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MCAT: Behavioural Sciences > Chapter 10: Social Thinking > Flashcards

Chapter 10: Social Thinking Flashcards

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MCAT flashcards
1
Q

What is interpersonal attraction influenced by?

A

Physical characteristics, similarity, self-disclosure, reciprocity, and proximity

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2
Q

What is the Golden Ratio?

A

1.6:1

Humans are attracted to individuals with these proportions

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3
Q

Define self-disclosure.

A

Sharing one’s fears, thoughts, and goals with another person and being met with non-judgmental empathy, which deepens attraction and friendship

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4
Q

Why must self-disclosure be a reciprocal behavior?

A

Revealing one’s innermost secrets creates a sense of vulnerability that, if not met by the other person, can be interpreted as being taken advantage of

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5
Q

What is reciprocal liking?

A

The phenomenon whereby people like others better when they believe the other person likes them

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6
Q

What does the mere exposure/familiarity effect state?

A

People prefer stimuli that they have been exposed to more frequently

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7
Q

Define aggression.

A

Behavior that intends to cause harm or increase social dominance; can be physical or verbal or nonverbal

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8
Q

What is the purpose of aggression from an evolutionary perspective?

A

Evolutionarily, aggression offers protection against perceived and real threats, fight off predators, gain access to resources

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9
Q

What part of the brain increases aggression in response to a threat?

A

Amygdala; tells us whether something is a threat

If it is activated, it increases aggression

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10
Q

Which higher-order brain structures can place brakes on a revved-up aggressive amygdala? What will damage to this area cause?

A
  • Prefrontal cortex

- Damage to the prefrontal cortex is linked to increased aggressive behavior

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11
Q

Aggressive is also under hormonal control. Which hormone has been shown to increase aggressive behaviors?

A

Testosterone

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12
Q

What does the cognitive neoassociation model state?

A

We are more likely to respond to others aggressively whenever we are feeling negative emotions (tired, sick, frustrated, in pain, hungry)

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13
Q

Provide examples of the cognitive neoassociation model on a larger scale.

A
  • Riots are more likely to happen on hot days

- Drivers without air conditioning are more likely to honk at other drivers

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14
Q

In terms of attachment, define a secure base.

A

A caregiver who is consistent, available, comforting, and responsive

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15
Q

Define attachment.

A

An emotional bond between a caregiver and a child

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16
Q

What are the 4 main types of attachment styles?

A
  • Secure
  • Avoidant
  • Ambivalent
  • Disorganized
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17
Q

What does secure attachment require? What does this provide the child?

A
  • Requires a consistent caregiver

- The child is able to go out and explore knowing he or she has a secure base to return to

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18
Q

When does avoidant attachment occur? How does the child feel about their caregiver in comparison to strangers?

A
  • When a caregiver has little or no response to a distressed, crying child
  • The child shows no preference for the caregiver compared to strangers
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19
Q

When does ambivalent attachment occur? What happens when the caregiver leaves and returns?

A
  • When a caregiver has an inconsistent response to a child’s distress, sometimes appropriate, other times neglectful
  • Distressed when the caregiver leaves
  • Ambivalent when the caregiver returns
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20
Q

When does disorganized attachment occur? There is a mix of behaviors in response to the caregivers absence or presence, what are they?

A
  • When a caregiver is erratic or abusive

- Avoidance, resistance, seeming dazed, frozen, confused, repetitive behaviors (rocking)

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21
Q

Children with avoidant, ambivalent, or disorganized attachment can result in what?

A

Deficits in social skills

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22
Q

Which attachment is also known as anxious-ambivalent attachment?

A

Ambivalent; child is always anxious about the reliability of the caregiver

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23
Q

Define social support.

A

The perception or reality that one is cared for by a social network

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24
Q

What is emotional support? Give examples.

A

Listening, affirming, and empathizing with someone’s feelings
ex: Condolence card, visit to the hospital to see a sick relative

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25
Q

What is esteem support?

A

Affirming the qualities and skills of a person to bolster their confidence

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26
Q

What is material support? Give examples.

A

Any type of financial or material contribution to another person
ex: Making a meal for a friend, donating money

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27
Q

What social support category is also called tangible support?

A

Material support

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28
Q

What is informational support?

A

Providing information that will help someone

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29
Q

What is network support? Give examples.

A

Gives a person a sense of belonging

ex: Group hugs, gestures, group activities, shared experiences

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30
Q

What are the 5 types of social support?

A
  • Emotional support
  • Esteem support
  • Material support
  • Informational support
  • Network support
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31
Q

Define foraging.

A

Seeking out and eating food

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32
Q

How is foraging driven biologically?

A

Sensation of hunger is controlled by the hypothalamus

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33
Q

How does the hypothalamus control hunger specifically?

A
  • Lateral hypothalamus: promotes hunger

- Ventromedial hypothalamus: responds to cues that we are full and promotes satiety

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34
Q

What will happen if an individual suffers damage to the lateral hypothalamus?

A

Cause a person to lose all interest in eating

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35
Q

What will happen if an individual suffers damage to the ventromedial hypothalamus?

A

Will result in obesity; individual will never feel satiety

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36
Q

Which cognitive skills play a role in foraging?

A

Spatial awareness, memory, decision-making

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37
Q

Define monogamy.

A

Refers to an exclusive mating relationship

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38
Q

Differentiate polygyny and polyandry.

A
  • Both are examples of polygamy
  • Polygyny: male with multiple females
  • Polyandry: female with multiple males
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39
Q

Define promiscuity.

A

Refers to a member of one sex mating with any member of the opposite sex, without exclusivity

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40
Q

Define a mating system. What are the three mating systems commonly seen among animals?

A
  • Organization of a group’s sexual behaviour

- Monogamy, polygamy, promiscuity

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41
Q

Define mate choice. What is it also called?

A
  • Intersexual selection

- The selection of a mate based on attraction

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42
Q

Define mate bias.

A

Refers to how choosy members of the species are while choosing a mate

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43
Q

What is the aim of the mate bias?

A

Evolutionary mechanism aimed at increasing the fitness advantage of the species

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44
Q

What are the direct benefits of mate bias?

A
  • Benefits to the mate

- Providing material advantages, protection, or emotional support

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45
Q

What are the indirect benefits of mate bias?

A
  • Benefits to the offspring

- Promoting better survival in offspring

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46
Q

What are the 5 recognized mechanisms of mate choice?

A
  • Phenotypic benefits
  • Sensory bias
  • Fisherian or runaway selection
  • Indicator traits
  • Genetic compatibility
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47
Q

In terms of mate choice, what are the phenotypic benefits?

A
  • Observable traits that make a potential mate more attractive to the opposite sex
  • Indicate increased production and survival of offspring
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48
Q

In terms of mate choice, what is sensory bias?

A

Development of a trait to match a preexisting preference that exists in a population

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49
Q

In terms of mate choice, which mechanism does the following text illustrate:
Fiddler crabs are naturally attracted to structures that break up the horizontal level because they may indicate a food source. Male crabs take advantage of this and build pillars to attract mates

A

Sensory bias

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50
Q

In terms of mate choice, which mechanism does the following text illustrate:
Males that appear more nurturing are more likely to care for their offspring

A

Phenotypic benefits

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51
Q

In terms of mate choice, what is the Fisherian or runaway selection?

A

Positive feedback mechanism in which a particular trait that has no effect on survival becomes more and more exaggerated over time; increases sexuality and attractiveness

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52
Q

In terms of mate choice, which mechanism does the following text illustrate:
The bright plumage of a peacock

A

Fisherian or runaway selection

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53
Q

In terms of mate choice, what are indicator traits?

A

Trait that signifies overall good health and well-being of an organism, increasing its attractiveness to mates; may or may not be genetic

54
Q

In terms of mate choice, which mechanism does the following text illustrate:
Female cats are more attracted to male cats with clean and shiny coats; a dirty and dull coat may be related to an underlying genetic problem, malnutrition, or infection

A

Indicator traits

55
Q

In terms of mate choice, what is genetic compatibility?

A

The creation of mate pairs that, when combined, have complementary genetics

56
Q

Which theory provides a mechanism for the reduced frequency of recessive genetic disorders in the population? How?

A
  • Genetic compatibility
  • Attraction to others who have starkly different genes reduces the probability of offspring being homozygotic for a disease-carrying allele
57
Q

Define altruism.

A

A form of helping behavior in which the person’s intent is to benefit someone else at some cost to him- or herself

58
Q

What can helping behavior be motivated by?

A

Selflessness, egoism, ulterior motives

59
Q

Define empathy.

A

The ability to vicariously experience the emotions of another

60
Q

What does the empathy-altruism hypothesis state?

A

One individual helps another person when he or she feels empathy for the other person, regardless of the cost

61
Q

What does game theory attempt to explain?

A

Attempts to explain decision-making between individuals as if they are participating in a game

62
Q

What are the four possible alternatives for competitors when dealing with strategic interactions?

A
  • Altruism
  • Spite
  • Cooperation
  • Selfishness
63
Q

What is altruism?

A

The donor provides a benefit to the recipient at a cost to him or herself (+-)

64
Q

What is spite?

A

Both the donor and recipient are negatively impacted (–)

65
Q

What is cooperation?

A

Both the donor and recipient benefit by cooperating (++)

66
Q

What is selfishness?

A

The donor benefits while the recipient is negatively impacted (-+)

67
Q

Define inclusive fitness.

A

A measure of an organism’s success in a population based on the number of offspring, success in supporting offspring, and the ability of the offspring to then support others

68
Q

How does altruism create a problem for the traditional Darwinist model of evolution?

A

Why would an organism sacrifice its own fitness for the fitness of another?

69
Q

Define social perception. What is it also called?

A
  • Social cognition

- Provides the tools to make judgments and impressions regarding other people

70
Q

What are the 3 primary components of social perception?

A
  • Perceiver
  • Target
  • Situation
71
Q

In terms of social perception, what is the perceiver influenced by?

A

Experience, motives, emotions

72
Q

In terms of social perception, what is the target?

A

Refers to the person about which the perception is made

73
Q

What is the primacy effect?

A
  • First impressions are often more important than subsequent impressions
  • Cues have already been categorized
74
Q

What is the recency effect?

A

The most recent information we have about an individual is the most important in forming our impressions

75
Q

What is the reliance on central traits?

A

Individuals tend to organize the perception of others based on traits and personal characteristics of the target that are the most relevant to the perceiver

76
Q

What does the implicit personality theory state?

A

There are sets of assumptions people make about how different types of people, their traits, and their behavior are related

77
Q

What is the halo effect?

A
  • Cognitive bias in which judgments about a specific aspect of an individual can be affected by one’s overall impression of the individual
  • General impression will influence other more specific evaluations of a person
78
Q

Individuals perceiving attractive people as being trustworthy and friendly is an example of which concept?

A

The halo effect

79
Q

What is the just-world hypothesis?

A

The tendency of individuals to believe that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people

80
Q

Define the self-serving bias.

A

Refers to the fact that individuals will view their own successes as being based on internal factors, while viewing failures as being based on external factors

81
Q

What does the self-serving bias protect? Who is most likely to exhibit self-serving bias?

A
  • Our self-esteem

- Individuals with high self-esteem

82
Q

What is self-enhancement?

A

Focuses on the need to maintain self-worth and can be done through internal attribution of successes and external attribution of failures

83
Q

What does attribution theory focus on?

A

Focuses on the tendency for individuals to infer the causes of other people’s behavior

84
Q

What kind of individual would exhibit reversed attributional bias?

A

People with depression (“Oh, I got lucky this time”) (“It was all my fault”)

85
Q

Attribution can be subdivided into two categories. What are they?

A
  • Dispositional (internal)

- Situational (external)

86
Q

According to the attribution theory, what are dispositional causes?

A
  • Internal
  • Causes that relate to the features of the person whose behavior is being considered
  • ex: beliefs, attitudes, personality
87
Q

According to the attribution theory, what are situational causes?

A
  • External
  • Causes are related to features of the surroundings or social context
  • ex: threats, money, social norms, peer pressure
88
Q

Define consistency cues.

A

Refer to the consistent behavior of a person over time. The more regular the behavior, the more we associate that behavior with the motives of the person.

89
Q

Define consensus cues.

A

Relate to the extent to which a person’s behavior differs from others.

90
Q

Define distinctiveness cues.

A

Refer to the extent to which a person engages in similar behavior across a series of scenarios.

91
Q

If a person deviates from socially expected behavior, we are likely to form what kind of attribution?

A

Dispositional attribution

92
Q

If a person’s behavior varies in different scenarios, we are more likely to form what kind of attribution?

A

Situational attribution

93
Q

What does the correspondent inference theory state?

A

States that people pay closer attention to intentional behavior than accidental behavior when making attributions, especially if the behavior is unexpected

94
Q

What does the fundamental attribution error state?

A

We are generally biased toward making dispositional attributions rather than situational attributions, especially in negative contexts

95
Q

When does attribute substitution occur?

A

When individuals must make judgments that are complex, but instead they substitute a simpler solution or apply a heuristic

96
Q

What are the views of individualist cultures?

A
  • Anglo-American, Anglo-Saxon European

- High value on the individual, personal goals, and independence

97
Q

What are the views of collectivist cultures?

A
  • Asian and African societies

- Individuals as members of a group and place high value on conformity and interdependence

98
Q

What kind of culture (individualist or collectivist) tends to make more fundamental attribution errors?

A

Individualists make more fundamental attribution errors

99
Q

Individualists are more likely to attribute behavior to ______ factors, whereas collectivists are more likely to attribute behavior to ________ factors.

A

Individualists: dispositional factors
Collectivists: situational factors

100
Q

Define stereotypes.

A

Occur when attitudes and impressions are made based on limited and superficial information about a person or a group of individuals

101
Q

Define prejudice.

A

An irrational negative, or occasionally positive, attitude toward a person, group, or thing, which is formed prior to an actual experience

102
Q

Define discrimination.

A

When prejudicial attitudes cause individuals of a particular group to be treated differently than others

103
Q

Match the letters with the numbers:

1) Prejudice
2) Stereotypes
3) Discrimination

A) Cognitive
B) Behavioral
C) Affective

A

1) Prejudice C) Affective
2) Stereotypes A) Cognitive
3) Discrimination B) Behavioral

104
Q

Why are stereotypes useful?

A

Useful in defining categories and determining what does or does not fit into that category

105
Q

In terms of the stereotype content model, what are warm groups?

A

Those that are not in direct competition with the in-group for resources

106
Q

In terms of the stereotype content model, what are competent groups?

A

Those that have high status within society

107
Q

In terms of the stereotype content model, what is the paternalistic stereotype?

A
  • High warmth
  • Low competence
  • The group is looked down upon as inferior, dismissed, or ignored
  • Low status, not competitive
108
Q

Housewives, elderly people, and disabled people are examples of which stereotype?

A

Paternalistic

109
Q

In terms of the stereotype content model, what is the admiration stereotype?

A
  • High warmth
  • High competence
  • Those in which the group is viewed with pride and other positive feelings
  • High status, not competitive
110
Q

In-group and close allies are examples of which stereotype?

A

Admiration stereotype

111
Q

In terms of the stereotype content model, what is the contemptuous stereotype?

A
  • Low warmth
  • Low competence
  • Those in which the group is viewed with resentment, annoyance, or anger
  • Low status, competitive
112
Q

Welfare recipients and poor people are examples of which stereotype?

A

Contemptuous stereotype

113
Q

In terms of the stereotype content model, what is the envious stereotype?

A
  • Low warmth
  • High competence
  • Those in which the group is viewed with jealousy, bitterness, or distrust
  • High status, competitive
114
Q

Asians, Jews, rich people, and feminists are examples of which stereotype?

A

Envious stereotype

115
Q

What is the self-fulfilling prophecy?

A

The phenomenon of a stereotype creating an expectation of a particular group, which creates conditions that lead to confirmation of this stereotype

116
Q

What is stereotype threat?

A
  • Refers to the concept of people being concerned or anxious about confirming a negative stereotype about one’s social group
  • May perform worse, or avoid performance altogether
117
Q

White males in sports, women driving, and homosexual couples providing childcare are examples of what concept?

A

Stereotype threat

118
Q

How does propaganda relate to prejudice?

A

Common way by which large organizations or political groups attempt to create prejudice in others

119
Q

What are the three most important social factors that influence prejudice?

A

Power, prestige and class

120
Q

What is power?

A

Refers to the ability of people or groups to achieve their goals despite any obstacles, and their ability to control resources

121
Q

What is prestige?

A

The level of respect shown to a person by others

122
Q

What is class?

A

Refers to socioeconomic status

123
Q

Define ethnocentrism.

A

Refers to the practice of making judgments about other cultures based on the values and beliefs of one’s own culture, especially when it comes to language, customs, and religion

124
Q

In terms of ethnocentrism, differentiate the in-group and the out-group.

A

In-group: social group with which a person experiences a sense of belonging or identifies as a member
Out-group: refers to a social group with which an individual does not identify

125
Q

Define cultural relativism.

A
  • The perception of another culture as different from one’s own, but with the recognition that the cultural values, mores, and rules of a culture fit into that culture itself
  • A group may follow a given set of rules, but that group does not perceive those rules as superior to other cultures, just different
126
Q

What is the similarity and the difference between ethnocentrism and cultural relativism?

A

In both cases, an individual perceives another group to which he or she does not belong; however, it is the reaction to that other group that determines which paradigm is being used

127
Q

Does prejudice always result from discrimination?

A

No, while a person might have strong feelings against a particular race (prejudice), they may not express those feelings or act on them

128
Q

What is individual discrimination?

A

Refers to one person discriminating against a particular person or group

129
Q

What is institutional discrimination?

A

Refers to the discrimination against a particular person or group by an entire institution

130
Q

Which type of discrimination is harder to extricate?

A

Institutional discrimination, because it is part of society

MCAT: Behavioural Sciences (12 decks)

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