk about this in the context of Zillmann's Mood Management theory, because it helps to understand what are the basic notions of Zillmann's theory. Zillmann was based on the premise that humans are hedonists, pleasure seekers. In Zillmann's and in the whole exposure research following him, the assumption was that people are hedonists. But if we look at the reasons why they do what they do, they should be more specific than saying they are looking for a pleasant state of mind. It would not be possible to explain people's use of media from which they suffer, if you assume that people are hedonists. With Bandura it is a different story. Bandura's model is a complex picture, a mix between environment,... Continue reading "Bandura's Model: Understanding Human Behavior and Observational Learning" »

Perceptual Grouping

Perceptual Grouping is the tendency to group several stimuli together into a recognizable pattern. This includes:

• Continuity: Only the obvious continuous patterns or relationships are considered.
• Closure: The perceptual process will close gaps that are unfilled from sensory inputs. We may see a whole where none exists or may not see what exists.
• Proximity: Nearness states that a group of stimuli that are close together will be perceived as a whole pattern of parts belonging together. For example, students coming out of a lecture hall.
• Similarity: The greater the similarity of stimuli, the greater the tendency to perceive them as a common group. For example, a group of people coming out of an office building demonstrates proximity

A Composite Map of Social Class in the U.S.

The upper class
Wealthiest Americans earning more than $180,800 a year, owning large suburban homes, driving new luxury cars. Wealth comes from investment income (usually). About 5% of all American households.
The upper middle class
Well-off professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, professors, with incomes ranging from about $100,000 to about $180,000 or so. About 15% of all American households.
Lower Middle Class
Skilled services, office workers, skilled craftsmen, with household incomes from about $38,000 to about $100,000. About 40% of American households.
Working Class
Factory workers, mechanics, office workers, etc. About 20% of American households. Income from about $20,000 to $38,000.
The lower class
People... Continue reading "Social Class in the U.S.: Inequality, Mobility, and Gender" »

1- Why is background knowledge important in learning?

It is important because it helps (you) to comprehend new tasks and ideas for the new knowledge

How? connecting old & new information using retrieval.

2- Express the process of assimilation and give an example. (Piaget's Cognitive Constructivism)

Assimilation is the way by which INCOMING info is modified in our minds, so we can understand it.

E.G.  a) Student knows "will" is future ("She will play soccer") - here, the student needs to accomodate becauuse "may" is a possibility and "will" was certainty.

b) Once he/she has understood both (may & will), equilibration has taken place.

3- Explain what is ZPD (Vigotsky's Social Constructivism)

The distance between actual developmental level and

Cultural Dimensions of Spain

Power Distance

Power Distance refers to the extent to which individuals in a society accept and expect unequal distribution of power. Spain has a high score (57) on this dimension, indicating a hierarchical society where people accept a clear hierarchy without question.

Individualism

Individualist societies emphasize self-reliance and independence, while collectivist societies prioritize group loyalty and support. Spain is considered collectivist (score: 51), making Spaniards more comfortable interacting with non-European cultures and fostering teamwork in the workplace.

Masculinity

Masculine societies value competition, achievement, and success, while feminine societies prioritize caring and quality of life. Spain scores... Continue reading "Cultural Dimensions of Spain: A Comprehensive Analysis" »

The Cognitive Approach to Sleep

Definition/Explanation:

The cognitive approach views sleep as something that facilitates information processing. Sleep is used to secure information gathered during the day in long-term memory. Memories and learning are moved to long-term storage during sleep.

According to the cognitive approach, dreams are not meaningless. In fact, they are essential points of our problem-solving process and allow information to be synthesized and recombined to gain insight.

Domhoff (2011) argued that dreams are what occur when the mind doesn't have anything else to do. During the day, we daydream, but during the night, we aren't in control, and our dreams seem more vivid and engrossing. He believes that dreams are mental processes... Continue reading "Cognitive Approach to Sleep: Memory and Problem-Solving" »

Fear

A natural emotional response to a perceived threat or danger. It's a basic survival mechanism.

Phobia

An extreme and irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity. Phobias can cause significant distress and impact daily life.

Pathos

An appeal to emotions to persuade or convince an audience.

Logos

An appeal to logic or reason, using facts, evidence, and reasoning to support an argument.

Ethos

An appeal based on the credibility or character of the speaker, emphasizing trustworthiness and expertise.

Interpersonal

Relating to interactions and relationships between people.

Intrapersonal

Relating to introspection, self-awareness, and understanding oneself.

Confidence

Confidence is a belief in one's abilities, skills, and judgments. Difficulties... Continue reading "Understanding Fear, Phobias, and Communication Barriers" »

Key Concepts in Child Development and Psychology

Developmental Stages and Processes

1. During the course of successful prenatal development, a human organism begins as a zygote and finally develops into a fetus.
2. One of the most consistently damaging teratogens is alcohol.
3. The symptoms of fetal alcohol syndrome are most likely to include mental abnormalities.
4. The rooting reflex refers to a baby's tendency to open the mouth in search of a nipple when touched on the cheek.

Early Cognitive Abilities

5. In order to test whether newborns can visually discriminate between various shapes and colors, psychologists have made use of the process of habituation.
6. The best evidence that a 4-month-old infant possesses an understanding of object permanence is the child's

Organizational Citizenship Behavior

What are the 5 dimensions of Organizational Citizenship Behavior?

Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) is the contribution that employees make to the overall welfare of the organization that goes beyond their required job duties.

The 5 main dimensions of citizenship behavior are:

1. Altruism: (helping behavior) willfully helping specific people with an organizationally-relevant task or problem.
2. Conscientiousness: being punctual, having attendance better than the group norm, following company rules, regulations, and procedures.
3. Courtesy: being mindful and respectful of people’s rights.
4. Sportsmanship: avoiding complaints, petty grievances, gossiping, and falsely magnifying problems.
5. Civic virtue: responsible participation