SOCI 2150 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Gary Johns, Absenteeism, Leon Festinger
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In one condition, the students were told that the soldier managed to convince others in the military to accept his plan and the village was saved. Students felt that it was evident all along that the village would be saved. In another condition, students were told that the solder"s plan was rejected and the village was destroyed. These students thought it was obvious that the village would be destroyed. The trick is to predict what will happen in an experiment before you know how it turns out. Look at the milgram experiment about shocks being administered: social psychology is an empirical science with a well-developed set of methods to answer questions about social behaviour. Formulating hypotheses and theories: theory: an organized set of principles that can be used to explain observed phenomena, many studies stem from a researcher"s dissatisfaction with existing theories and explanations.
