#AP Psychology: Social Psychology - Your Last-Minute Guide! 🚀

Hey there, future AP Psych pro! This guide is designed to be your go-to resource for acing the Social Psychology section. Let's break down these concepts and make sure you're feeling confident and ready to rock the exam!

#Group Dynamics: How We Act in Crowds

#Social Loafing: The Slacker Effect 😴

When we're in a group, we often feel less responsible and put in less effort. It's like when you're working on a group project and someone is just... there.

Image Courtesy of Research Leap

#Crowding Effect: Amplified Opinions 📢

Group opinions tend to get louder and more extreme when people are together. This is a bit of an economics concept, but it's good to be aware of.

#Individual Behavior in Groups

#Social Facilitation: When Others Watch 👀

Social facilitation means we perform better on easy tasks when others are watching. But, it's a double-edged sword: we perform worse on difficult tasks. This is called social inhibition.

#Group Polarization: Moving to Extremes ↔️

Group polarization is when a group's views become more extreme over time as they discuss things with like-minded people. This can lead to stronger bonds but also to unrealistic thinking and prejudice.

#Ingroup Bias: Us vs. Them 🤝

Ingroup bias is our tendency to favor our own group (ingroup) over others (outgroup). It's a natural human tendency but can lead to prejudice and discrimination.

#Deindividuation: Losing Yourself 🎭

Deindividuation happens when we lose our self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations. This can lead to less inhibited behavior, like internet trolling.

Image Courtesy of iResearchNet

#Helping Others: When Do We Step In?

#The Bystander Effect: Why We Don't Always Help 🤷‍♀️

The bystander effect is the idea that we're less likely to help if others are around because we assume someone else will help.

We're more likely to help if: - We see the problem. 👀 - We interpret it as an emergency. 🚨 - We feel responsible for helping. 🤝

#Reciprocity Norm & Social Exchange Theory: Give and Take 🔄

The reciprocity norm is the expectation that if we help someone, they'll help us in return. This is part of social exchange theory, where we weigh the costs and benefits of our actions.

#Social Traps: When Self-Interest Hurts All 🪤

Social traps are situations where we harm society for our own interests. The classic example is the Prisoner's Dilemma.

Image Courtesy of Britannica

#Conflict Resolution: Finding Common Ground

#Mirror-Image Perceptions: Seeing the Worst in Others 😠

When we're in conflict, we often engage in mirror-image perceptions, where we see the other side as evil and ourselves as good. This is linked to the fundamental attribution error.

#Superordinate Goals: Working Together 🤝

Superordinate goals are goals that both sides want to achieve and require cooperation. They help to break down group boundaries and build new, more inclusive groups.

Understanding conflict resolution and superordinate goals is crucial for the FRQ section.

#Final Exam Focus 🎯

#Key Topics to Review:

• Social loafing and deindividuation
• Group polarization and ingroup bias
• Bystander effect and social traps (Prisoner's Dilemma)
• Superordinate goals and conflict resolution

#Common Question Types:

• Multiple-choice questions testing definitions and applications of concepts.
• FRQs asking you to apply social psychology principles to real-world scenarios.

#Last-Minute Tips:

• Time Management: Don't spend too long on any one question. Move on and come back if you have time.
• Common Pitfalls: Avoid confusing similar terms (e.g., social loafing vs. deindividuation).
• FRQ Strategy: Clearly define concepts and provide specific examples. Use the language of the AP Psych curriculum.

#Practice Questions

Practice Question

#Multiple Choice Questions

1. A group of friends is working on a class project. They notice that some members are not contributing as much as others. This is an example of: (a) Group polarization (b) Social facilitation (c) Social loafing (d) Deindividuation (e) Bystander effect

2. A political discussion online becomes increasingly extreme, with participants becoming more entrenched in their initial positions. This is an example of: (a) Social facilitation (b) Group polarization (c) Deindividuation (d) Social loafing (e) Bystander effect

3. A person is less likely to help someone in need when there are many other people present. This is an example of: (a) Social facilitation (b) Group polarization (c) Deindividuation (d) Social loafing (e) Bystander effect

#Free Response Question

A local community has been experiencing increasing tensions between two long-standing neighborhood associations. These groups have different perspectives on how to handle community development, leading to heated debates and a breakdown in communication.

(a) Define ingroup bias and explain how it might contribute to the conflict between these two neighborhood associations. (b) Describe how group polarization could intensify the conflict between these two groups. (c) Explain how the concept of superordinate goals could be used to help resolve the conflict. (d) Discuss how the bystander effect might play a role in the community's response to the conflict.

#Scoring Rubric

(a) Ingroup Bias (2 points) - 1 point for defining ingroup bias as the tendency to favor one's own group. - 1 point for explaining how this bias could lead each association to view their own ideas as superior and the other group's ideas as inferior.

(b) Group Polarization (2 points) - 1 point for defining group polarization as the tendency for group discussion to strengthen a group's dominant viewpoint. - 1 point for explaining how group discussions within each association could lead to more extreme views, further polarizing their positions.

(c) Superordinate Goals (2 points) - 1 point for defining superordinate goals as shared goals that require cooperation. - 1 point for explaining how identifying a common goal (e.g., improving local schools) could reduce conflict by requiring both associations to work together.

(d) Bystander Effect (2 points) - 1 point for defining the bystander effect as the tendency for individuals to be less likely to help when others are present. - 1 point for discussing how community members might not intervene in the conflict, assuming that someone else will, thereby allowing the conflict to escalate.

You've got this! Remember to stay calm, take deep breaths, and apply these concepts with confidence. You're ready to ace that AP Psych exam! 💪