8 Social Processes, Attitudes, and Behavior

Question 1

social action

Answer 1

actions/behaviors that are conscious of and performing because others are around

Question 2

social facilitation

Answer 2

people perform better on simpler tasks when others are present

Question 3

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Answer 3

presence of others causes arousal

increases ability to do tasks one is already good at (simple tasks)
decreases ability to do tasks one is less familiar with (complex tasks)

Question 4

deindividuation

Answer 4

individuals can be drastically different in social environments (become anonymous as part of the group)

Question 5

bystander effect

Answer 5

individuals to not intervene to help people when others are present

likelihood/timeliness of intervention inversely related to number of bystanders

Question 6

social loafing

Answer 6

individuals put forward less effort when in group setting

Question 7

peer pressure

Answer 7

social influence placed on individual by group/other individual

Question 8

identity shift effect

Answer 8

individual state of harmony disrupted by threat of social rejection

Question 9

cognitive dissonance

Answer 9

simultaneous presence of 2 opposing thoughts/opinions

Question 10

social interaction

Answer 10

2+ individuals can both shape each other’s behavior

group processes, establishment of culture

Question 11

group polarization

Answer 11

groups make more extreme decisions than the individual ideas/inclinations of the members

riskier OR more cautious

Question 12

groupthink

Answer 12

desire for harmony/conformity results in group coming to incorrect/poor decision

1. illusion of invulnerability
2. collective rationalization
3. illusion of morality
4. excessive stereotyping
5. pressure for conformity
6. self-censorship
7. illusion of unanimity
8. mindguards

Question 13

cultural assimilation

Answer 13

individual/group behavior starts to resemble that of another group & culture

slowed by creation of ethnic enclaves (eg. Chinatowns)

Question 14

multiculturalism

Answer 14

communities/societies containing multiple cultures encourages, respects, celebrates culture differences

enhances cultural diversity/acceptance

Question 15

subcultures

Answer 15

groups of people within a culture that distinguish themselves from the primary culture to which they belong

Question 16

counterculture

Answer 16

subculture group gravitates toward identity at odds with majority culture

deliberately opposes the prevailing social mores

Question 17

socialization

Answer 17

process of developing, inheriting, and spreading norms, customs, and beliefs

Question 18

primary socialization

Answer 18

childhood; generally learn acceptable actions/behaviors/attitudes of society

Question 19

secondary socialization

Answer 19

process of learning appropriate behavior within smaller sections of larger society

can also be resocialization

Question 20

norms

Answer 20

societal rules that govern boundaries of acceptable behavior

• means of social culture
• sanctions (rewards/penalties)
• against taboos

Question 21

deviance

Answer 21

any violation of norms

“deviant” description

Question 22

stigma

Answer 22

extreme dislike based on perceived differences from society

Question 23

labeling theory

Answer 23

labels given to people affect not only how others respond to that person, but also their own self-image

Question 24

differential attribution theory

Answer 24

deviance can be learned through interactions with others

intimate exposure lays groundwork

Question 25

strain theory

Answer 25

deviance = natural reaction to disconnect between social goals and social structure

Question 26

conformity

Answer 26

matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to societal norms

majority influence

Question 27

normative conformity

Answer 27

desire to fit in because of fear of rejection

Question 28

internalization

Answer 28

changing one’s behavior to fit with group while also privately agreeing

Question 29

identification

Answer 29

outward acceptance of others ideas without personally taking on these ideas

Question 30

compliance

Answer 30

change in behavior based on direct request (non-authority figure)

Question 31

foot-in-the-door

Answer 31

small request to achieve compliance then add a bigger request

Question 32

door-in-the-face

Answer 32

large initial request leads to refusal, then counter-offer smaller request

Question 33

lowball technique

Answer 33

gain initial commitment, then raise price

Question 34

that’s not all technique

Answer 34

initial offer + “deal better than expected”

Question 35

obedience

Answer 35

change in behavior as response to direct authority figure

Question 36

Milgram’s “teacher/learner” shock tests

Answer 36

experiment testing obedience hypothesis

Question 37

attitude

Answer 37

expression of positive/negative feelings towards person/place/thing/scenario

ABCs components:
affective = emotional response
behavioral = way person acts with respect to something
cognitive = way individual thinks about something

Question 38

functional attitudes theory

Answer 38

1. knowledge
   provides consistency and stability
2. ego expression
   communicate and solidify self-identity
3. adaptation
   socially accepted if socially acceptable attitudes expressed
4. ego defense
   protect self-esteem/justify actions we know are bad

Question 39

learning theory

Answer 39

attitudes develop through different forms of learning

• direct contact
• direct instruction

Question 40

elaboration likelihood model

Answer 40

separates individuals on continuum based on their processing of persuasive information

peripheral route (superficial thinking) central route (deep thinking)

Question 41

social cognitive theory

Answer 41

people learn how to behave based on observation of other’s behavior

Question 42

Bandura’s Triadic Reciprocal Causation

Answer 42

behavioral factors, personal factors, environmental factors