Chapter 10 - Social Thinking Flashcards
What is interpersonal attraction and what factors influence this attraction? Define each factor.
Interpersonal attraction = why we like other ppl
- Similarity = same IQ, height, age, religion, etc.
- Self-disclosure = sharing fears, thoughts, and goals w/ someone else w/o judgment
- Reciprocity = we like ppl who we think like us back
- Proximity = being physically close to someone
Does an aggressive behavior have to include the intent to do harm? Does it have to be physical in nature?
Aggression = physical, VERBAL, or NONVERBAL behavior w/ intent to cause harm or INCREASE SOCIAL DOMINANCE
- Answer = NO
What are the 4 attachment styles? Describe each one & how a child reacts towards their caregiver.
Attachment = bond btw child & caregiver
1) Secure attachment = caregiver is available & responsive towards distressed child
- Sad when caregiver leaves & comforted by their return
- Trusts caregiver (secure base)
- Child is more likely to explore
2) Avoidant attachment = caregiver has little to no response for distressed child
- Doesn’t really care if caregiver leaves or returns
- No preference for stranger or caregiver
3) Ambivalent attachment (aka anxious-ambivalent) = caregiver has inconsistent response to distressed child
- Sad when caregiver leaves, but has mixed reactions when they return
- Child can’t rely on caregiver
4) Disorganized = no clear pattern of behavior, caregiver has erratic behavior and/or social withdrawal
- Mixed behavior for caregiver’s absence & presence
- Child exhibits repetitive behaviors (rocking) or seems dazed, frozen, or confused
- Red flag for abuse
What is social support? List and describe the common types of social support.
Social support = perception or reality that one is cared for by a social network
- Emotional = having empathy for someone’s feelings
- Esteem = assuring someone of their skills & abilities
- Material = financial or material/tangible contribution for someone
- Informational = giving info to help someone
- Network = give someone a sense of belonging
*An increase in social support is associated with an increase in overall health
What’s altruism?
Altruism = selflessness (cost to oneself in order to help someone else)
- Empathy-altruism hypothesis = help someone when one feels empathy for them despite the cost
> Ppl argue that this happens when benefits»_space; costs
How is the amygdala and prefrontal cortex related to aggression? What other factors may affect aggression?
Amygdala = associates stimuli w/ rewards or punishments
- If activated –> more aggression
Prefrontal cortex = reduces emotional reactivity and impulsiveness
- If activated –> less aggression
Other factors:
- High testosterone
- Cognitive neoassociation model = more likely to be angry when we’re tired, sick, tired, frustrated, or in pain
- Exposure to violent behavior
List and describe different types of social cognitive biases.
- Primacy effect = 1st impressions are more impt. for developing perception of someone else
- Recency effect = more recent info is used to develop impression of someone
- Reliance on central traits = tendency to organize perception of others based on traits & personal characteristics that matter to the perceiver
- Halo effect = judging someone based on one’s overall impression of them (ex: good person can only do good things)
- Just-world hypothesis = only good things happen to good people & vice versa, belief in “just world” so ppl get what they deserve (karma)
- Self-serving bias = successes are due to dispositional (internal) factors while failures are due to situational (external) factors ~ protects one’s self-esteem
> Self-enhancement = need to maintain self-worth & can be done through internal attribution of successes and external attribution of failures
What is attribution theory? What are the 2 types of attribution?
Attribution theory = ppl tend to infer causes for other ppl’s behavior
2 types of attribution:
- Dispositional (internal) –> BEHAVIOR (person’s features)
- Situational (external) –> SURROUNDINGS (envt & social context)
What is the fundamental attribution error?
Bias towards internal attributions rather than external attributions in regards to other’s actions
What is attribute substitution?
Ppl make complex judgments, but use a simpler solution or heuristic
What will most likely happen to someone that has a damaged ventromedial hypothalamus? What happens if the lateral hypothalamus is damaged?
Ventromedial hypothalamus = promotes satiety (satisfaction/fullness)
- If damaged –> increased food intake (can’t be satisfied)
Lateral hypothalamus = promotes hunger
- If damaged –> loss of hunger (nothing stimulates hunger)
List and describe various types of mating systems.
- Monogamy = exclusive mating relationship
- Polygamy = male is exclusive w/ many females (polygyny)
- Polyandry = female is exclusive w/ many males
- Promiscuity = members of on sex mate w/ anyone of opposite sex (no exclusivity)
What are the 5 mechanisms of mate choice?
Mate choice (aka intersexual selection) is based on attraction
> Mate bias = choosiness in selecting a mate
*Evolutionary mech. aimed at increasing species’
fitness
1) Phenotypic benefits = observable traits that make a mate more attractive
- Indicate increased production and survival of offspring
2) Sensory bias = development of trait to match preexisting preference that exists in the population
3) Fisherian (or runaway selection) = when a particular trait that has no effect or a negative effect on survival becomes more exaggerated over time
- Positive feedback mechanism
- More attractive trait –> more likely to be passed on (but w/ survival disadvantage to organism)
4) Indicator traits = traits show good health and increase organism’s attractiveness
5) Genetic compatibility = creating mate pairs that have complementary genetics when combined
- Less frequency of rec. genetic disorders w/in population due to attraction to very different genetic makeup
What’s the difference between direct benefits and indirect benefits?
- Direct benefits = give advantages for mate (aka provide protection, emotional support)
- Indirect benefits = give advantages to offspring (aka better offspring survival)
What are the strategies associated with game theory?
Game theory = explains decision-making behavior based on costs & benefits
- Evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) = when one is adopted by a population, natural selection prevents alternative strategies from arising
> Passed onto offspring in order to increase fitness
1) Altruism (-/+)
2) Cooperation (+/+)
3) Spite = (-/-)
4) Selfishness = (+/-)
*Donor/recipient
What are the components of social perception?
Social perception (aka social cognition) = how we make judgments and impressions about other ppl
1) Perceiver
- Influenced by experience, motives, and emotional state
2) Target
- Person in which perception is made about
3) Situation
- A given social context can determine what info is available to the perceiver
What is impression bias?
Selecting specific cues to build impression of others that are consistent over time
- Implicit personality theory = sets of assumptions ppl make about how diff types of ppl related to their traits and behavior
What is inclusive fitness?
Measure of an organism’s success in the population
- Based on # of offspring, success in supporting offspring, and the ability of offspring to support others
What are the different types of cues and what does each type tell us?
- Consistency cues = consistent behavior of a person over time
- Consensus cues = extent to which a person’s behavior differs from others (matches others’ behavior)
- Distinctiveness cues = extent to which a person uses similar behavior in diff scenarios (uses similar behavior in similar situations)
How does cultural attribution play a role in individualist cultures vs. collectivist cultures?
- Individualist cultures = high value on self, personal goals, and independence (White ppl)
> Tend to make more fundamental attribution errors - Collectivist cultures = individuals are members of a group, high value on conformity and interdependence (Asians & Africans)
> Tend to attribute behavior to situational factors
What are the distinctions between stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination?
- Stereotypes = attitudes and impressions are made w/ limited or superficial info about a person or group
> COGNITIVE
Types include:
1) Paternalistic = group is looked down upon- Low status, not competitive
2) Contempt = group is viewed w/ resentment,
annoyance, or anger - Low status, competitive
3) Envious = group is viewed w/ jealousy, bitterness, or
distrust - High status, competitive
4) Admiration = group is viewed w/ pride and other
positive feelings - High status, not competitive
- Low status, not competitive
- Prejudice = irrational negative, or occasionally positive, attitude toward a person, group, or thing, which is formed prior to an actual experience and is affective
> AFFECTIVE
» Propaganda = how large organizations & political groups attempt to create prejudices in others - Discrimination = prejudicial attitudes cause individuals of a particular group to be treated diff. than others and is behavioral
> BEHAVIORAL
> Individual vs. institutional discrimination
List and describe the types of social inequality that can influence prejudice.
- Power = ability to do whatever w/o obstacles
- Prestige = respect shown to someone
- Class = SES
- B/c of unequal distribution of wealth, influence, and resources
How does ethnocentrism differ from cultural relativism?
- Ethnocentrism = making judgments about other cultures based on the values and beliefs of one’s own culture
> In-group = ppl experience sense of belonging or identify as members
> Out-group = social group one doesn’t identify w/ - Cultural relativism = perception of another culture as just diff. from one’s own
> Recognizing that social groups and cultures
How is stereotype threat different from self-fulfilling prophecy?
- Self-fulfilling prophecy = create conditions that lead to confirming a stereotype
- Stereotype threat = concern or anxiety about confirming a negative stereotype about one’s social group
