10.1 Social Behaviour Flashcards
interpersonal attraction
the force that makes people like eachother; we tend to be attracted to people who are similar to us and those with a good appearance
self-disclosure
a component of attration; sharing one’s fears, thoughts, and goals with another perosn and being met with non judgmental empathy
reciprocal liking
the phenomenon where people like others better when they believe the other peroson likes them
proximity
being physically close to someone; plays a factor in our attraction to others; ex. We are more likely to befriend someone who sits close to us in class
mer exposure effect / familiarity effect
a phenemon where people prefer stimuli that they have been exposed to more frequently; ex. Growing to like a song you initially didn’t like
aggression
a behaviour that intends to cause harm or increase social dominance; can be physical, verbal, or nonverbal
amygdala role
responsible for associating stimuli and their corresponding rewards or punishments; tells us whether or not something is a threat; activation increases aggression
which brain region increases aggression when activated?
amygdala; note: the prefrontal cortex can reduce emotional reactivity and impulsivity caused by amgydala activation
aggression is linked with higher levels of which hormone?
testosterone
the cognitive neoassociation model
we are more likely to respond to others aggressively whenever we are feeling negative emotions; ex. when tired, in pain, hunger, etc.
attachment
an emotional bond between a caregiver and a child
4 main types of attachment styles
secure, avoidant, ambivalent, disorganized
secure attachment
when a child has a consistent caregiver and is able to go out and explore, knowing they have a secure base to return to; upseet upon the departure of the caregiver and comforted by their return
avoidant attachment
when the caregiver has little or no response to a distressed child; these children show no preference between a stranger and a caregiver and show little/no distress when the caregiver leaves or returns
ambivalent attachment
when the caregiver has an inconsistent reponse to a child’s distress, sometimes responding appropriately and sometimes neglectfully; very distressed upon separation from caregiver but has mixed response when they return
disorganized attachment
children show no clear pattern of behaviour in repsonse to the caregiers absenese or presenece; often associated with errative behaviour and social withdrawal by the caregiver; may be a sign of abuse
social support
the perception or reality that one is cared for by a social network
ex. it is very prominent when someone suffers a tragedy
emotional support
listening, affirming, and empathizing with someone’s feelings
esteem support
reminding someone of the qualities and skills they possess to tackle a problem (similar to emotional support)
material (or tangible) support
any type of financial or material contribution to another person
ex. making a meal for a friend who has lost a loved one; donating money to someone in need
informational support
providing information that will help someone
ex. a doctor explaining diagnoses to a patient
network support
the type of social support that gives someone a sense of belonging
foraging
the behaviour of seeking our and eating food
driven by biological, psychological, and social influences
which brain region controls the sensation of hunger?
the hypothalamus
Lateral → promotes hunger
ventromedial → promotes satiety
mating system
describes the organization of a group’s sexual behaviour
in most animal species, there is one dominant mating system
humans mating system has more flexibility
mating
the pairing of opposite sex organisms for the purpose of reproduction and propagation of genetic material
Includes both the act of mating, the behaviours associated with it, and the events that occur after mating (like nest building)
monogamy
an exclusive acting relationship
polygamy
involves polygyny (a male having exclusive relationships with multiple females) or polyandry (a female having exclusive relationships with multiple males)
promiscuity
a member of one sex mating with any member of the opposite sex, without exclusivity
mate choice (intersexual selection)
the selection fo a mate based on attraction
mate bias
how choosy members of the species are while choosing a mate; an evolutionary mechanism that increases species fitness
may have direct or indirect benefits
direct and indirect benefits of mate bias
direct benefits → provide material advantages, protection, or emotional support
indirect benefits → promoting better survival in offspring
random mating
all equally likely to mate with each other; not influenced by environment/heredity or social limitation
Ensures a large amount of genetic diversity
Assortative Mating
Non-random mating where individuals with certain characteristics tend to mate with each other at a higher frequency (ex. large animals with large animals)
Problem: can be harmful to species if animals thatare too genetically similar mate (inbreeding)
scientists think this is the most beneficial
Disassortative Mating (Non-Assortative Mating)
opposite of assortative mating
individuals with different or diverse traits mate with higher frequency than with random mating
5 mechanisms of mate choice:
phenotypic benefits
sensory bias
Fisherian or runaway selection
indicator traits
genetic compatibility
phenotypic benefits
observable traits that make a potential mate more attractive to the opposite sex
ex. males that appear more nurturing are more likely to care for and promote survival of their offspring
sensory bias
development of a trait to match a preexisting preference that exists in the population
ex. crabs are naturally attracted to structures that break up the horizon b/c it suggests food; male crabs build structures to attract mates
Fisherian or runaway selection
a trait which has no effect or a negative effect on survival becomes more and more exaggerated over time
the trait becomes sexually desirable the more it is passed on?
ex. bright feathers of a peacock
indicator traits
traits that signify overall good health and well-being of on organism, increasing its attractiveness to mates
(may or may not be genetic in origin)
genetic compatibility
the creation of mate pairs that have complementary genetics when combined
attraction to others who have starkly different genetic makeup; reduces the frequency of recessive genetic disorders
altruism
a form of helping behaviour in which the person’s intent is to benefit someone else at some cost to themselves
may be motivated by selflessness OR a desire for recognition
empathy
the ability to vicariously experience the emotions of another
empathy-altruism hypothesis
a theory that an individual will help another person when they feel empathy for the other person, regardless of the costs
more recent theories think that the individual will help only if the benefits outweigh the costs for the individual
game theory
a model that explains social interaction and decision-making as a game, including strategies, incentives, and punishments
evolutionary stable strategy
a strategy that, once adopted, will use natural selective pressure to prevent alternate strategies from arising
inclusive fitness
a measure of an organism’s success in the population
considers both the number of offspring an individual produces, how well they support their offspring, AND the ability of the offspring to then support others
promotes the idea that altruistic behaviour can improve the fitness and success of a species as a whole
