6. Social Behavior and Perceptions

Question 1

Fundamental attribution error

Answer 1

tendency for people to judge individuals based on their personal traits than the environmental factors surrounding the event; e.g. if a person performed poorly on a test, one would first assume they were dumb or too lazy to study for the test. Not as likely to assume the person’s sister died and they were preoccupied, etc.

Question 2

Foraging behavior

Answer 2

seeking out and eating food; driven by biological, psychological, and social influences; cognitive skills play a role in the success of both solitary and group foraging; e.g. spatial awareness, memory, decision-making

Question 3

Social Action

Answer 3

Actions and behaviors that individuals are conscious of and performing because others are around; humans behave in different ways based on their social environment and how their behavior will affect those around them

Question 4

Display rules

Answer 4

determine how emotions are displayed in public; e.g. Asian cultures have collectivist display rules in which it is believed that emotions should not be shown in public settings

Question 5

Attribution theory

Answer 5

describes the way a person uses information to develop causal explanations

Question 6

Egocentrism

Answer 6

the inability to take the perspective of another person

Question 7

Ethnocentrism

Answer 7

occurs when individuals compare their own cultural practices w/ others

Question 8

Self-Concept and Identity

Answer 8

refers to the way an individual views him or herself

Question 9

Game theory

Answer 9

focuses on rational behavior of interacting people; holds that people are rational beings who act according to their self interest

Question 10

Altruism

Answer 10

the idea of doing a good deed for someone else w/out any self motive

Question 11

How does game theory apply to altruism?

Answer 11

Game theory explains acts of altruism by arguing that people are helping others because it did serve some self-interest

Question 12

Machiavellianism

Answer 12

trait; tendency of an individual to justify questionable means with the end (end justifies the means)

Question 13

Frustration-aggression hypothesis

Answer 13

assumes that people will be more aggressive when they are frustrated; is also assumes that being hindered from a desired goal is frustrating

Question 14

Social integration

Answer 14

the process where separate groups are combined to form a unified society. Integration implies coming together as a whole; also used to describe the process of a person becoming assimilated into a group

Question 15

4 Types of Attachment

Answer 15

Secure, Avoidant, Ambivalent, Disorganized

Question 16

Secure Attachment

Answer 16

results in normal social functioning; when caregiver is reliable and secure source of comfort; important in first 2 years of life

• Child can explore the world comfortably and prefers caregiver to strangers
• Child will grow up with adequate social skills

Question 17

Avoidant Attachment

Answer 17

• caregiver does not respond to distressed child
• Child shows no preference for caregiver

Question 18

Ambivalent Attachment

Answer 18

• caregiver has inconsistent response to distressed child
• Child is distressed when caregiver leaves, mixed response upon return

Question 19

Disorganized Attachment

Answer 19

• caregiver is often erratic or socially withdrawn;
• child shows no consistent pattern of behavior toward a caregiver

Question 20

Mating Systems

Answer 20

• Monogamy - one male, one female
• Polygamy - multiple partners
  
  • Polygyny - one male, multiple females (more common than polyandry)
  • Polyandry - one female, multiple males
• Promiscuity - multiple partners, no exclusivity

Question 21

4 main sociological theories

Answer 21

• Microsociology
  
  • Symbolic interactionism
  • Social constructionism
• Macrosociology
  
  • Conflict theory
  • Functionalism

Question 22

Symbolic interactionism

Answer 22

• a theoretical framework that studies the way individuals interact through a shared understanding of words, gestures, and other symbols
• (microsociology)

Question 23

Social Constructionism

Answer 23

• a theory of emotional expression that assumes there are no biologically wired emotions; rather, they are based on experiences and situational context alone
• (microsociology)

Question 24

Functionalism

Answer 24

• a theoretical framework that explains how parts of society fit together to create a cohesive whole
• (macrosociology)