4.3b Psychology of Social Situations: Group Behavior Flashcards
Social Facilitation
In the presence of others, improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks, and worsened performance on difficult tasks.
Yerkes-Dodson Law
Suggests that performance increases with mental arousal (stress) but only up to a point; when an individuals’ level of stress is too low or too high, their performance deteriorates.
Crowding
In a densely packed room, people like a friendly person more and an unfriendly person even less.
Social Loafing
The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts towards a common goal than when individually responsible.
Deindividuation
The loss of self awareness and self restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
Group Polarization
The enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussions within the group
Groupthink
The mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.
Culture
The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next.
Tight Cultures
A place with clearly defined and reliably imposed norms.
Loose Cultures
A place with flexible and informal norms.
Collectism
Situations focus on “we”, on meeting group standards and accommodating others.
Individualism
Situations focus on “me” as an independent separate self.
Multiculturalism
When value is placed on cultural and ethnic groups’ maintenance of their unique identities, beliefs, and practices.
