AP Psychology Lesson: Psychology of Social Situations

Unit: Social Psychology and Personality | Lesson: 3 of 6 | Topic: Psychology of Social Situations
AP Exam Weighting: 15%–25% of exam score 
Instructions: Complete this lesson during class by filling in the blanks and answering questions. All information needed is provided or will be researched in class. This lesson prepares you for the AP Psychology exam by exploring how social situations influence behavior. Use the provided spaces to write your answers clearly, focusing on applying concepts critically.

Warm-Up

Purpose: Get you thinking about how social situations shape behavior.
Questions:

  1. Why might you act differently in a group than when alone?
  2. How could a crowd influence your decision to help someone?
    Your Answers: Write a short response (1–2 sentences) for each question.

Key Concepts

Instructions: Read the information below and answer the questions to learn core AP concepts. For definitions, write them in your own words based on the content or look up a different definition if directed by your teacher (e.g., via apa.org or Google Scholar).
Content: Social influence describes how others’ presence affects behavior. Conformity involves adjusting behavior to match a group (e.g., wearing similar clothes). The bystander effect reduces helping behavior in crowds due to diffusion of responsibility. Social facilitation improves performance on simple tasks in others’ presence (e.g., running faster in a race). Example: A student conforms to a group’s study habits to fit in. Obedience follows authority figures’ commands (e.g., Milgram’s shock experiment). Groupthink leads to poor decisions due to group pressure (e.g., ignoring risks). Social situations shape behaviors like cooperation or conflict, influenced by cultural and situational factors.

  1. Define social influence in your own words: _______________________________
  2. Define bystander effect in your own words: _______________________________
  3. Define conformity in your own words: _______________________________
  4. Explain how social facilitation influences a behavior, using a specific example:
  1. Explain how obedience influences a behavior, using a different example:
  1. How does the bystander effect reduce helping behavior in emergencies?
  1. Why might groupthink lead to poor group decisions?
  1. How could cultural norms affect conformity in social situations?

Guided Activity

Instructions: Work in pairs to complete the two tasks below. Write your answers and be prepared to share one key point from each task with the class.
Task 1: Scenario Analysis: Scenario: A student joins a group in skipping class, despite knowing it’s wrong. Analyze how conformity and groupthink contribute to this behavior. For example, consider how group pressure or desire for consensus affects their choice.
Your Response for Task 1: Explain the role of each concept in the behavior.

Class Share for Task 1: Note one point you’ll share.

Task 2: Case Application: Imagine a bystander doesn’t help during an emergency due to a large crowd. Apply the concepts of bystander effect and social facilitation to explain their inaction. For example, evaluate how crowd size or social presence affects their behavior.
Your Response for Task 2: Apply the concepts to explain the bystander’s inaction.

Class Share for Task 2: Note one point you’ll share.

Class Assignment: Refer to the assignment file for this lesson

Instructions: Complete the tasks below to deepen your understanding of social situations.
Study Summary 1: A 2018 study found that people were less likely to help a stranger in a crowded urban area, supporting the bystander effect.
Question 1: How does this study demonstrate the impact of the bystander effect, and what might reduce its occurrence?

Study Summary 2: A 2020 study showed that social facilitation improved athletes’ performance in front of supportive crowds but worsened it under hostile audiences.
Question 2: Evaluate how this study illustrates the role of social facilitation in behavior, and suggest one factor that might influence its effects.

AP Exam Connection: This practices analyzing and evaluating research, a key skill for FRQs.

AP Exam Practice

Instructions: Answer the question below. We’ll review answers as a class to learn exam strategies.
Free-Response Question (FRQ):
Explain how conformity, the bystander effect, and social facilitation interact to influence a specific behavior (e.g., group decisions, helping, or performance). Provide one example for each factor (conformity, bystander effect, social facilitation) and analyze how they interact to shape the behavior.

Closure

Instructions: Write a brief summary (2–3 sentences) of two key ideas you learned today about how social situations influence behavior.

Extended Practice

Instructions: Complete the tasks below based on today’s lesson to reinforce AP skills.

  1. Review your answers from this lesson.
  2. Write a detailed paragraph (5–7 sentences) applying today’s topic to a real-life behavior (e.g., how you act in groups or emergencies). Include references to conformity, bystander effect, and social facilitation, and explain their interaction.
  1. Find a short article or study on social influence or group behavior (e.g., via apa.org) and write 2–3 sentences summarizing its relevance to today’s lesson. Cite the source (e.g., website or article title).
Last modified: Wednesday, 6 August 2025, 8:05 PM