chap. 7

Question 1

How does belonging elicit behaviour?

Answer 1

When our need to belong goes unfulfilled, it increases our motivation to seek out affiliation with others

Question 2

What is social snacking? Give an example.

Answer 2

• It is a symbolic reminder of our current or past social connections which fulfills our need to belong
  –> p.ex: looking at old photos

Question 3

How does belonging produce positive outcomes?

Answer 3

• Belonging facilitates survival from an evolutionary perspective
  –>in the past, belonging to a group allowed us to protect ourselves, hunt, get food, etc.
  –> those who have a lesser need to belong failed to pass on their genetic code, thus humans today do have this need to belong to promote survival
• Belonging is necessary for mental and physical health

Question 4

How is belonging universal?

Answer 4

• The need to belong is rooted in our brain
• Social connections are inherently rewarding, while rejections are inherently painful
• Bonding releases oxytocin (love hormone)

Question 5

True or false: The desire to belong begins early.

Answer 5

True:
→ 36 hours of birth, babies prefer human faces suggests the inherent human inclination to connect with others and establish bonds
→ 12 to 36 hours, infants prefer a video of their mother’s face (familiar)
→ 70 hours, infants begin to imitate facial expressions and physical actions
→ four days after birth, upset if an adult stops interacting with them
→ six weeks, babies will imitate the mannerisms of a person they recognize

Question 6

What is a person’s relational value?

Answer 6

• Reflects the degree to which other people value a relationship with them
• It is determined by the positive qualities and behaviour that we bring to our interactions
• It’s very subjective and can change

Question 7

___-___ is driven by our sense of belonging

Answer 7

Self-esteem

Question 8

What happens to our self-esteem when our relational value is low?

Answer 8

• We feel rejected, thus our self-esteem is low
• It’s an alarm to engage in more positive interactions

Question 9

What is self-presentation?

Answer 9

• How we create an impression on others
• When we’re successful in our self-presentation, we make a good impression

Question 10

What are the 2 ways to create self-presentation?

Answer 10

1) Likeability
- Emphasize similarity
–> p.ex: dating apps prioritize people with similar interests for matches
–> Utilize ingratiation: our attempt to show others that we like them
→ p.ex: flattery, praise, compliments, etc.
2) Competence
- people who are more competent tend to have a higher relational value

Question 11

What does social identity theory suggest about fulfilling our need to belong?

Answer 11

• Suggests that we form groups quickly and display in-group favoritism because our groups represent a major source of self-esteem
• Creates an “us vs. them” attitude
• When our group does well, we get a boost of self-esteem
  –> p.ex: winning the panda game

Question 12

What does the terror management theory suggest about fulfilling our need to belong?

Answer 12

• Suggests that people cope with the inherent fear of their own death by promoting and defending the groups and institutions to which they belong
• A major reason why we have a need to belong to groups is because they allow our legacy to continue long after our death because humans are aware of their own mortality
• This theory however comes with a lot of critics

Question 13

In relation to terror management theory, ___ ___ motivated people to increase their social connections

Answer 13

Mortality salience; the more people think about death, the more motivated they are to find a group

Question 14

What does optimal distinctiveness theory suggest about fulfilling our need to belong?

Answer 14

• Asserts that individuals desire to attain an optimal balance of inclusion (being a part of the group) and distinctiveness (being unique) within and between social groups and situations
  → people are uncomfortable when they are TOO similar to others, as well as when they are TOO unique

Question 15

What is the assimilation and differentiation need in ODT? How can we resolve this?

Answer 15

• The fundamental need to assimilate (be part of the group) but also to differentiate (be unique) creating a sort of tension between the 2
  –> when we satisfy one, we feel a deficit in the other
• We can resolve this by seeking an OPTIMAL balance

Question 16

Give an example of an optimal balance in ODT.

Answer 16

• We want to belong to groups are ARE distinct, but not TOO distinct that we feel separate from others
  –> p.ex: Daughter of immigrants, Friends fan, Swiftie, starbucks barista

Question 17

What are the two sides to cyberspace impacting our need to belong?

Answer 17

• we are able to have access to multiple groups, it’s easy access, BUT, this may cause issues with having TOO many options which may overwhelm us in reaching out
• cyberspace helps us maintain social connections when otherwise we wouldn’t be able to
  → but it can sometimes make us feel lonelier when we are constantly seeing the best of others’ lives and we feel like we’re missing out

Question 18

True or false: Social media interaction should be used to replace face-to-face interactions to increase belonging.

Answer 18

False: replacing it will DECREASE our sense of belonging; it should rather be used to maintain our relationships

Question 19

True or false: According to Sheldon et. al., facebook study, connection and disconnection were both positively correlated with facebook use.

Answer 19

True

Question 20

Our sense of belonging is a ___ AND ___ of facebook use.

Answer 20

Cause; consequence

Question 21

How can our sense of belonging be a cause of facebook use?

Answer 21

People who feel disconnected from their social relationships are more motivated to use facebook; thus disconnection is a cause of using FB

Question 22

How can our sense of belonging be a consequence of facebook use?

Answer 22

When people actually use facebook, they feel more connected to their social relationships; thus, increased connection is a consequence of using FB

Question 23

True or false: Social media use is a temporary fix to social disconnexions

Answer 23

True

Question 24

True or false: According to a study, increased internet use is linked to increased face-to-face interactions with family and friends.

Answer 24

True

Question 25

What is ostracism?

Answer 25

• Occurs when an individual or a group ignores, rejects or excludes someone
• Complete removal of a person from a relationship or more subtle hints of inattention

Question 26

What are some consequences to ostracism?

Answer 26

• Cognitive impairment: the ability to think rationally and logically is decreased
• Aggression: May lead to more violence
• Low self-regulation: trouble controlling impulses
• Long-term: people tend to develop self-destructive tendencies (ED, delinquency, dropping out, etc.)

Question 27

What are the 3 reactions to rejection (or ostracism)?

Answer 27

1) Internal reactions: Low self-esteem, hurt feelings, numbness, impaired cognitions
2) Behavioural reactions: Aggression, self-regulation
3) Long-term reactions: Self-destructive behaviours, suicide

Question 28

Compared to a lone individual, groups are better able to hunt large animals, share food, defend against predators and invaders, and care for offspring. Those with a strong need ________ have been more likely to survive and reproduce than those with a weak need

Answer 28

To belong

Question 29

According to ________, once people begin categorizing others into in-groups and out-groups, feelings of competition arise along with a desire to win

Answer 29

Social identity theory

Question 30

Attempts to maximize acceptance and minimize rejection can be conceptualized as efforts to maintain and enhance our _______, which reflects the degree to which other people value interaction with and having a relationship with us

Answer 30

relational value

Question 31

According to many experts, the main reason why people contemplate and attempt suicide, regardless of age, is

Answer 31

A chronic lack of belonging