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Tutorial Letter 101/3/2012Social Psychology

Semesters 1 and 2

Department of Psychology 

This tutorial letter contains important

information about your module.

Bar code

PYC3701

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CONTENTS

1  INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME…………………………………………………………………….. 3 

1.1 

Tutorial matter ................................................................................................................................. 4 

2   PURPOSE OF AND OUTCOMES FOR THE MODULE ................................................................ 5 

2.1  Purpose .......................................................................................................................................... 5 

2.2 

Outcomes ....................................................................................................................................... 5 

3  LECTURER AND CONTACT DETAILS ......................................................................................... 5 

3.1  Lecturers ......................................................................................................................................... 5 

3.2  Department ..................................................................................................................................... 6 

3.3 

University ........................................................................................................................................ 6 

4 

MODULE RELATED RESOURCES............................................................................................... 7 

4.1  Prescribed books ............................................................................................................................ 7 

4.2 

Recommended books ..................................................................................................................... 7 

4.3  Electronic Reserves (e-Reserves) .................................................................................................. 8 

5  STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MODULE ................................................................ 8 

6  MODULE SPECIFIC STUDY PLAN ............................................................................................... 8 

7  MODULE PRACTICAL WORK AND WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING ..................................... 9 

8  ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................................................... 9 

8.1 

 Assessment plan ............................................................................................................................ 9 

8.2 

Due dates of assignments, Assignment numbers and Unique assignment numbers ................... 10 

8.3  Submission of assignments .......................................................................................................... 11 

8.4   Assignments ................................................................................................................................. 12 

9  EXAMINATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 27 

10  OTHER ASSESSMENT METHODS............................................................................................. 28 

11  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS .......................................................................................... 28 

Important note:

Formal tuition in this module will be conducted in English only. Where capacity exists, and uponrequest, individual discussions will be conducted in any preferred South African language. 

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1 INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME

Dear Student

We are pleased to have you as a student of Social Psychology and hope you will enjoy this subject.Because our field of study is relevant to everyday life in so many ways, it is likely that you will find themodule particularly interesting and useful.

You will receive a number of tutorial letters during the year. A tutorial letter is our way of communicatingwith you about teaching, learning and assessment.

Tutorial Letter 101 contains important information about the scheme of work, resources and assignmentsfor this module. We urge you to read it carefully and to keep it at hand when working through the studymaterial, preparing the assignment(s), preparing for the examination and addressing questions to yourlecturers.

Please read Tutorial Letter 301 in combination with Tutorial Letter 101 as it gives you an idea of generallyimportant information when studying at a distance and within a particular College.

In Tutorial Letter 101, you will find the assignments and assessment criteria as well as instructions on thepreparation and submission of the assignments. This tutorial letter also provides all the information youneed with regard to the prescribed study material and other resources and how to obtain it. Please studythis information carefully and make sure that you obtain the prescribed material as soon as possible.

We have also included certain general and administrative information about this module. Please study thissection of the tutorial letter carefully.

Right from the start we would like to point out that you must read all the tutorial letters you receive duringthe semester immediately and carefully,  as they always contain important and, sometimes, urgent

information.

We hope that you will enjoy this module and wish you all the best!

Social Psychology lecturers 

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1.1 Tutorial matter

Some of this tutorial matter may not be available when you register. Tutorial matter that is not availablewhen you register will be posted to you as soon as possible, but is also available on myUnisa. Pleaseconsult my Studies @ Unisa about which department you should contact for assistance to obtain missingstudy material.

 At the time of registration, you will receive an inventory letter  that will tell you what you have received inyour study package and also show items that are still outstanding. Also see the brochure entitled my

Studies @ Unisa.

Check the study material that you have received against the inventory letter. You should have received allthe items listed in the inventory, unless there is a statement like “out of stock” or “not available”. If any itemis missing, follow the instructions on the back of the inventory letter without delay.

PLEASE NOTE: Your lecturers cannot help you with missing study material.

The Department of Despatch should supply you with the following study material for this module:

•  my Studies @ Unisa (general administrative information about Unisa)

•  Study Guide

•  Tutorial Letter 101/2012  (The tutorial letter you are looking at now. It has administrativeinformation and information about the assignment and the examination.)

NB: Tutorial matter will be posted to you as soon as it becomes available.

myUnisa: my Unisa is an acronym which stands for an Internet facility offered free of charge to allregistered Unisa students. With the aid of my Unisa students will ultimately be able to perform all study-related functions on the Internet which are now normally done by telephone, by letter or personal visits tothe campus. 

To make use of my Unisa, you will need a computer  with a modem and an Internet connection, as wellas a browser  such as Netscape or Internet Explorer. See my Studies @ Unisa for further information.

The following functions have already been implemented on my Unisa:

●  you can contact your lecturers via e-mail;●  you can join a discussion forum (e.g. to discuss your module with other students doing the

same module);●  you can order books from the library, and search for books on the library database;●  you can download study material placed on my Unisa;●  you can check whether your assignments have been received and marked;●  you can submit written as well as multiple-choice assignments via myUnisa; ●  you can look up your assignment or exam marks as soon as they are released.

To register on my Unisa, you should go to the Unisa web page, which is located at the Internet addresshttp://www.unisa.ac.za.

On this web page, select the option “my Unisa”. If you are a first time user, you must click on the option“Register as my Unisa user” which will enable you to register online (this does not cost anything). Type inyour name, student number and a password (the password must be at least 6 characters long). You willthen be supplied with a PIN code (personal identity number) which you will use in all future transactionswith my Unisa.

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Once you have registered, select the option “Enter my Unisa”, which will take you into my Unisa. In my Unisa,select the option “My Courses”, (in this case PYC3701). From here, you will be able to submit assignmentsand related activities (consult the publication my Studies @ Unisa).

2 PURPOSE OF AND OUTCOMES FOR THE MODULE

2.1 Purpose

The purpose of this module is to help students gaining insight into the theoretical aspects of cognition,social perception, the self, attitudes and prejudice, interpersonal relationships, social influence, prosocial,antisocial, and group behaviour. The module also seeks to bring students in contact with internationallyacceptable standards by exposing them to both fundamental and applied South African and internationalsocial psychological research.

2.2 Outcomes

Specific outcomes of this module are the ability to access social psychological information effectively andresponsibly and to know and understand the psychological principles that determine behaviour in particularcontexts. Learners should eventually be aware of social processes and social problems and be able tounderstand and apply conceptual and theoretical knowledge. Finally, learners should be able to presentsocial psychological information in a written format. 

Broadly, the outcome of the module is to facilitate the ability to apply social psychological principles inareas such as clinical psychology, health psychology, the psychology of work, and society in general.

3 LECTURER AND CONTACT DETAILS

3.1 Lecturers

The lecturers for this module and the chapters in the prescribed book they are responsible for:

Prof J.C. Mynhardt (Module Leader)  (Chapters 4, 5, 6 & 12) (012) 429-8042e-mail: mynhajc@unisa.ac.za

Dr Caryl Ochse (Chapters 2, 3 & 11) (012) 429-8244e-mail: ochsec@unisa.ac.za

Ms Thandeka Tshabalala (Chapters 7,8,9 & 10) (012) 429-8294e-mail: tshabtl@unisa.ac.za

If you want to contact a lecturer via the my Unisa proceed as follows:

Register as a my Unisa user (follow the procedure in Section 1.2). Select “My Courses” and then the

option “Contact Lecturer”. This will enable you to send e-mail correspondence to the lecturersinvolved in this module (also consult the publication my Studies @ Unisa).

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3.2 Department

3.2.1 Communication with the Department (by letter)

 Address all correspondence concerning●  problems experienced in studying a specific module, or●  arrangements for an appointment with a lecturer to:

The Department of Psychology

(Name of lecturer or module concerned)P.O. Box 392Unisa0003

NOTE: You may enclose more than one letter to the Psychology Department   in an envelope, but do notaddress enquiries to different departments (e.g. Despatch and Library Services) in the same letter. This willcause a delay in the replies to your enquiries. Write a separate letter to each department and mark eachletter clearly for the attention of that department.

Letters to lecturers may not be enclosed together with assignments.  Always write your student number and

the study-unit code at the top of your letter.

3.2.2 Communication with the Department (by telephone, e-mail or fax) 

Our telephone numbers and e-mail addresses are on page five.

Lecturers frequently have to attend meetings, conferences, discussion classes, etcetera. They maytherefore not be in their offices at all times. If you cannot get hold of any particular lecturer in his or heroffice, phone the secretary Mrs C Nel on [012] 429-8233. 

Her e-mail address is nelc1@unisa.ac.za

If the problem is really very serious, phone the module leader, Professor Mynhardt, on 072 246-2105( preferably ) during normal office hours.

Our departmental fax number is [012] 429-3414. When you send a fax, remember to indicate the modulecode and the lecturer’s name.Note that study material can NOT be faxed to students. 

3.2.3 Personal visit to the Department 

 Always make an appointment before  coming to Unisa to see a lecturer. Lecturers often have othercommitments which prevent them from seeing students without formal appointments.

3.3 University

Consult my Studies @ Unisa for general contact details.

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4 MODULE RELATED RESOURCES

4.1 Prescribed book

The book(s) prescribed for this module is (are):

Baron, R.A., Branscombe, N.R., & Byrne, D. (2008). SocialPsychology , (12th ed.). Pearson Education, Inc.ISBN-13: 978-0-205-58149-8ISBN-10: 0-205-58149-8

Mynhardt, J.C. (2009). South African Supplement to SocialPsychology , (3rd ed.). Pearson Education, South Africa.NOTE: Booksellers sell these two books as ONE PACKAGE.

Remember to place an order at your bookseller as soon as possible. This will save you the delay andfrustration experienced by those who wait too long. Make very sure to buy the twelfth edition of the book.This twelfth edition differs considerably  from previous editions.

Refer to the list of official booksellers and their addresses in the my Studies @ Unisa brochure. 

Prescribed books can be obtained from the University's official booksellers. If you have difficulty in locatingyour book(s) at these booksellers, please contact the Prescribed Book Section at Tel: 012 429-4152 oremail vospresc@unisa.ac.za.

The PYC 3701 syllabus consists of a Study Guide and the following chapters in the prescribed book:

Chapter 2: Social Cognition Chapter 3:  Social Perception Chapter 4: The SelfChapter 5:  Attitudes 

Chapter 6:  Stereotyping, Prejudice and Discrimination Chapter 7:  Interpersonal Attraction and Close Relationships Chapter 8:  Social Influence Chapter 9: Prosocial Behaviour  Chapter 10:   Aggression Chapter 11:  Groups and Individuals Chapter 12:  Social Psychology: Applying its principles to health and business 

Note that each chapter in the study guide is divided into a number of study units. At the end of each studyunit is a number of activities or study tasks (see the self-evaluation assignment later in this tutorial letter).

 Available South African research is also discussed within the context of the Baron et al. (2008) textbook.

4.2 Recommended books

There are no recommended books for this course.

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4.3 Electronic Reserves (e-Reserves)

There are no e-Reserves for this course.

5 STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES FOR THE MODULE

For information on the various student support systems and services available at Unisa (e.g. student

counselling, tutorial classes, language support), please consult the publication my Studies @ Unisa thatyou received with your study material.

6 MODULE SPECIFIC STUDY PLAN

NOTE: Use your my Studies @ Unisa brochure for general time management and planning skills.

6.1 General module objectives

This module, which is an introduction to social psychology, will acquaint you with some major theories andresearch findings in social psychology. Note that we do not expect you to know the names of all   theresearchers mentioned in the prescribed book. However, sometimes the names of researchers whose workhas important theoretical or practical implications could also appear in multiple choice questions.

Note that the contextualisation of your social psychological knowledge is very important. One problem withprevious editions of Baron et al. (2008) was that many issues were discussed from an Americanperspective only.

To overcome this problem, there is a South African Supplement  (third edition) accompanying the twelfthedition of Baron et al.  (2008) that you might find very useful. In this book, chapter-outcomes (goals) aswell as study unit outcomes are formulated and the essence of the contexts of every section in the maintextbook is highlighted.

 Available South African research is also discussed within the context of the Baron et al . (2008) textbook.

6.2 Work programme

We recommend the following: Use the Study Guide  as a point of departure and read the Introductioncarefully. Draw up a study timetable to suit your personal commitments and complete all the activities ineach chapter before proceeding to the next chapter.

Remember: we advise you to draw up your timetable as soon as possible. It should make provision for allyour subjects, and also for unforeseen circumstances such as illness and work pressure, to enable you towork through the entire syllabus in good time and to submit your Assignments on time. The socialpsychology module is very labour intensive and the volume of work is large. It is therefore very important tostudy regularly .

Complete the important Self-Evaluation assignment before submitting Assignment 03. The aim with theSelf-Evaluation assignment is to further exercise your writing and communicating abilities (see Section 2.2above as well as the Introduction to the Study Guide).

6.3 The importance of the Study Guide

 Although the examination will consist of multiple choice questions only (see Section 9), mastering theactivities or study tasks for the different study units remains extremely important for studying the syllabus.Remember, these tasks will guide you, by means of interactive self-teaching, to consider various viewpointsand debates between theorists; to apply theoretical knowledge appropriately and responsibly; to learn

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through self-reflection and self-enrichment; and to apply general social psychological knowledge toeveryday life, in the family, health and work arenas. Working out these tasks will also teach you to organiseinformation and to write systematically. The purpose of the model answers for the questions in the Self-Evaluation assignment which you will receive during the year is to assist you with this learning process.

6.4 The importance of the South African Supplement to Social Psychology   for theexamination 

The South African Supplement to Social Psychology   that is being sold as a  package  with Baron  et al.(2008) contains, among others, summaries of each chapter. This should enable you to comprehend theessence of each one of the prescribed chapters better and faster . You should always read thechapters in the main text first – and only then  the corresponding chapter in the Supplement. TheSupplement also aims to familiarise you with a sample of relevant South African research and tocontextualise the module. (see Section 6.1 above). Study all  the South African Perspective-sections. Keepin mind that 6-10 South African oriented multiple choice examination questions  will come from thesesections (see Section 9).

6.5 The importance of the Self-Evaluation assignment

Our experience, over many years, is that students who work consistently   and who monitor their own

 progress are more successful   in the examinations. It is therefore imperative that you should work out thestudy tasks  for each study unit in the Study Guide  as you go along. This facilitates self-discipline andconsistent learning. Furthermore, we mentioned elsewhere that communication skills and being able topresent social psychological information in written format are critical learning and practical outcomes of themodule. Working out these study tasks will assist you reaching this module objective. Once you aresatisfied with your answer to any one of the questions, you should read the feedback. Bear in mind that,often, our feedback merely provides suggestions or frameworks for possible answers and should not beseen as the only way to answer any particular question. The eventual aim with the Self-Evaluationassignment (and our model answers later) is to assist you in monitoring your own progress.

DO NOT SEND THESE ANSWERS TO US TO BE MARKED.

THIS IS A SELF-EVALUATION ASSIGNMENT.

7 MODULE PRACTICAL WORK AND WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING

There are no practicals for this module.

8 ASSESSMENT

8.1 Assessment plan

 Assignments are seen as part of the learning material for this module. As you do the assignment, study thereading texts, consult other resources, discuss the work with fellow students or tutors or do research, youare actively engaged in learning.

Eventually, students should be able to identify relevant psychological principles that determine socialbehaviour from research and also be able to identify psychological principles that determine behaviorspecifically within the South African context.

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In some cases, additional assessment might be available on the my Unisa site for your module. Forstudents attending tutorial sessions, tutors may also set additional tasks and give feedback in class.

IMPORTANT: Although students may work together when preparing assignments, each studentmust submit his or her own individual assignment. It is unacceptable for students to submitidentical assignments on the basis that they worked together.

•  Examination admission and marking policy:  Assignments 01 and 02 are compulsory   and youhave to submit these assignments on time to gain examination admission. 

Note that there are no further opportunities to gain examination admission.

Our marking policy for the multiple choice questions in the assignments is as follows: We adjust themarks to accommodate the effect of 'blind guessing' or 'random guessing' by subtracting a fraction ofthe marks for each incorrect answer. For questions with four alternatives the maximum that we willsubtract is one mark for three incorrect answers (in other words, 0, 33 mark for each wrong answer).

•  Assignments 01 and 02 count 10% towards your year mark. Doing the best you can in theseassignments is an obvious necessity.

If a student fails the examination with less than 40%, the year mark will not count. 

There is a Self Evaluation assignment (which you do not submit) while submission of Assignment 03is optional.

8.2 Due dates of assignments, assignment numbers and unique assignmentnumbers

Remember, there are two compulsory, one self-evaluation, and one optional assignment for thismodule. Each one of the compulsory assignments consist of 30 multiple questions. Compulsory Assignment 01 is based on the first half of the textbook, while compulsory Assignment 02 is based on thesecond half.  Read the section “Study units” in the Introductory Section  of your Study Guide beforecompleting the self-evaluation assignment. Ideally, this self-evaluation assignment should be completedbefore you complete and submit the optional Assignment 03.

The following are the closing dates for the assignments:

Assignment 01(Compulsory) 

Semester Closing date Unique number

You will find the assignment on page 12

1 9 March 2012 829778

2 6 April 2012 767431

Assignment 02(Compulsory)

Semester Closing date Unique number

You will find the assignment on page 17

1 31 August 2012 863043

2 28 September 2012 830975

Assignment 03(Module Evaluation)

Semester Closing date Unique number

You will find the assignment on page 23

1 23 April 2012 685746

2 5 October 2012 752341

The Unisa computer identifies all assignments by the unique number. Remember; make sure that youindicate the unique assignment numbers on your mark reading sheets before submitting Assignments 01,02 and 03. Also, do not forget to fill in your student number and other required information on your mark

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reading sheet. For detailed information and requirements regarding assignments, as well as instructions forthe use of mark reading sheets, consult my Studies @ Unisa.

You will receive two kinds of feedback on the compulsory assignments:

●  A computer printout showing your answers, the correct answers, and the mark you obtained.●  A tutorial letter with feedback about the assignment. Assignments will be scored with a correction

factor for guessing (see Section 8.1).

Feedback on the compulsory assignments will be available after their closing dates. No extension for thehanding in of assignments will therefore be possible and late assignments will not be marked.

There will not be any feedback on the optional Assignment 03. Model answers for the Self-Evaluationassignment will be sent to you after the closing date of the second compulsory assignment.

8.3 Submission of assignments

You may submit your assignments either by post (on mark reading sheets) or electronically via my Unisa. Assignments may not be submitted by fax or by e-mail. For detailed information and requirements as far asassignments are concerned, see the brochure my Studies @ Unisa. 

To submit an assignment via my Unisa:

●  Go to my Unisa.●  Log in with your student number and password.●  Select the module.●  Click on assignments in the left-hand menu.●  Click on the assignment number you want to submit.●  Follow the instructions on the screen.

 Assignments submitted by post should be addressed to:The RegistrarPO Box 392UNISA0003

 As you will know by now, the following important guidelines should be kept in mind before you submit anyone of your assignments:

●  Always keep a copy of your assignment answers in case your assignment does not reach theUniversity.

●  Submit the original copy.●  Remember to use your correct student number and the correct unique number.●  Where an assignment involves the use of a MARK READING SHEET, read the section

“INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE USE OF MARK READING SHEETS” in the my Studies @ Unisa. ●  Students who do not have access to the internet must complete their assignments on a mark reading

sheet provided with your study material.

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Remember the following:

●  Use only an HB pencil (not a ‘pacer’) and mark your answers clearly as follows: [–]●  If you mark a block incorrectly, make sure that the mark is erased properly.●  Do not staple your mark reading sheet to any document.

8.4 Assignments

Assignment 01Semester 1 Closing date: 9 March 829778

Semester 2 Closing date: 31 August 863043

 

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers thequestion.

1. Sipho gets on an elevator in an office building, along with three others. All passengers face front,except a woman, who continues to stand facing the back of the elevator all the way to the 21st floor.

The most likely reason for Sipho's discomfort for this is that1. he thinks it is an attempt by the woman to change the elevator-riding "tradition" in the building2. he assumes it is some sort of feminist rebelliousness3. the behaviour is a contradiction of Sipho's elevator-riding schema4. he believes the woman may have a vision or other problem.

2. The academic performance of certain students dramatically improved when teachers were led tobelieve that those students were intellectually gifted, regardless of the true ability levels of thestudents. This result shows the importance of

1. schemas and self-fulfilling prophecies2. information overload3. the in-group phenomenon

4. information processing and base rates.

3. High levels of stress and multiple, competing demands for our attention and abilities can reduce ourmental processing capacity. These situations can lead to

1. cognitive withdrawal2. information overload3. perseverance effect4. schema development.

4. Heuristics exert a strong influence on our thinking because they

1. activate critical brain structures such as the amygdala2. reduce the mental effort needed to make judgments and decisions3. are effortful processes that require an expenditure of mental energy4. rely on our internal personal biases and unknown prejudices.

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5. The frequency with which a given event or pattern occurs in the population is its

1. representativeness2. recency effect3. base rate4. frequency ratio.

6. When making judgments that involve factual information, we tend to rely on

1. the amount of relevant information we can recall2. the ease with which we can recall relevant information3. automatic processing of factual information4. our feelings regarding the topic.

7. The relatively effortful and conscious processing of social information is known as

1. automatic processing2. heuristic processing3. controlled processing4. perseverance processing.

8. Thandi and Ntombi are members of a girls' basketball team who are responsible for helping toorganise fundraising efforts for their team. Thandi is extremely motivated to complete this task; incontrast, Ntombi only shows a mild interest in completing the required task. Which one of thefollowing statements best   summarises the likelihood that Thandi and Ntombi will complete theirtasks?

1. Thandi's motivation will probably cause her to become overly optimistic which, in turn, willcause her to not complete the task at all; Ntombi’s lack of motivation will likely cause her tocomplete the task, surprising even herself.

2. Thandi will definitely complete the task in a prompt manner due to her high level of motivation;Ntombi might not complete the task at all due to her lack of motivation.

3. Thandi's motivation will probably cause her to become overly optimistic which, in turn, will

cause her to not complete the task at all; similarly, Ntombi might not complete the task at all dueto her lack of motivation.

4. Thandi's motivation will likely cause her to predict that she will finish her task quickly; however,this will have no effect on whether she actually completes her task quicker than Ntombi.

9. When people engage in thought suppression, two processes are involved. The operating processinvolves

1. reducing the effects of the rebound effect2. producing a reactance response in people3. searching for evidence that unwanted thoughts are about to intrude4. deliberate and effortful attempts to distract oneself with other thoughts or activities.

10. Nandi is in a fairly good mood. Consequently, we should expect her to show a(n) ------ in her use of------

1. increase; effortful cognitive processing2. decrease; heuristics3. increase; thought suppression4. increase; heuristics.

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11. We tend to remember facts and other information better when we are in the same mood as we werein when we learned the information. This is known as

1. affective state determined retrieval2. affect-cognition feedback3. the mood congruence effect4. mood dependent memory.

12. In general, we ------- in our detection of deception.

1. don't perceive others as being trustworthy2. do only a little better than chance3. feel the need to be polite4. often confront people directly

13. Which statement best  describes the attribution process? The process by which we

1. attempt to shift blame away from ourselves2. focus attention inward for reflection3. combine information about others into unified impressions of them4. seek to understand the causes of the behaviour of others and ourselves.

14. The theory of ------- describes how we use others' behaviour as a basis for inferring their stabledispositions.

1. attributional inference2. implicit personality3. causal attribution4. correspondent inference

15. Early research conducted by Solomon Asch suggests the presence of central traits, which are

1. traits that strongly colour the way we interpret other aspects of another person2. relatively unimportant characteristics that interact with each other to determine our overall

impression of another person3. clusters of traits that we use to try to understand and explain the behaviour of another person4. traits that strongly encourage the self-serving bias.

16. The “fundamental attribution error” refers to our tendency to

1. assume that we can do no wrong2. overestimate the role of situations in causing our own behaviour3. overestimate the role of situations in causing others' behaviour4. overestimate the role of dispositions in causing others' behaviour.

17. Members of collectivistic cultures are more likely to recognise more of the situational determinants ofbehaviour than are members of individualistic cultures. As a result, members of collectivist societiesare

1. able to avoid the fundamental attribution error completely2. a great deal more likely to make the fundamental attribution error3. somewhat more likely to make the fundamental attribution error4. somewhat less likely to make the fundamental attribution error.

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18. Impression formation is the process by which

1. we regulate our own behaviour in order to achieve a particular goal2. particular facial expressions are used by particularly effective public speakers3. we form impressions of others4. implicit personality theories are recognised.

19. The rejection of in-group members who threaten the positive image of the group is, according to thetextbook, known as

1. social comparison theory2. the black sheep effect3. the rejective-disjunctive effect4. group monitoring.

20. Tshepo was listening as a friend described him to someone else on the telephone. His friend'sdescription included "friendly, tall, active" and similar terms. As a result, Tshepo is now probablythinking of himself in terms of

1. intergroup comparisons

2. intragroup comparisons3. individualistic relationships4. collectivist relationships.

21. Recent research (Simon, 2004) has noted that linguistic cues can activate certain types of self-concepts. When other people describe us, nouns tend to activate ------- while adjectives and verbstend to activate --------.

1. self-centered identities; other-centered identities2. social identities; personal identities3. individualistic identities; collectivist identities4. gender-based identities; cultural-based identities

22. Sylvia, a foreign-exchange student from China, rarely takes credit for her achievements in school,preferring to say that her accomplishments are due to her very good teachers. She usually explainsher failures as being caused by her own faults. This reflects the importance of

1. cultural differences in the self-serving bias2. personal resistance to the above average effect3. the self-effacing bias4. the negative influence of an overly high self-esteem.

23. A form of social learning that occurs when responses to a particular stimulus lead to positiveoutcomes or allow the person to avoid negative outcomes is called

1. observational learning

2. social outcomes learning3. instrumental conditioning4. the zone of proximal development.

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24. Palesa feels somewhat ambivalent about premarital sex. However, most of her friends seem to beunambiguously in favour of sexual activity before marriage. As a result, in a recent group discussionin her health class, Palesa expressed fairly strong opinions in favour of premarital sex, and avoidedvoicing her real concerns about the topic. Palesa's actions are most likely due to

1. peer pressure2. impression motivation3. attitude accessibility4. pluralistic ignorance.

25. According to the theory of planned behaviour, our behavioural intentions are partially determined byour attitudes toward a particular behaviour, our perceptions of our ability to perform the behaviour,and

1. others' perceptions of whether we have the ability to perform the behaviour adequately2. others' perceptions of our motivation for engaging in the particular behaviour3. our perceptions of whether others will approve or disapprove of the behaviour4. our perceptions of whether the behaviour will be instrumental in achieving our stated objectives.

26. Efforts to change our attitudes by using different kinds of messages are known as

1. subliminal conditioning

2. hypocrisy3. persuasion4. intentions.

27. An advertising company has been hired by the Department of Health to produce TV commercials toincrease awareness of breast cancer in males. Advertising executives are considering three differentcommercials. The first features a film of actual patients who describe the pain they experienced fromthe disease. The second focuses on medical doctors discussing early detection strategies andtreatment options. The third shows grieving family members surrounding a grave. Which is likely to bemore effective at changing men's behaviour?

1. The first, focusing on actual patients and their negative outcomes2. The third, focusing on the ultimate outcome of ignoring the potential problem3. The second, focusing on specific information that will reduce fear4. None of these will be effective.

28. A social group that is perceived to be a threat to the high-status group is frequently characterised as ------- and -------.

1. low in emotional stability; high in self-confidence2. high in friendliness; high in accomplishment3. low in warmth; high in competence4. high in warmth; low in competence

29. The tendency to divide the social world into separate groups, including our in-group and a number ofdifferent out-groups is known as

1. social categorisation2. in-group differentiation3. social identity formation4. contact hypothesis.

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30. Encouraging majority members to think about the advantages they have enjoyed as a result of theirmajority status increases their ------- which, in turn ------- racism.

1. individual guilt; reduces2. collective guilt; reduces3. collective guilt; increases4. individual guilt; increases.

Assignment 02Semester 1 Closing date: 6 April 767431

Semester 2 Closing date: 28 September 830975

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers thequestion.

1. Which of the following professionals are most   likely to utilise what is known about proximity in theirwork?

1. Biologists.2. Architects.3. Attorneys.4. Medical doctors.

2. According to Zajonc (2001), repeated encounters with a stranger generally allows - - - - - to decreaseand - - - - - to increase.

1. positive emotions; feelings of familiarity2. beneficial consequences; harmful consequences3. negative emotions; positive emotions

4. feelings of familiarity; feelings of uncertainty

3. Physical attractiveness, according to the textbook, is

1. adjudged based on precise cues that are not easy to identify2. characteristics that are evaluated as beautiful/handsome only3. not at all influenced by our prior learning experiences4. generally unrelated to grades, evaluations, or other external measures of capability.

4. Suppose a present day mayoral candidate by the name of Jan van der Merwe is generally viewed asattractive and is taller than his male opponent. Which one of the following factors may be viewed as anegative factor by many voters?

1. Sympathy for his less attractive opponent.2. Envy (particularly from men) of his attractiveness.3. His ethnic name.4. Distraction from his qualifications by his attractiveness.

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5. The research finding that people tend to respond positively to indications that another person sharestheir attitudes, beliefs, and interests while they respond negatively to indications that another persondiffers from them in terms of attitudes, beliefs, and interests is known as the

1. proportion of similarity2. similarity-dissimilarity effect3. repeated exposure effect4. affect-centered model.

6. On the basis of the proportion of similar attitudes, the person we would like the most  would be theone with

1. 12 similar attitudes and 20 dissimilar attitudes2. 10 similar attitudes and 10 dissimilar attitudes3. 9 similar attitudes and 8 dissimilar attitudes4. 20 similar attitudes and 4 dissimilar attitudes.

7. Lerato tells her friend, Sizakele, "Didn't you hear that eating lots of garlic is good for you?" If Sizakelethen changes her eating habits to include a lot of garlic, it would be due to

1. peer pressure2. symbolic social influence

3. informational social influence4. normative social influence.

8. Sipho and Lebo just bought a house, and moved into a new, upscale neighborhood. One of theirfriends, who lives down the street from them, has installed a hot tub in her rock garden, and haspointed out all the advantages of having one. Sipho and Lebo are debating whether to install a rockgarden with a hot tub in their new home. Their decision may be strongly influenced by the

1. normative focus influence of their friend2. normative social influence of their friend3. informational social influence of their friend4. individuation influence of their friend.

9. A minority group that wants to influence the majority must be consistent in their opposition to majorityopinion, avoid appearing rigid and dogmatic, and

1. display greater concern for being part of the majority2. explain how their beliefs apply in ambiguous and complex social situations3. consider the general social context when formulating its arguments for change4. use tactics that command the attention of majority members.

10. One technique used for seeking compliance from others involves making a small request first, thenmaking a larger request that is actually desired after compliance with the smaller request has beenobtained. This is known as

1. the door-in-the-face technique2. the lowball procedure3. the foot-in-the-door technique4. ingratiation.

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11. One way in which symbolic social influence may work is by allowing the psychological presence ofothers to trigger goals with which the other persons are associated. This may, in turn, influence our

1. desire to impress these people and our impression-management behaviours2. performance on tasks and our commitment to reaching these goals3. liking for these persons and our willingness to exert effort on their behalf4. cognitions about our behaviours and activate heuristic thinking.

12. One reason that people are willing to obey persons in authority who order them to engage indestructive behaviours is that

1. authority figures are selected on the basis of their superior knowledge and understanding inmost situations

2. the authority figure relieves those who obey of responsibility for their actions3. the authority figure represents a significant threat to those who do not obey4. the authority figure may inadvertently stimulate heuristic mental processes that limit our ability

to think about what we are doing.

13. Lunga volunteers at a homeless shelter two days a month. She finds that she looks forward to hervolunteer days because she feels good when helping others. Her mood is elevated before she

reaches the shelter and for a few days afterwards. This situation best represents the

1. implicit bystander effect2. altruistic personality3. empathy-altruism hypothesis4. empathic joy hypothesis.

14. A bystander may ultimately decide not to help when confronted with an emergency situation if the

1. bystander fears potential negative consequences for trying to help2. person who needs help has the same facial expression as the bystander3. bystander was in a particularly positive mood before encountering the emergency4. bystander believes the person who needs help is not responsible for the situation.

15. Empathic responses to the needs of others are more common in children who have

1. a secure attachment style2. emotionally cold, distant mothers3. families that avoid discussion of emotions4. fathers who use anger to control their children's behaviour.

16. Receiving help can cause a negative emotional response if the

1. recipient does not feel worthy of the help being given2. recipient has a high level of self-esteem3. helper and recipient are somehow similar

4. helper feels incompetent.

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17. Volunteers who continue their volunteer work for more than two years tend to be motivated by theneed to

1. strengthen social relationships and to gain career-related experiences2. gain career-relevant experience and to strengthen social relationships3. reduce negative feelings, such as guilt, and to exercise skills that are often unused4. gain understanding and enhance their own self-esteem.

18. Volunteerism is likely to be maintained if the major motivational element is

1. due to interpersonal influence2. not self-centered3. self-enhancement4. protective.

19. According to Bandura's social learning perspective, people learn

1. that some groups encourage aggression against their members2. different ways of inflicting harm on others and what situations tolerate or encourage aggressive

behaviour3. that aggressive behaviours are always punished in the long run, but rewarded in the short run4. that aggressive behaviours are always rewarded with desirable outcomes.

20. Lefa always feels like he's pressed for time. As a result, he's chronically in a hurry. He is competitivewith others, feeling a strong need to "prove himself" and win at everything he tries. He also tends tobe somewhat irritable and aggressively impatient with those who move more slowly than he does orwho get in his way. Lefa probably has a

1. Type A personality2. Type B personality3. holistic approach to aggression4. hostile attributional bias.

21. One common form of aggressive workplace behaviour is based on an effort to impede someone's jobperformance. This type of workplace aggression is known as

1. cathartic aggression2. expressions of hostility3. overt aggression4. obstructionism.

22. Tshepi is the senior administrative assistant for a mid-level manager at a large research organization.She is generally supportive of the coworkers in her department, but she strongly dislikes oneparticular person. She frequently points out this person's faults to her supervisor and never misses anopportunity to report on any negative comments this person may make about the workplace or otheremployees. As a workplace expression of hostility, Tshepi's behaviour is best characterised as

1. obstructionism2. overt aggression3. incivility4. hostile aggression.

23. In collectivist cultures, people tend to work harder when in a group than they do when alone because

1. individual accomplishment is often more highly valued than the collective good2. the collective good is more highly valued than individual accomplishment3. men are more likely to be part of a work team4. women are more likely to be part of a work team.

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30. Based on recent research (Cohen et al ., 1998), people who are exposed to a rhinovirus (one thatcauses the common cold) are more likely to develop a cold if they have

1. remained relatively unstressed during the previous year2. recently experienced chronic stress3. at least one family member with a chronic disease4. at least one family member with an acute bacterial infection.

SELF-EVALUATION ASSIGNMENT

Below are six self-evaluation activities. Being able to present social psychological information inwritten format are critical learning and practical outcomes of the module. Working out these self-study tasks will give you an opportunity to exercise your writing skills.

We will send you model answers for the questions after the closing date of Assignment 02.

Prepare answers for all the study tasks in the Study Guide before the closing date of Assignment 03and use the model answers for the six self-evaluation tasks to monitor your own writing skills. This isfor your own benefit because you will not gain writing experience by simply learning the textbooks.

Do not send your answers to us to be marked. Remember, these are self- evaluation activities. 

Question 1

Define and give your own example of the self-serving bias and briefly discuss the reasons why it occurs.Refer to South African research. [10]

Question 2

How effective are fear appeals in persuasive messages? In your answer, refer to relevant research. [10]

Question 3 

Discuss stereotypes as a cognitive source of prejudice in detail. Concentrate on why people form and usestereotypes and how stereotypes operate. Where appropriate, use examples discussed in the South African Supplement to Social Psychology. [10] 

Question 4 

Thirty-eight people witnessed the murder of Kitty Genovese, but not one of them tried to help --- directly orindirectly --- by calling the police. Using your knowledge of variables that influence prosocial behaviour inemergencies, explain the reactions of the bystanders. In your answer, refer to the five essential steps in thedecision-making process and give a South African perspective of this incident. [10] 

Question 5 

What accounts for our ability to resist conformity? Discuss this question with reference to the factorsdiscussed by Baron et al . (2009). [10] 

Question 6 

Explain why individuals in large crowds often do things they would not normally do. [10] 

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Assignment 03Semester 1 Closing date: 23 April 685746  

Semester 2 Closing date: 5 October 752341

Note: This assignment is not compulsory, and carries no examination credits. The assignment consistsof 31 questions to evaluate the Social Psychology module. Please assist us to improve the module byevaluating it. Note that this is not an assignment in the real sense of the word and you will not get anymarks or credits for completing it. We only use the assignment format to utilise our computer toanalyse the data.

Remember to use an ordinary mark-reading sheet to indicate your answers.

MODULE EVALUATION

1. My overall opinion of the Social Psychology module is that it is

1. poor2. average3. good4. excellent.

2. My expectations of this module have been met.

1. No, not at all.2. Yes, but only to some extent.3. Yes, to a great extent.

4. Absolutely, yes!

3. This module has led to greater insight into South African society.

1. No, not at all.2. Yes, but only to some extent.3. Yes, to a great extent.4. Absolutely, yes!

4. This module has led to a better understanding of South African social health issues.

1. No, not at all.2. Yes, but only to some extent.3. Yes, to a great extent.4. Absolutely, yes!

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5. It was --------- to understand the PYC3701 Study Guide. 

1. very difficult2. difficult3. fairly easy4. very easy

6. The Study Guide and study tasks contributed to my mastering of the module material.

1. Not at all.2. To some extent.3. To a great extent.4. The study guide is crucial.

7. The prescribed work for this module is

1. very difficult2. difficult3. acceptable4. very easy.

8. It was ------- to get hold of the prescribed work. 

1. very difficult2. difficult3. relatively easy4. very easy

9. The tutorial letters for this module is -------- to understand.

1. very difficult2. difficult3. relatively easy4. very easy

10. The tutorial letters contributed to my mastering of the module material.

1. Not at all.2. To some extent.3. To a great extent.4. The tutorial letters are crucial.

11. The two compulsory assignments for this module were

1. very difficult2. difficult3. acceptable4. easy.

12. If English is not your first language, to what extent did language contributed to module difficulty inthe case of PYC3701?

1. Not applicable (English is my first language).2. It caused serious difficulties.3. It sometimes contributed to the level of difficulty.4. It was not a source of difficulty.

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13. In total, the workload for this module is

1. too demanding2. demanding3. manageable4. easy to manage.

14. On average, I spent ---------- studying this module.

1. less than 4 hours per week2. 4 to 6 hours per week3. 7 to 10 hours per week4. more than 10 hours per week

15. Did you enjoy studying this module?

1. No, I did not enjoy it at all.2. No, not really.3. Yes, to some extent.4. Absolutely yes!

16. Would you recommend this module to your colleagues or friends?

1. No, not at all.2. With reservations.3. Yes.4. Yes, with great enthusiasm!

CONTACT WITH PYC3701 LECTURERS

17. How often during 2012 have you made contact with 3701 lecturers?

1. Weekly.

2. Monthly.3. Quarterly.4. Not at all.

18. How do you prefer to communicate with your lecturers?

1. Telephone calls.2. E-mails.3. Personal visits.4. Letters/faxes.

19. In general, how helpful were the lecturers?

1. Not applicable (I didn’t contact them).2. Not at all helpful.3. Helpful.4. Very helpful.

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TUTORIAL CLASSES 

20. Did you attend tutorial classes?

1. No, I was not really interested.2. No, there were no tutorial classes in my area.3. Yes, in Parow.4. Yes, in Thutong.

If you attended tutorial classes, please complete the following section.

Use the scale below to express your opinion on each one of the following statements. Mark (4) “Notapplicable” only  if a statement is clearly not relevant in your case):

1 = D (Disagree)2 = A (Agree)3 = SA (Strongly agree)4 = NA (Not applicable)

Tutorial Class Statements:

21. I found the classes intellectually challenging. 1 2 3 4

22. I found the classes worthwhile. 1 2 3 4

23. I came prepared to the classes. 1 2 3 4

24. I feel more confident about the examinationafter attending the tutorial classes. 1 2 3 4

25. The tutorial classes focused on the syllabus. 1 2 3 4

26. The tutor came prepared to the classes. 1 2 3 4

27. The tutor demonstrated knowledge of the subject. 1 2 3 4

28. The tutor encouraged active participation. 1 2 3 4

29. The tutor responded effectively to questions. 1 2 3 4

30. The tutor was open to a discussion of otherviewpoints. 1 2 3 4

31. The tutor showed respect for students asindividuals. 1 2 3 4

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION. 

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9 EXAMINATIONS

Use your my Studies @ Unisa brochure for general examination guidelines and examinationpreparation guidelines.

9.2 Examination Paper

The multiple choice examination questions  will be based on any part or section  of thechapters in the main text (the twelfth edition of Baron (et al ., 2008) and on the South AfricanPerspectives  – sections in the (3rd  edition) of the South African Supplement to SocialPsychology .

There are only two examination sessions per year in the semester system, in May/June 2012 orOctober/November 2012. If you fail the module, but achieve a mark of 45% or higher, you areentitled to one supplementary examination. This will take place during the next examination sessionat the end of the next semester. You will be expected to inform the Examination Department of yourintention to write the supplementary examination. You will also be expected to pay the examinationfees. Note that there will be no  further supplementary exams. If you fail the supplementaryexamination, you will be required to re-register for the module.

The multiple choice examination papers will not be marked negatively . Also remember that theexamination paper is based on the twelfth edition  of the prescribed book and itsaccompanying third edition of the South African Supplement   - NOT on previous editions ofthese books. 

The examination paper will be in English only.

If you are repeating this module, it is necessary to keep the following in mind: Our experience is thatstudents who repeat the module are frequently over-confident and tend to revise the worksuperficially   - everything appears familiar to them and, consequently, they merely read the workinstead of studying essential detail . Be careful not to make this mistake!

9.3 Format of the examination paper (two hours)

●  The examination paper (two hours) will consist of seventy multiple choice questions for a total of70 marks.

●  The total marks for this two hour examination paper is 70. Your mark out of 70 will be re-calculated as a percentage.

●  Remember that the multiple choice questions will be set on any part or section of any one of the prescribed chapters of the twelfth edition of Baron et al . (2008) (see also the introductorysection of your Study Guide).

●  At least six , but not more than ten of these seventy items will come from the “South AfricanPerspective”  sections of the third edition of the South African Supplement to Social Psychology(2009) accompanying the twelfth edition of Baron et al . (2008).

●  Also remember that, in this module, the year mark counts 10% and the examination 90% of thefinal mark. Your average for Assignments 01 and 02 counts toward your year mark.

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9.4 Examination period 

PYC3701 is a semester module. This means that you will write the examination in May/June 2012 orOctober/November 2012.

The Examination Section will provide you with information regarding the examination in general,examination venues, examination dates, examination times, supplementary and special examinations(due to illness or accident). Please make sure that you have these details.

 Your lecturers will unfortunately not be able to help you with this.

10 OTHER ASSESSMENT METHODS

There are no other assessment methods for this module.

11 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The my Studies @ Unisa brochure contains an A-Z guide of the most relevant study information.