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High Priority Topics — MPC-004 Advanced Social Psychology

🔴 Must Study Topics (11 topics)​

These topics appear consistently across all 14 years of exam papers. Together they account for the vast majority of Section A and Section B questions.

#TopicTotal AppearancesKey QuestionsStudy Status
1Prejudice and Discrimination36 (12.9%)Reducing prejudice, stereotypes, causes[ ]
2Group Dynamics30 (10.7%)Group definition, types, cohesion, development[ ]
3Attitudes29 (10.4%)Attitude formation, change, theories[ ]
4Conformity and Obedience25 (8.9%)Asch, Milgram, compliance principles[ ]
5Research Methods23 (8.2%)Experimental method, ethics, ethnography[ ]
6Person Perception and Attribution21 (7.5%)Attribution errors, Kelley, schemas[ ]
7Aggression21 (7.5%)Theories, causes, measurement, reduction[ ]
8Social Conflict20 (7.1%)Nature, forms, resolution, Blake-Mouton[ ]
9Interpersonal Attraction20 (7.1%)Factors, theories, Heider balance theory[ ]
10Pro-social Behaviour19 (6.8%)Theories, helping behaviour, altruism[ ]
11Collective and Crowd Behaviour16 (5.7%)Crowd theories, collective behaviour forms[ ]

📖 Quick Topic Summaries​

1. Prejudice and Discrimination​

The single most-tested topic. Questions cover: methods of reducing prejudice, stereotypes (development and maintenance), manifestation of prejudice, causal factors. Reducing prejudice appears in 14 of 28 papers.

What to study: Contact hypothesis, social identity theory, categorisation, media role, legislation, education, stereotypes as cognitive shortcuts.

2. Group Dynamics​

Joint most-tested topic. Questions cover: definition and characteristics of groups, types of groups, rules/norms, stages of development, cohesion, communication.

What to study: Tuckman's stages, social loafing, groupthink, reference groups vs membership groups, formal vs informal groups.

3. Attitudes​

Third most-tested topic. Questions cover: nature and components (ABC), attitude formation factors, attitude change, theories of attitude organisation (Katz, Kelman).

What to study: Classical conditioning in attitude formation, cognitive dissonance, elaboration likelihood model, Heider's balance theory.

4. Conformity and Obedience​

Appears in almost every paper. Questions cover: Asch's line experiment, factors increasing conformity, Milgram's obedience study, compliance (Cialdini's principles).

What to study: Asch study methodology and findings, Milgram's procedures and ethical controversy, informational vs normative influence, foot-in-door technique.

5. Research Methods​

Appears every year. Questions cover: experimental method, ethical issues, ethnography, correlation method, observational methods, threats to validity.

What to study: APA ethical principles, demand characteristics, ecological validity, quasi-experimental design, meta-analysis.

6. Person Perception and Attribution​

Questions cover: attribution errors (FAE, self-serving bias), Kelley's covariation model, Jones-Davis correspondent inference, schemas, primacy-recency effect.

What to study: Fundamental attribution error, actor-observer bias, Kelley's cube model, cognitive algebra, impression formation.

7. Aggression​

Questions cover: frustration-aggression hypothesis, psychodynamic theory, social learning theory, types of aggression, methods to reduce aggression.

What to study: Berkowitz's modification, Bandura's Bobo doll study, catharsis debate, situational cues, deindividuation.

8. Social Conflict​

Questions cover: nature and forms of conflict, methods of conflict resolution, Blake-Mouton two-dimensional model, causes and characteristics.

What to study: Types of conflict (intrapersonal, interpersonal, intergroup), negotiation, mediation, arbitration, BATNA, five conflict styles.

9. Interpersonal Attraction​

Questions cover: factors affecting attraction (proximity, similarity, physical attractiveness, reciprocity), evolutionary theory, Heider's balance theory.

What to study: Mere exposure effect, matching hypothesis, propinquity effect, Sternberg's triangular theory of love.

10. Pro-social Behaviour​

Questions cover: definitions, theories (empathy-altruism, negative-state relief, social exchange), Latané and Darley's 5-step model, factors affecting helping.

What to study: Bystander effect, diffusion of responsibility, kin selection, norm of social responsibility, reciprocity norm.

11. Collective and Crowd Behaviour​

Questions cover: crowd behaviour theories (Le Bon, Allport, Emergent Norm Theory), collective behaviour forms, deindividuation, contagion.

What to study: Le Bon's crowd mind, Turner-Killian emergent norm theory, social comparison and crowd behaviour, rumour spread.

🎯 Study Plan​

Week 1: Top 4 Topics​

  • Prejudice and Discrimination (complete)
  • Group Dynamics (complete)
  • Attitudes (complete)
  • Conformity and Obedience (complete)

Week 2: Next 4 Topics​

  • Research Methods
  • Person Perception and Attribution
  • Aggression
  • Social Conflict

Week 3: Remaining High Priority​

  • Interpersonal Attraction
  • Pro-social Behaviour
  • Collective and Crowd Behaviour

Week 4: Medium Priority + Revision​

  • Complete medium priority topics
  • Revise all high priority topics
  • Practice Section A answers (450 words each)

✅ Progress Tracking​

High Priority Topics Completed: 0/11 Progress: 0%