Comp Exam Social Psychology Spring 2006

Instructions: Read each question carefully and be sure to answer it fully. Label your answers with the section number and question number. It is suggested that you take a few minutes to outline your answers before you begin.

Part I. The Field of Social Psychology. Answer 1 of the following 2 questions.

1. Social psychology has been criticized for being social history, the description of contemporary social behavior in the time and society of the researchers and theorists, rather than the discovery of universal, a-historical scientific principles. Discuss several examples of social psychological research or theory that you think are historically situated, valid mainly for their own culture and era. Is it possible for social psychology to produce valid theories and research traditions that will stand the test of time and be applicable across different cultural contexts? Give examples of social psychological traditions (theories or topics) that you deem to be universally applicable.

2. In a classic article written in 1977, James House describes the three “faces” of social psychology. If you were to write your own article describing three faces of social psychology, how would you organize the field?

a. What would your three “faces” be?

b. Why would you choose those particular “faces”?

c. Which theories and theorists would fall under each face?

d. Would the differences between the faces by purely theoretical, purely methodological, or both theoretical and methodological?

Part II. Theories of Emotions & Roles. Answer 1 of the following 3 questions.

3. Social role theory has been a major perspective for decades, drawing connections between social structure and interpersonal behavior. What are the major principles of social role theory? How do roles develop and change? What concepts has role theory produced that are useful for understanding interpersonal behavior? What assumptions does role theory make about human social nature? Discuss the criticisms that have been leveled against role theory. Provide your example of a role analysis, such as about university interaction, to illustrate your points.

4. An emerging field in social psychology is the analysis of human emotions from a sociological viewpoint. Describe how emotions influence human social behavior. Are emotions functionally important aside from being reactions or responses after events? Compare at least two of the theoretical approaches in sociology that outline the place of emotions in social life. Also provide your analysis about how emotions are shaped by social norms and interaction, such that natural emotional predispositions become socially transformed.

5. In the 70’s, Rubin found that liking and loving were qualitatively different from one another, i.e., that liking and loving were not just opposite sides of the same continuum. In the 80’s, Halster argued there was not only a difference between liking and loving, there were two types of love: companionate love and passionate love. In the late 80’s, Sternberg extended this notion by introducing the Triangular Theory of Love.

a. Describe Sternberg’s theory.

b. To which of the following relationships can Sternberg’s theory be applied: dating couples, long-married couples, friends, siblings, and parent-child relations? Explain.

c. Can Sternberg’s theory shed light on how relationships might change across the life course? Explain.

Part III. Theories & Explanations. Answer 1 of the following 3 questions.

6. One of the main areas within social psychology is symbolic interactionism. What is distinct about the symbolic interactionist perspective? Explain the theory’s focus and fundamental ideas/concepts. How has this perspective contributed to our understanding of social processes (use specific examples of work by Symbolic Interactionists)? What are the limitations of symbolic interactionism?

7. Social psychology theorists have suggested a number of explanations for how individuals decide on or reconcile themselves to their behavior. Pick 1 of the following 6 theories and answer a. through d.

Attribution Social Comparison Process Reduction of Cognitive Dissonance

Locus of Control Self-Monitor Balance

a. Provide a careful and thorough explanation of the theory, including strengths and weaknesses.

b. Give a realistic example of interaction/behavior that could be used to illustrate the concept, and how this interaction/behavior would be interpreted within this theoretical approach.

c. Give a realistic example of interaction/behavior that would seem to contradict the concept, , and how this interaction/behavior would be interpreted within this theoretical approach.

8. Sociological social psychology includes the study of social movements at the macro and micro levels. Comparative studies have analyzed social movement origins, mobilization, recruitment of members, establishment of leadership, definition of goals, choice of tactics, and problems of continuity and effectiveness. Summarize what we know about how these topics, and explain what social factors determine whether they succeed or fail in achieving their goals. Use one or more particular social movements (e.g. women’s liberation, gay rights) to illustrate your points.

Part IV. Group Processes and Social Structure. Answer 1 of the following 3 questions.

9. Two theories which seem to dominate much of the research with the group processes area of social psychology are exchange theory and expectation states theory. Compare and contrast these two theories in terms of their basic assumptions/scope conditions and fundamental concepts. Finally, argue whether you believe these theories share many commonalities or are fundamentally different.

10. Choose ONE of the following substantive topics in the group processes area and write an essay reviewing its theoretical and empirical development. Include major theoretical approaches to the topic, important empirical findings, and key debates. Finally, offer your recommendations for future development.

Power Status Equity/Justice Coalition formation Social Dilemmas

11. Some conception of social structure is found within the various areas of social psychology. Choose one of the following areas and answer a through c.

theories of social structure and personality

theories of the self and social identities

theories of group process and structure

a. How is social structure conceptualized?

b. What is the relation between social structure and the individual?

c. How central is social structure to the framework?