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SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (PSY401)
Spring 2008
Assignment No. 01 Total Marks: 10

Question No: 01

Conducting a scientific research is an important ingredient in social psychology.

Hina is doing masters in Applied Psychology from Punjab University. She is in 4th
semester and has recently started working on her thesis. Her research topic is
“Motivational Factors of Cigarette Smoking in Adolescents and Young Adults”.
In last briefing, her supervisor told her that the entire research will base on eight steps.
Selection of problem is the first step.

Briefly define what scientific research is? (2)

 Name and elaborate all eight steps involved in a standardized scientific research
and relate those to the above mentioned topic. (1+1+1+1+1+1+1+1)

Solution:

Scientific Research:

Scientific research is the systematic, controlled, empirical and critical

investigation of hypothetical propositions about the presumed relations among natural
phenomena (Kerlinger, 1964)
It is systematic observation of phenomena for the purpose of learning new facts or
testing the application of theories to known facts.
Scientific method refers to the body of techniques for investigating phenomena,
acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge. It is based
on gathering observable, empirical and measurable evidence subject to specific principles
of reasoning. A scientific method consists of the collection of data through observation

and experimentation, and the formulation and testing of hypotheses.

The distinctive characteristic of scientific research is the maintenance of records
and careful control or observation of conditions under which the phenomena are studied

so that others will be able to reproduce the observations.

Steps Involved in a scientific research:

Develop a research question & review literature

During this step the research problem is identified and then scientific literature is
searched in order to determine the prior shape of the topic. Previous articles and other
research papers are carefully studied in order to gain information about the topic. Sources
of literature may be books, research articles, unpublished materials and electronic
database.
Hina found that many youngsters are getting involved in cigarette smoking. So she is
trying to find those factors that motivate youngsters to get involve in cigarette smoking.
Her problem statement les: “Motivational Factors of Cigarette Smoking in Adolescents

and Young Adults”.

 SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY (PSY401)
Spring 2008
Assignment No. 01 Total Marks: 10

Develop a research theory/ hypothesis

The question, developed usually is based upon some sort of theory and a theory. The next
step of scientific research is the formulation of a hypothesis. A hypothesis is the logical
implication of the theory. By reviewing the related literature, one is able to formulate the
hypotheses pertaining to the variables of interest. Reviewing the related research articles
helps one formulate various hypotheses.
In the above mentioned research Hina hyhothized:
H o: Peer group influence does not play a significant role in motivating the youngsters
towards smoking.

HA : Peer group influence plays a significant role in motivating the youngsters towards

smoking.

Variables and operational definitions

The next step is to determine the variables and establishing their operational definitions.
Variables are the factors that can be varied in order to study their effect upon the results
of the research.

Peer Group: Peer group is a subgroup of a society in which membership is determined

by similar age, sharing the same social status. Peer group does not necessarily connote
competitors, but most often are the call centers that have the same profile of activities that

you have.

Motivational factors: These are the factors that motivate youngsters towards cigarette

smoking like social influence, modeling, media, peer group, status complex, health
reasons and for being chic and stylish.

Cigarette smoking: Smoking is the inhalation of the smoke of burning tobacco encased

in cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Casual smoking is the act of smoking only occasionally.
A smoking habit is a physical addiction to tobacco products. The person smoking
minimum one cigarette daily will be considered as a smoker.
Adolescents: Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human

development that occurs between childhood and adulthood. This transition involves
biological social and psychological changes. Age ranges from 16-18 years will be
included in the sample.

Young Adults: A young adult is in the stage between adolescence and mature adulthood,

roughly ages from 18 to 24 will be included in the sample.

Choose a research design

The next step is to determine a method of research that minimizes the possibility of error
and leads to dependable generalizations.
Survey research design will be employed in this research. A questionnaire will be
developed to be used as a tool.
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Assignment No. 01 publish it
researchers next reevaluate the
Total Marks: 10 so that
theory. If the data do not
others
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Evaluate the ethics were supported, the theory
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Social Psychology (PSY 403) vu

Spring 2008

Quiz No. 01

1. Which of the followings are transient states of arousal that direct our behavior?

• Emotions

• Beliefs

• Attitudes

• Schemas

2: The question “why people quarrel with each other” can be discussed under which

topic?

• Helping

• Interpersonal power

• Aggression

• Social influence

3: Which of the following idea is proposed by Individual Level Explanations?

• Genetic and biological factors influence human social behavior

• Evolutionary and cultural factors influence human social behavior

• Present environmental factors influence human social behavior

• Social interactions influence human social behavior

4. “How do we know when someone is lying or telling truth” is an example of which of the

following?
 • Social cognition

• Person perception

• Attribution

• The self

5. Who is considered the first empirical social scientist?

• Norman Triplett

• Sigmund Freud

• William McDougall

• Edward Ross
Social Psychology (PSY 403) vu

Spring 2008
6. Which kind of research simply increases knowledge about social behavior, knowledge

for knowledge's sake?

• Applied research

• Basic research

• Scientific Research

• Empirical Research

7: In all scientific methods, social psychologists seek to determine the nature of the

relationship between two or more factors, what they are called?

• Ingredients

• Elements

• Variables

• Components

8: Which of the following is an organized system of ideas that seeks to explain why two or
more events are related?

• A null hypothesis

• An alternative hypothesis

• A theory

• An operational definition

9: Milgram’s experiment provided a very controversial experiment regarding which of

the following?

• Research methodologies

• Ethical issues

• Psychological testing

• Inner body systems

10: Which one of the following is a group of people who are selected to participate in a
 research study?

• Section

• Sample

• Population

• Inhabitants

Social Psychology (psy403)

Spring 2008
Assignment No. 02 Total Marks: 10

Note: A good assignment submitted by a student is being presented as solution.

Question No: 01

There are some terms in the following table. Explain each term in your own words

and give examples of your own. (2+2+2+2+2)

Solution:

Terms Explanation

Positivity and Negativity They are the positive and

bias negative qualities of a

Primacy and
Recency person with which he/she is
judged. Most of the time we
effects
judge people with their
negative traits only and
perceive them unacceptable
for us. That’s truly biased
attitude.
 Examples

Our Current president

Primary effect is the first
Perveiz Musharraf is one of
impression of a
the most influential people
person/object we get and
according to Time
recency is the impression
magazine. He has done a lot
we get later at time. Usually
for the country e.g.
it is said that first
empowerment of woman,
impression is the last
introduced new education
impression but that is not
reforms etc but he failed to
true. Judging someone
curb extremism from the
without even knowing him
country and that’s why
is wrong.
people used to call him
“Fail Leader”.

I met a girl who had a very

casual attitude towards me

and used to tease me all the
time. She left a very bad

impression on me and I
perceived her as biased with
me. But later when I came
to know her more she
seemed a very nice to me
but somewhat care free and
happy go lucky type girl
and her teasing attitude was
with everyone just for fun.
That’s what the difference
b/w her first and later
impression I got.
 Social Psychology (psy403)
Spring 2008
Assignment No. 02 Total Marks: 10

Halo effect A liked person is presumed Quaid--e-Azam is the most

to be perfect. that he cannot influential leader for

do anything bad to anyone Pakistanis. Normally,
people cannot accept his
marriage with a Parsi lady
because they feel that he
cannot do anything wrong
as he is a charismatic
leader.

The Actor Observer Bias Actors perform according to Usually in movies and

the situations and observer plays, the villain who plays

tend to attribute that role to a negative role as being
their personality cruel etc. gets the same
impression in real life.
People perceive and treat
him in the same manner.
 Social
The Self Serving Taking all the credits of When I passed the
Psychology
Attribution Bias successes and blaming the exam
(PSY 403)
situation for our failures is with highest marks and

called self serving good position then I

claimed that it all is S
attribution bias. Being very
due to
optimistic for ourselves and pr
my hard work but
our life and pessimistic for when I in
others. got bad marks then g
blamed

paper that its was

2
tough and 0
out of syllabus.
0
8

Total
Mark
s: 10

Solutio
n:
 vu

Quiz No. 02

1. Possible selves are projections of future possibilities for the expected, desired; and feared

future self.

2. Social role theory explains that different social roles occupied by women and men lead to
differences in the perception of women and men and in their behavior.

3. Negativity effect is the tendency of people to give more weight to negative traits than
positive traits in impression formation.

4. Internal attribution is any explanation that locates the cause as being internal to the person

such as personality, mood, attitudes, abilities, and effort.

5. Social cognition focuses on the way we use this information to arrive at coherent judgments.

MCQs:

1. Which of the following is an open style of experiencing and communicating emotion that is

associated with femininity?

• Extravagant expressiveness

• Passive expressiveness

• Excessive expressiveness

• Submissive expressiveness

2. These assumptions or naive belief systems that we j have about the associations among traits
and behaviors are called what of the following?

• Social role theory

• Social learning theory

• Implicit personality theory

• Explicit personality theory

3. Which of the following is the tendency to exaggerate how common one’s own opinions are

in the general population?

• False consensus effect

• Confirmation bias

• Self-fulfilling prophecy

• Just world belief

 Social Psychology (PSY 403) vu

Spring 2008

4. Which of the followings are used as a synonymous to dominant traits?

• Internal traits

• Expressive traits

• Significant traits

• Central traits
 5. Which of the following occurs when people use others as standards of comparison
against

which to evaluate their own opinions, attributes, and abilities?

• Social Influence

• Social judgment

• Social comparison

• Social evaluation

Social Psychology (psy403)

Spring 2008
Assignment No. 03 Total Marks: 10

Question No: 01

Prejudice is a negative attitude towards the members of specific social groups.

Attitude is general type of feeling. Prejudice is specific form of feeling.

The following factors shape prejudice.

Cognitive sources
Emotional sources
Social sources

Explain the above mentioned factors. (5)

State how these factors help to shape prejudice with the help of examples. (5)
Instructions

General Instructions

Remember don’t try to copy from the handouts; otherwise you will get absolutely 0

marks.
Restrict to the topic, avoid irrelevant details.
Try to use your own wording, consult different books and websites.

Avoid copy, pasting from handouts, cheating from each other and copying from internet.
It will be considered as cheating, and will result in “0” mark.
Use your own words and examples. Copied material will be graded as zero.

Formatting Instructions

Format your assignment keeping in view the following points:

Your assignment should be only in BLACK font including all the headings.

Font size should be 12, Times New Roman, with 1.5 line spacing.
Bold your headings with 14 font size.

Note: Strictly follow the prescribed format.

Objectives of Assignment

This assignment will enhance your critical thinking and understanding about your course.

Objective of this assignment is to check your understanding about your subject, about your
insight and capacity to apply learned knowledge to your surroundings.

__________ Good Luck ____________