What do social psychologists study?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To begin, restate the question and all answer choices to ensure clarity of what’s being evaluated:
Question: What do social psychologists study?
Options:
- biologically based aspects of behavior
- aspects of behavior that are relatively stable over time
- the influence of context on human behavior
- genetic components of behavior

Now, evaluate each option in turn:
Option 1: 'biologically based aspects of behavior' — While biology can influence behavior, social psychology specifically emphasizes social contexts, interactions, and the ways social processes shape thoughts and actions. This choice is more aligned with biological or physiological explanations, which are typically central to fields like biopsychology or behavioral neuroscience rather than social psychology.
Option 2: 'aspects of behavior that are relatively stable over time' — This describes traits or dispositions and can be a focus in personality psychology or longitudinal studies, but it does not capture the core remit of social psychology, which centers on how social contexts and situations affect behavior, perception, and interaction even if those behaviors may change across situations.
Option 3: 'the influence of context on human behavior' — This directly points to a central tenet of social psychology: behavior is heavily influenced by social context, including group dynamics, norms, roles, and situational cues. This option aligns with the field’s primary focus and questions.
Option 4: 'genetic components of behavior' — Genetics inform many aspects of behavior, but studying genetic components is typically the domain of behavioral genetics, not social psychology. Social psychology does not center on genetic determinants as its core inquiry, though it may acknowledge biological factors as moderators rather than primary explanations.

Additional reflections: Understanding social psychology involves prioritizing how people’s thoughts, feelings, and actions are shaped by the presence, imagined presence, or influence of others, as well as by social norms and contexts. The other options describe domains more characteristic of biology, personality, or genetics, rather than the social-contextual focus of social psychology.

PSYC_V 102 004 2025W1 PRACTICE Exam

What do social psychologists study?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Kinsley, a 20-year-old college sophomore, is talkative, assertive, and politically conservative. Research suggests that she would most likely become a good friend of

The prevalence and expression of schadenfreude has been found to be heavily influenced by:

Which of the following events impacted the development of social psychology in the first half of the 20th century? 下列哪些事件影响了 20 世纪上半叶社会心理学的发展？

Which of the following is not an important component of the definition of social psychology? 以下哪项不是社会心理学定义中的重要组成部分？

Which of the following is not an important component of the definition of social psychology?

The Affiliation Tendency includes all of the following except for:

As we read in our text book, in a survey of college students at Florida State University, male and female participants had remarkably similar responses when asked by the opposite sex if they would be willing to go back to their apartment, and have sex with them

In Bell et al.'s (2019) study on the prejudice blindspot, participants rated themselves as less racist than the other student whose responses they reviewed. What was the catch in this study?

More Practical Tools for International Students

Exam Browser Assistant

Stylized Writing Assistant

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation Assistant

In-Class Translation Assistant

Class Notes Assistant

Quiz Search Assistant

Past Exam Questions by School

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler