Dominic Beaulieu-Prévost's web site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Recent news and updates!


This section is a kind of blog on which I will post important and/or interesting information related to the PSYC-331 course. Comments and suggestions are welcome, as usual.

January 10th, 2008
Here is your FINAL GRADE. The mean and standard deviation can be found at the end of the table. Those of you who would like to see their exam can set an appointment with me. I also want to mention that, for the first time since I started teaching, EVERYBODY PASSED!!! Congratulations!

Happy year 2008!

Dominic;)

Student ID

Ex1 (%)

EX2 (%)

Travail /20

Cumul. (%)

Note

6122612

73,75

72,1

14,5

72,8

B

5365643

75

80,4

18,5

80,7

A-

6033792

85

83,7

18,5

86,0

A

2053365

71,25

68,1

14,3

70,0

B-

6019579

71,25

65,2

14,3

68,8

C+

5702135

74,375

69,6

16,3

73,8

B

6074308

62,5

71,0

18,0

71,4

B-

6033962

75

73,2

18,3

77,5

B+

5610494

82,5

95,3

16,8

87,9

A

6188826

71,25

64,1

16,8

70,9

B-

6006434

75

69,2

17,0

74,7

B

6069452

90

64,5

18,8

80,5

A-

5684021

92,5

92,8

18,5

92,6

A+

5826764

71,875

76,8

18,5

78,0

B+

6000681

58,75

62,0

19,5

67,8

C+

5682738

55

63,8

16,0

63,5

C

6021832

67,5

45,7

17,3

62,5

C

5723647

78,125

67,8

14,3

72,6

B

5148715

70

73,6

18,0

75,4

B

6012485

82,5

88,4

17,8

86,1

A

5888883

78,75

91,3

19,3

87,3

A

5635918

55,625

51,1

13,5

56,2

D

6061664

82,5

72,8

17,3

79,4

B+

5699223

66,25

76,8

16,0

73,2

B

5405823

90

89,5

20,0

91,8

A+

6025218

57,5

46,7

17,8

59,4

D+

5172853

68,75

78,3

18,0

76,8

B+

6192769

72,5

91,3

18,5

84,0

A-

5671981

64,375

81,2

13,3

71,5

B-

6041639

47,5

44,2

17,3

53,9

D

6037313

73,125

64,9

14,5

69,7

B-

5695929

78,75

68,5

17,3

76,1

B

5709911

77,5

68,5

16,0

74,4

B

6001343

72,5

75,4

17,0

76,1

B

6075886

70

52,2

14,5

63,4

C

5181690

87,5

 

18,8

   

5356083

77,5

86,2

18,0

83,5

A-

6044212

85

81,5

19,3

85,9

A

9119973

73,75

64,5

16,3

71,5

B-

6190456

80

88,0

17,8

85,0

A

6188303

90

77,9

16,8

83,9

A-

5459168

68,75

81,9

18,8

79,0

B+

6044751

70

78,6

16,8

76,2

B

5434874

83,75

65,2

17,8

77,3

B+

4888197

87,5

92,8

19,5

91,6

A+

6183905

80

70,3

17,8

77,9

B+

5442540

82,5

73,9

19,5

82,1

A-

6043011

72,5

75,0

17,3

76,3

B

5670667

62,5

57,2

18,3

66,1

C

6035787

85

88,8

18,8

88,3

A

5834864

75

68,1

14,3

71,5

B-

6044913

55

43,8

16,0

55,5

D

9004033

80

83,3

19,5

84,8

A

9188150

57,5

49,6

16,8

59,6

C-

5704049

97,5

91,7

20,0

95,7

A+

MEAN

74,4

72,6

17,3

75,9

 

STAND. DEV.

10,6

13,5

1,7

9,8

 

December 23rd, 2007
Here are your grades for the final exam. The mean and standard deviation can be found at the end of the table. Since some questions were answered correctly less often than I expected, I decided to add 3 points (on 69) to everybody. These points are already calculated in your total score. Your grade for the midterm is also shown as a reminder. The correction of the papers is still not finished. I'll have some "holidays corrections" to do:( I will send an email to all of you as soon as your final grades are in. Those of you who would like to see their exam can set an appointment with me in january 2008.

Happy holidays!

Dominic;)

Student ID Total Ex1(%) MC Ex2/53 Essay Ex2/16 TOTAL EX2 (%)
6122612 73,75 37 9,75 72,1
5365643 75 37 15,5 80,4
6033792 85 39 15,75 83,7
2053365 71,25 34 10 68,1
6019579 71,25 34 8 65,2
5702135 74,375 35 10 69,6
6074308 62,5 38 8 71,0
6033962 75 37 10,5 73,2
5610494 82,5 46 16,75 95,3
6188826 71,25 31 10,25 64,1
6006434 75 35 9,75 69,2
6069452 90 32 9,5 64,5
5684021 92,5 44 17 92,8
5826764 71,875 39 11 76,8
6000681 58,75 32 7,75 62,0
5682738 55 30 11 63,8
6021832 67,5 21 7,5 45,7
5723647 78,125 36 7,75 67,8
5148715 70 36 11,75 73,6
6012485 82,5 41 17 88,4
5888883 78,75 43 17 91,3
5635918 55,625 25 7,25 51,1
6061664 82,5 37 10,25 72,8
5699223 66,25 39 11 76,8
5405823 90 42 16,75 89,5
6025218 57,5 23 6,25 46,7
5172853 68,75 37 14 78,3
6192769 72,5 44 16 91,3
5671981 64,375 42 11 81,2
6041639 47,5 24 3,5 44,2
6037313 73,125 35 6,75 64,9
5695929 78,75 33 11,25 68,5
5709911 77,5 36 8,25 68,5
6001343 72,5 39 10 75,4
6075886 70 28 5 52,2
5181690 87,5      
5356083 77,5 43 13,5 86,2
6044212 85 44 9,25 81,5
9119973 73,75 36 5,5 64,5
6190456 80 41 16,75 88,0
6188303 90 36 14,75 77,9
5459168 68,75 40 13,5 81,9
6044751 70 39 12,25 78,6
5434874 83,75 30 12 65,2
4888197 87,5 45 16 92,8
6183905 80 35 10,5 70,3
5442540 82,5 36 12 73,9
6043011 72,5 38 10,75 75,0
5670667 62,5 28 8,5 57,2
6035787 85 44 14,25 88,8
5834864 75 39 5 68,1
6044913 55 23 4,25 43,8
9004033 80 40 14,5 83,3
9188150 57,5 20 11,25 49,6
5704049 97,5 44 16,25 91,7
MEAN 74,4 36,0 11,1 72,6
STAND. DEV. 10,6 6,4 3,7 13,5

 

December 4th, 2007 - Questions and answers
Q1. What is the difference between the "foot-in-the-door" technique and the "low ball" technique? Is it a matter of time that elapses between the first and second request?
A1. The LB tech is based on the norm of commitment. You accept to do something and the cost of doing it is increased afterwards. Although you might feel trapped, you will still accept to do it because you committed yourself. The two steps are about the SAME request as opposed to the FitD tech in which two separate, although related, requests are made.
The FitD technique is based on the self-perception principle. If you accept to do something (e.g. signing a petition), you will tend to comply with related requests even if they require more effort. As opposed to the LB tech, there is no hidden cost.

Q2. When discussing reasons for following norms, you stated social pressures and the "Big Brother problem." What is the Big Brother problem?
A2. Big brother refers to Orwell’s novel “1984” in which the phrase “Big brother is watching you” is used to refer to invasive surveillance. So, social pressure might be one of the reasons why we follow norms (i.e. we follows norms because others make sure that we do). However, it does not explain why we follow norms when we are alone, unless it is argued that people always act as if someone might be watching them, which is not very realistic unless we are in a totalitarian society like the one described by Orwell.

Q3. Does crowding increase the probability of social facilitation?
A3. Yes it does.

Q4. Would social facilitation occur during hockey shoot outs? Both for the goalie and the individual player making the shot?
A4. Yes, it’s a good example. Since it becomes an individual performance, the effects of social facilitation should be felt.

Q5. One way to reduce cog dissonance when acknowledging that you are responsible is through freedom/determinism and labelling. What is meant by these terms?
A5. One way to avoid cognitive dissonance is to see yourself as not being responsible for your actions. One way to see yourself as not responsible is to explain your actions by labeling yourself. Ex: I drink a lot because I’m an alcoholic. Your “alcoholism” thus become the cause of your actions (in your head at least). For example, alcoholism is seen as a disease by the Alcoholics Anonymous. It thus make your behaviour the result of your disease and not the result of your will.

Q6. One reason for social loafing occurring is a decrease in evaluation apprehension. Why? Is it because the individual is not being individually evaluated and working towards an individual goal?
A6. Yes. Social loafing increases as the size of the group increases because members become more anonymous and their individual performance becomes less easily monitored.

Q7. Could you explain the attribution theory with an example just to make it more clear?
A7. The attribution theory looks at the way people understand/explain (i.e. attribute) the causes of the events and actions that they witness. It is not a specific theory but more a paradigm that help scientists to focus on the attributional processes involved in social thinking. One of the main uses of the attribution theory is to explain the fundamental attributional error or correspondence bias (see p70 of your textbook)

Q8. What is the difference between attitudes and beliefs?
A8. Both are cognitive representations. However, beliefs represent the information (true or false) that you have about something while attitudes represent your evaluation of that object (positive or negative, like vs dislike).
Your attitude about yourself is called self-esteem while your belief about yourself is called self-concept. Your attitude about a social group is called a prejudice while your belief about that group is called a stereotype. 

Q9. What is the difference between a stereotype and a social role?
A9. That one is a bit more difficult to summarize but I’ll do my best.
A stereotype is a descriptive representation of members of a social group (how they usually behave, what they look like,…) while a social role represent a prescriptive representation of members of a social role, i.e. how they ought to behave (according to the prevalent norms).

Q10. Is it important to study [place here whatever topic you want]?
A10. Although it’s a bit late to tell you what to study, I would like to remind you to study social dilemma even though we did not cover it in class.

See you tomorrow,

Dominic;)

 

November 26th, 2007 - About the final exam
The final exam will include around 60-70 questions with a max of 10 short essay questions (i.e. more or less between one and ten lines). It is cumulative, which means that up to 25% of the questions could be about topics covered by the mid-term exam. However, I do not expect that you re-read the whole book. Since the exam will probably not include more than 2-3 questions per chapters for the chapters covered by the mid-term, I will focus more on important concepts and main theories covered in class than on obscure studies mentioned only in the book. Consequently, focussing on what was covered in class is might be the best way to prepare for the cumulative portion of the exam. The style of the exam will be very similar to the style of the mid-term.

October 31th, 2007
Finally, here are your grades for the midterm exam. The mean and standard deviation can be found at the end of the table.

Student ID Score/39 Essay Qs/1 Total/40 Total/100
2053365 26 2,5 28,5 71,25
4888197 33 2 35 87,5
5148715 26 2 28 70
5172853 25 2,5 27,5 68,75
5181690 32 3 35 87,5
5356083 28 3 31 77,5
5365643 28 2 30 75
5405823 33 3 36 90
5434874 32 1,5 33,5 83,75
5442540 31 2 33 82,5
5459168 25 2,5 27,5 68,75
5610494 30 3 33 82,5
5635918 21 1,25 22,25 55,625
5670667 24 1 25 62,5
5671981 25 0,75 25,75 64,375
5682738 19 3 22 55
5684021 34 3 37 92,5
5695929 31 0,5 31,5 78,75
5699223 25 1,5 26,5 66,25
5702135 28 1,75 29,75 74,375
5704049 36 3 39 97,5
5709911 29 2 31 77,5
5723647 29 2,25 31,25 78,125
5826764 27 1,75 28,75 71,875
5834864 28 2 30 75
5888883 30 1,5 31,5 78,75
6000681 23 0,5 23,5 58,75
6001343 28 1 29 72,5
6006434 29 1 30 75
6012485 31 2 33 82,5
6019579 27 1,5 28,5 71,25
6021832 26 1 27 67,5
6025218 22 1 23 57,5
6033792 31 3 34 85
6033962 29 1 30 75
6035787 31 3 34 85
6037313 28 1,25 29,25 73,125
6041639 18 1 19 47,5
6043011 27 2 29 72,5
6044212 31 3 34 85
6044751 26 2 28 70
6044913 21 1 22 55
6061664 31 2 33 82,5
6069452 33 3 36 90
6074308 24 1 25 62,5
6075886 27 1 28 70
6122612 28 1,5 29,5 73,75
6183905 30 2 32 80
6188303 35 1 36 90
6188826 26 2,5 28,5 71,25
6190456 30 2 32 80
6192769 27 2 29 72,5
9004033 31 1 32 80
9119973 28 1,5 29,5 73,75
9188150 20 3 23 57,5
MEAN=
27,9
1,9
29,7
74,4
SD=
4,0
0,8
4,3
10,6

 


October 2nd, 2007
Infos about the exam: The date of the exam is the 16th of october from 8:45am to 10am (i.e. as usual). There will be approximately 40 questions, most of them being multiple choices. Some short essay questions could also be included. Questions could be about anything from week 1 to week 6. You should thus study chapters 1 to 7 (except chapter 2), the slides from week 1 to week 6 and your notes for the same weeks. you will not have access to your textbook nor to your notes during the exam. Since you probably have a life outside of your course in social psychology, you will probably have to guess what is most important to remember and understand to be more efficient in your learning process. Here's a guideline to help you:
1) If a concept was explained in the book AND in class, it is probably important to understand
2) If a concept was explained in the book but not in class, it is probably less important to remember although it could still be used to create a question.
3) I don't care about the specific year a study was done and although some names are important to remember (e.g. Le Bon), understanding the different studies, theories and concepts and being able to identify real-life situations of most psychosocial phenomenon is way more important.