Behavioral Sciences Flashcards
functionalism
society = an organism
each part of society works to maintain dynamic equilibrium (homeostasis)
macro
Theorists: Emile Durkheim + Talcott Parsons
rational choice/social exchange
individual behaviors/interactions attempt to maximize personal gain and minimize personal cost
micro
symbolic interactionism
meaning and value attached to symbols
individual interactions based on these symbols
micro
Theorists: Charles Cooley + George Mead
social constructionism
social actors define what’s real
knowledge about world based on interactions
macro or micro
conflict theory
society = struggle for limited resources
- inequality built on social class
macro perspective
Theorists: Karl Marx + Max Weber
stereotype threat
occurs when negative stereotype exists about a social group and a member of that group is made aware of that stereotype before engaging in an activity, which causes performance to suffer
fundamental attribution error
when individuals attribute their behavior of others to their inherent nature instead of environmental factors
cognitive dissonance
when an individual’s thoughts and actions do not align or if an individual holds two competing attitudes