BSCI 8: Social Processes, Attitudes, Behavior

Question 1

Michelangelo Phenomenon

Answer 1

A close relationship between two individuals sculpts (or an individual and their environment) both individuals’ skills and traits

Question 2

Social action

Answer 2

Actions and behaviors that an individual performs or modulates because others are around

Question 3

Social interaction

Answer 3

Considers the behavior and actions of two or more individuals who take one another into account

Question 4

Social facilitation

Answer 4

The tendency of people to perform better on simple tasks when in the presence of others.
*It supports the idea that people naturally exhibit a performative response when they know they are being watched.

Question 5

Yerkes-Dodson Law of Social Facilitation

Answer 5

~ Being in the presence of others increases arousal which can

• enhance performance of “simple tasks” (tasks an individual is already good at) or
• hinder performance of “complex tasks” (tasks an individual is less familiar with)

Question 6

Deindividuation

Answer 6

The loss of one’s self-awareness in a group setting (individual anonymity) and the associated adoption of a more group oriented identity; also called Mob Mentality

Question 7

Bystander Effect

Answer 7

Wherein individuals, when other people are present, do not intervene to assist those in perceived need

Question 8

What are the factors effecting to the bystander effect?

Answer 8

• when in groups, people are less likely to notice danger or anything out of the ordinary
• when in groups, an individual is less likely to perceive a situation as a threat when others are not responsive
• the degree of perceived danger
• the degree of responsibility felt by the bystander
• cohesiveness of the group

Question 9

Social loafing

Answer 9

Tendency of individuals to reduce effort in a group setting

Question 10

Peer pressure

Answer 10

Social influence placed on an individual by one’s peers

Question 11

Identity shift effect

Answer 11

A response to adopt to the standards of a group in an effort to decrease the discomfort of the cognitive dissonance caused by conflicting individual identity and social expectations.

*When an individual’s state of harmony is disrupted by a threat of social rejection, the individual is more likely to conform to the norms of the group and adopts an identity shift to quell the social dissonance.

Question 12

Group polarization

Answer 12

Tendency for groups to collaboratively make decisions that are more extreme than the individual ideas and inclinations

Question 13

Choice shift

Answer 13

Where decisions are swayed towards more extreme or more caution when going from individual decisions to group decisions

Question 14

Groupthink

Answer 14

Social phenomenon in which desire for harmony or conformity results in a group of people coming to an incorrect or poor decision

Question 15

What are the 8 factors indicative of groupthink?

Answer 15

Illusion of invulnerability, collective rationalization, illusion of morality, excessive stereotyping, pressure for conformity, self-censorship, illusion of unanimity, and mind-guarding…

1) Illusion of invulnerability: members encourage risks, ignore possible pitfalls, and are too optimistic about their decisions
2) Collective rationalization: members ignore expressed concerns about group approved ideas
3) Illusion of morality: members believe ideas produced by the group as morally and ethically correct
4) Excessive stereotyping: members construct stereotypes of those expressing outside opinions
5) Pressure for conformity: members feel pressured not to express opinions that disagree with the group (that may be deemed as “disloyalty” by other members)
6) Self-censorship: members withhold ideas and opinions that disagree with the group
7) Illusion of anonymity: members believe the decisions and judgments of the group to be without disagreement (even if there is disagreement)
8) Mind-guarding: when some members decide to take on a role to “protect” the group against opposing views

Question 16

Culture

Answer 16

Beliefs, behaviors, actions, and charactersitics of a group or society of people

Question 17

Cultural assimilation

Answer 17

When an individual’s or group’s behavior and culture begins to resemble those of another group; or when groups of different cultures begin to merge, often not in an even blending

Question 18

Ethnic enclaves

Answer 18

Locations with high concentration of one specific ethnicity, e.g. Chinatowns or Little Italy’s

Question 19

Multiculturalism

Answer 19

Or “cultural diversity”; communities or societies containing different cultures, that encourage, respect, and celebrate cultural differences

Question 20

Subculture

Answer 20

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

Question 21

Cultural learning

Answer 21

Also “cultural transmission”; mode of passing down beliefs, customs, and cultural norms from generation to generation

Question 22

Socialization

Answer 22

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

Question 23

Primary socialization

Answer 23

Occurs in childhood when we learn acceptable actions and attitudes in our society through observation of caretakers and other adults in close proximity

Question 24

Secondary socialization

Answer 24

Process of learning appropriate behavior within smaller sections of society (e.g. school)

Question 25

Anticipatory socialization

Answer 25

Process by which a person prepares for future changes in occupation, living situations, and relationships

Question 26

Resocialization

Answer 26

Process by which one discards old behaviors in favor of new ones

Question 27

Mores

Answer 27

Widely observed social norms

Question 28

Sanctions

Answer 28

Penalties for misconduct or rewards for appropriate behavior

Question 29

Social control

Answer 29

Regulating the behavior of individuals and groups; such as through norms and sanctions

Question 30

Folkways

Answer 30

Norms that refer to a behavior is considered polite in particular social interactions

Question 31

Agent of socialization

Answer 31

Any part of society that is important when learning social norms and values

Question 32

Popular culture

Answer 32

Common trends and beliefs prevalent at a given point in time

Question 33

Deviance

Answer 33

Any violation of norms, rules, or expectations within a society

Question 34

Social stigma

Answer 34

Extreme disapproval or dislike of a person or group based on perceived differences from the rest of society

Question 35

Labeling Theory

Answer 35

~ The labels given to a person affect not only how others respond to that person but also affect that person’s self-image.

Question 36

Role engulfment

Answer 36

Internalization of a label and assumption of the role implied by the label (taking over a person’s identity)

Question 37

Differential Association Theory

Answer 37

~ Criminal deviance can be learned through interactions with others, gravitating towards deviant behavior when there are more numerous or intense engagement with others engaging in deviant behaviors than those engaging in normative behaviors.

Question 38

Differential association

Answer 38

The degree to which one is surrounded by ideals that adhere to social norms vs ideals that go against them

Question 39

Strain Theory

Answer 39

Attempts to explain deviance as a natural reaction to the disconnect between social goals and social structure

Question 40

Conformity

Answer 40

Also, “majority influence”; matching one’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to a group or societal norms

Question 41

Internalization

Answer 41

Involves changing one’s behavior to fit with a group while also privately agreeing with the ideas of the group

Question 42

Identification

Answer 42

Outward acceptance of others’ ideas without personally taking on these ideas

Question 43

Zimbardo Experiment

Answer 43

Recruited 21 male college students who were each randomly assigned a prisoner or guard role where the “guards” eventually began physically abusing the “prisoners” who became more submissive

Question 44

Foot-in-the-door technique

Answer 44

Method of gaining compliance by starting with a small request and making larger requests after compliance to the small request

Question 45

Compliance

Answer 45

Change in behavior based on a direct request typically made by those who do not hold authority

Question 46

Door-in-the-face technique

Answer 46

Method of gaining compliance by starting with large request then a smaller request if the first request is rejected

Question 47

Lowball technique

Answer 47

Method to gain compliance by getting an initial commitment from an individual then raising the cost of commitment later on (may involve concealment of actual costs)

Question 48

That’s-not-all technique

Answer 48

Method of compliance where an individual is made an offer, but before a decision is made, is “given” an even better deal

Question 49

Obedience

Answer 49

Changing one’s behavior in response to direct order or expectation expressed by an authority figure

Question 50

Milgram Experiment

Answer 50

One of the most notable obedience experiments where participants were recruited to take on “teacher” roles to “learners” (who were actually paid actors) whom they must shock with increasingly higher voltages for every mistake made to answer teacher questions. More than 60% of “teachers” continued to administer shocks despite being uncomfortable to do so and wishing to discontinue - showing obedience to the experimenters.

Question 51

Social cognition

Answer 51

Focuses on the ways in which people think about others ad how these ideas impact behavior

Question 52

What are the 3 components of attitude?

Answer 52

Affective, behavioral, and cognitive

Question 53

Affective component of attitude

Answer 53

The emotion behind the attitude

Question 54

Behavioral component of attitude

Answer 54

The action response given the attitude

Question 55

Cognitive component of attitude

Answer 55

The rationale given by the attitude-holder regarding the other 2 components of attitude

Question 56

Attitude

Answer 56

Expression of positive or negative feeling towards something or someone

Question 57

Functional Attitudes Theory

Answer 57

~ Attitudes serve 4 functions (knowledge, ego expression, adaptation, ego defense)

Question 58

What are the 4 functions of attitudes according to the Functional Attitudes Theory

Answer 58

1) Knowledge function: attitudes can inform about potential behaviors; attitudes also help organize an individual’s thoughts and experiences
2) Ego expression: attitudes can solidify our self-identity
3) Adaption: expression of socially-accepted attitudes will lead to acceptance in social settings
4) Ego defense: attitudes can protect our self-esteem and also justify actions that we know may be right or wrong

Question 59

Learning Theory

Answer 59

~ Attitudes are developed through different forms of learning (direct contact, direct instructions from others, conditioning, observational)

Question 60

Elaboration Likelihood Model

Answer 60

Theory in attitude formation and change that separates individuals on a continuum depending on how they process persuasive information

Question 61

Central route processing

Answer 61

Processing information and content before formation of attitude

Question 62

Peripheral route processing

Answer 62

Processing superficial details (appearance and credentials of speaker, visual presentation) in how information is presented before the formation of attitudes

Question 63

Social Cognition Theory

Answer 63

~ Attitude is formed through observation and replication of others’ behaviors, not by trial-and-error; influenced by 3 factors in the Bandura’s triadic causation.

Question 64

Bandura’s triadic reciprocal causation

Answer 64

Behavioral factors, personal factors, and environmental factors influence each other in attitude formation