1. Social Psychology Flashcards

Question

What are the advantages vs disadvantages of each of the leadership styles?

Answer 1

A

Attitude: a positive or negative evaluative reaction towards a stimulus such as a person, action, object or concept

Attitude influences behaviours more strongly when situational factors that contradict our attitudes are weak

Answer 2

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Dissonance - belief, and behavior contradicting each other

The feeling of discomfort due to holding two opposing opinions
For example, someone acknowledging that they smoke, whilst accepting that smoking causes cancer
The science of cognitive dissonance can be used to our advantage

Resolving dissonance:

- Change behavior: In the case of smoking, this would involve quitting, which might be difficult and thus avoided

- Acquire new information: such as seeking exceptions e.g. “my grandfather smoked all his life and lived to be 96”

- Reduce the importance of cognition: (i.e. beliefs, attitudes) - a person could convince themself that it is better to “live for the moment”

Answer 3

A

Message more effective if:

Reaches recipient
Is attention-grabbing
Easily understood and remembered
Relevant and important

More persuasive messengers are:

Credible e.g. doctors
Trustworthy e.g. objective
Appealing e.g. well-presented

Answer 4

A

- Refers to whether a message emphasises the benefits or losses of that behaviour

When we want people to take up behaviours aimed at detecting health problems or illness (e.g. HIV testing) loss-framed messages may be more effective
When we want people to take up behaviours aimed at promoting prevention behaviours (e.g. condom use) gain-framed messages may be more effective
Loss frame messages - more effective for screening measures*
Gain-framed messages - more effective for prevention behaviours*

Answer 5

A

Prejudice: to judge, often negatively, without having relevant facts, usually about a group or its individual members

Stereotype: generalisations made about a group of people or members of that group, such as race, ethnicity, or gender. Or more specific such as different medical specialisations (e.g. surgeons)

Discrimination: behaviours that follow from negative evaluations or attitudes towards members of particular groups

Answer 6

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Conformity: the adjustment of individual behaviours, attitudes and beliefs to a group standard

Answer 7

A

- Group size - conformity increases with group size up to 5 members (no further increases after that)
- Presence of dissenter/unanimity - presence of someone who disagrees with the group
- Culture - greater in collectivistic cultures
- Cohesion
- Status
- Public response
- Lack of prior commitment

Answer 8

A

Study on conformity

Participants were given a very simple ‘vision test’ comparing lengths of lines and the subject was put in a room with many experimenters who all chose the wrong answer for the vision test
The majority of subjects conformed with the group consensus
In the control group (the subject undertook the vision test alone), less than 1% conformed

Answer 9

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Obedience: the compliance with commands given by an authority figure

Answer 10

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- Remoteness of the individual
- Closeness and legitimacy of the authority figure
- Diffusion of responsibility - obedience increases when someone else does the dirty work/takes the blame
- Not personal characteristics

Answer 11

A

Study on obedience

There was one ‘learner’ and one ‘teacher’
An actor was placed in an electric chair and was asked questions to test their memory
The participants of the study were asked to give electric shocks of increasing intensity as the actor got more and more questions wrong
Even when the shock level reached lethal levels and the actor seemed unconscious or dead, the majority of participants still obeyed the command to deliver a shock

Answer 12

A

The tendency for people to expend less individual effort when working in a group than when working alone

Answer 13

A

More likely to occur when:

- The person believes that individual performance is not being monitored
- The task (goal) or the group has less value or meaning to the person
- The person generally displays low motivation to strive for success
- The person expects that other group members will display high effort

Depends on gender and culture:

- Occurs more strongly in all-male groups
- Occurs more often in individualistic cultures

Social loafing may disappear when:

- Individual performance is monitored
- Members highly value their group or the task goal
- Groups are smaller
- Members are of similar competence

Answer 14

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On a collective task, people will put forth only as much effort as they expect is needed to reach their goal.

Answer 15

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The tendency of group members to suspend critical thinking because they are striving to seek agreement

Answer 16

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Most likely to occur when a group:

Is under high stress to reach a decision
Is insulated from outside input
Has a directive leader
Has high cohesiveness

Answer 17

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Direct pressure applied to people who express doubt
Mind guards – people who prevent negative information from reaching the group.
Members display self-censorship and withhold doubts.
An illusion of unanimity is created

Answer 18

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The tendency of people to make decisions that are more extreme when they are in a group as opposed to a decision made alone or independently

Answer 19

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The presence of multiple bystanders inhibits each person’s tendency to help; often due to social comparison or diffusion of responsibility

Answer 20

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1. Notice the event

2. Decide if the event is an emergency: social comparison – look at how others are responding

3. Assume the responsibility to intervene: diffusion of responsibility – believing others will help

4. Self-efficacy in dealing with the situation

5. Decision to help – based on a cost-benefit analysis, e.g. danger.

Answer 21

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Reduce restraints on helping

Reduce ambiguity and increase responsibility
Enhance guilt and concern for self-image

Socalise altruism

Teaching moral inclusion
Modelling helpful behaviour
Attributing helpful behaviour to altruistic motives
Education about barriers to helping

Answer 22

A

Study on the Bystander Effect

Participants were invited into the lab under the pretext that they were taking part in a discussion about ‘personal problems’ over the radio
Then one student in the adjacent room had a ‘seizure’
When the participants were by themselves, the majority of subjects helped
But when the subjects were in a group of 4, only around 30% helped
When in groups of more than 4, almost no one helped

Answer 23

A

Autocratic or Authoritarian Style – all decisions are made by a leader

All decision-making powers are centralized in the leader, as with dictator leaders. They do not entertain any suggestions or initiatives from subordinates.

Participative or Democratic Style

– leaders make decisions after consulting a group

Favours decision-making by the group as shown, such as a leader gives instruction after consulting the group. They can win the co-operation of their group and can motivate them effectively and positively.

Laissez-faire or ‘Free Reign’ Style

– leaves the group entirely to themselves

A free-rein leader does not lead, but leaves the group entirely to itself as shown; such a leader allows maximum freedom to subordinates, i.e., they are given a free hand in deciding their own policies and methods.