Ch8: Behavior in Social and Cultural Context Flashcards
Norms
Rules that regulate social life including explicit laws and implicit cultural convention
Roles
The social position that is governed by a set of norms for proper behavior
Culture
Shared rules that govern the behavior of people in the community and a set of value, beliefs, and customs shared by most in that community
Milgram’s Experiment
All participants shocked the actor at least once. 2/3 Gave all levels of shock, even though many were upset by being asked to do so.
Obedience is a function of the situation (roles, context, and status) not always of personality
Why do people obey?
- To avoid punishment
- Out of respect for authority
- Entrapment: individuals escalate their commitment to a course of actions to justify their investment of time, money, and effort
Attribution Theory
People are motivated their own and others behavior by attributing causes of that behavior to a disposition or situation
Fundamental Attribution Error
The tendency to explaining other people’s behavior, to overestimate personality factors and underestimate the influence of the situation.
Attitudes
A relatively stable opinion containing beliefs and emotional feelings about a topic, people, group, activity.
Implicit and Explicit Attitudes
Cognitive dissonance
A State of tension that occurs when a person simultaneously holds 2 cognitions that are psychologically inconsistent. Or when A person’s belief is inconsistent with their behavior
GroupThink
The tendency for all members in a group to think alike for the sake of harmony and ignore alternative beliefs
Bystander effect
The finding that a person is less likely to provide help when there are other bystanders
Diffusion of responsibility
When people feel that they are less responsible for helping someone in need if there are more people present
De Individualization
The loss of awareness of one’s own individuality and seem to hand themselves over to the mood of the crowd
Social Identity
Part of a person self-concept based on their identification with a social group
In-group bias
The tendency to favor one’s own group
