3. Social psychology Flashcards
What is social thinking, social influence and social relations?
- Social thinking - how we think about our social world
- Social influence - how other people influence our behaviour
- Social relations - how we relate toward other people
What is an attitude?
- A positive or negative evaluative reaction toward a stimulus
- This may be a person, action, object or concept
With reference to the theory of planned behaviour, what does changing an attitude towards our behaviour influence?
- Changing an attitude towards our behaviour influences our intention
- Therefore changing our behaviour
What is cognitive dissonance?
- Feeling of discomfort due to holding two opposing opinions
* e.g. smoking but accepting that it causes cancer
What 3 things can be used to resolve dissonance?
- Change behaviour e.g. in case of smoking => quitting
- Acquire new information e.g. seeking exceptions (“my grandfather smoked and lived to 96”)
- Reduce the importance of the cognitions (i.e. attitudes) e.g. convincing themselves that it is better to “live for the moment”
What makes a persuasive messenger for changing attitudes?
- Credible e.g. doctors
- Trustworthy e.g. objective
- Attractive
• Attention grabbing, well understood and easily remembered information
What does “framing” refer to?
Whether a message emphasises the benefits or losses of that behaviour
When are loss-framed messages more effective?
- When we want people to take up behaviours aimed at DETECTION of health problems
- e.g. HIV testing
When are gain-framed messages more effective?
- When we want people to take up behaviours aimed at promoting PREVENTION of health problems
- e.g. condom use
What is a stereotype?
- Generalisations made about a group of people or members of that group
- e.g. race, ethnicity or gender
- Can be more specific such as different medical specialisations
What is a prejudice?
To judge, often negatively, without having relevant factors, usually about a group or its individual members
What is discrimination?
Behaviours that follow from negative evaluations or attitudes towards members of particular groups
What is discrimination?
Behaviours that follow from negative evaluations or attitudes towards members of particular groups
How have stereotypes and prejudice affected GPs taking on mentally ill patients?
Study showed that GPs were reluctant to take on patients with a mental health history, despite it being well controlled
What are schemas?
- Mental or cognitive structures that contain general expectations and knowledge of the world
- Help us process information quickly and economically
- Facilitates memory recall
What is social loafing?
- The tendency for people to expend less individual effort when working in a group than when working alone
- Diffusion of responsibility
Give examples of when social loafing is more likely to occur
- Person believes that individual performance is not being monitored
- The task or group has less value or meaning to the person
- Person displays low motivation to strive for success
- Person expects that other group members will display high effort
In what gender and cultures is social loafing more common?
- Stronger in all-male groups
* More in individualistic cultures
Give examples of when social loafing may disappear
- Individual performance is monitored
- Members highly value their task goal or their group
- Smaller groups
- Members of similar competence
There have been experiments in which participants have conformed to the beliefs of people around
them, despite holding different beliefs themselves. Give 3 factors that affect conformity.
- Group size - conformity increases as group size increases up to 5 members
- Presence of a dissenter - one person disagreeing with the others greatly reduces group conformity
- Culture - greater in collectivistic cultures
What is bystander apathy?
Social psychological phenomenon in which individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present
How are people that don’t usually help in ‘bystander apathy’ affected and what are their reasons for not helping?
- Sometimes physical effects e.g. sweating
- Feelings of shame and guilt for not helping
- Reasons include embarrassment, exposure (or ruining an experiment if that was the context)
- Diffusion of responsibility and conformity also plays a role
What is the 5-step bystander decision process?
1) Notice the event
2) Decide if the event is really an emergency (social comparison)
3) Assuming responsibility to intervene (diffusion of responsibility)
4) Self-efficacy in dealing with the situation
5) Decision to help (based on cost-benefit analysis e.g. danger)
What did the Milgram experiment involve and show?
- Learner (actor) and teacher (participant)
- Learner was shocked every time they answered a Q wrong
- Participant could not see, but hear the screams of the ‘learner’
- Experiment showed that ordinary people are likely to follow orders given by an authority figure - even to the extent of killing an innocent human
What factors influence obedience?
- Remoteness of the victim
- Closeness and legitimacy of the authority figure
- When someone else does the dirty work (diffusion of responsibility)
What is groupthink?
The tendency of group members to suspend critical thinking because they are striving to seek agreement
What is group polarisation?
The tendency of people to make decisions that are more extreme when they are in a group, as opposed to a decision made alone
When is groupthink more 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
What is an autocratic or authoritarian leadership style?
- Leader dominated
- All decision-making powers are centralised in the leader, as with dictators
- Do not entertain any suggestions or initiatives from subordinates
What is a participative/democratic style?
- Favours decision-making by a group
- Leaders gives instruction after consulting the group
- The leader can win the co-operation of their group and motivate them effectively and positively
What is a Laissez-Faire or “free rein” style?
- Leader does not lead, but leaves the group entirely to itself
- Maximum freedom to subordinates
- Employee dominated leadership
What are the advantages and disadvantages of an autocratic leadership?
Advantages
• Enables quick decision making
• Clear hierarchy of responsibility
Disadvantages
• Demotivating
• Can lead to errors
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a democratic leadership?
Advantages
• Can win cooperation and motivate the team
• Can improve quality of decision making
Disadvantages
• Time consuming
• Can lead to disagreements
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a Laissez-Faire leadership?
Advantages
• Allows autonomous working
• Allows expertise to be utilised
Disadvantages
• Lack of direction
• Lack of ultimate responsibility holder
