Chapter 8: Social Processes, Attitudes, and Behaviors Flashcards
What is the concept of self made up of according to the Michelangelo phenomenon?
The intrapersonal self: the ideas that individuals have regarding their own abilities, traits, and beliefs
The interpersonal self: the manner in which others influence creation of the ideal self
In the Michelangelo phenomenon, a close relationship between two individual sculpts both individual skills and traits. This development occurs because of each individuals perception of the other, and their behaviors in response to one another.
According to Max Weber, what is social action? What do we contrast social action with?
Social action is defined as actions and behaviors that individuals are performing or modulating because others are around.
The idea is that humans will behave in different ways based on their social environment and how their behavior will affect those around them
We contrast social action with social interaction. Social interaction looks at the behavior and actions of two or more individuals who take one another into account.
What is social facilitation?
Yerkes Dodson law of social facilitation (simple tasks, and complex tasks)
Social facilitation is the tendency that people perform better on simple tasks when in the presence of others.
Supports the idea that people naturally exhibit a performance response when they know they are being watched
Yerkes Dodson law of social facilitation states that being in the presence of others will significantly raise arousal, which enhances the ability to perform tasks one is already good at (simple tasks), and hinders the performance of less familiar tasks (complex complex tasks)
What is deindividuation?
How does anonymity play into this?
Deindividuation describes the loss of one self-awareness in a group setting and the associated adoption of a more group oriented identity
Sometimes called mob mentality, as the individuals of the group lose their own sense of morals and judgment, and follow along with the actions of the group
If an individual can relate to the group, then the likelihood of that person adopting the group identity increases
Group settings, increase anonymity, and thus diffuse the sense of individual responsibility for the actions of the group. As the group anonymity increases, so does the strength of deindividuation.
What is antinormative behavior?
Deindividuation often leads to antinormative behavior: behavior not socially acceptable in most social circumstances (behavior that is “against the norm”)
This can be seen invite as violence and crowds and riots. Large homogenous groups are postulate to increase deindividuation effects, particularly when relative an anonymity is a factor due to the group size
What is the bystander effect?
The bystander effect occurs in social groups, where in individuals do not intervene to assist those who are in perceived need when other people are present
The likelihood and timeliness of response is inversely related to the number of bystanders: in other words, the more people standing by, the less likely one of those people is to help
When in groups, humans take cues from others. If other people are not responding to a situation, an individual is less likely to perceive the situation as a threat or emergency.
Another factor is the degree of responsibility felt by the bystanders. This is determined by the competency of the bystanders, their relationship to the at risk individual, and whether they consider the person at risk to be deserving of Aid.
What is social loafing?
Social loafing refers to the tendency of individuals to reduce effort when in a group setting
Applies in many context: physical effort, such as carrying a heavy object; mental effort, such as working on a group project; or initiative, such as coming up with a solution to a problem
What is peer pressure?
Peers are individuals were regarded as equals with an a social group
Peer pressure refers to the social influence placed on an individual by one’s peers
Religious ideals, appearance, values, sexual behavior, etc.
Can be positive or negative
Especially important in adolescence.
What is the identity shift effect?
Changes in beliefs or behavior due to peer pressure can be explained by the identity shift effect
When an individual state of harmony is disrupted by a threat of social rejection, the individual often conform to the norms of the group
This will lead to internal conflict because the behavior is outside the normal character of the individual
To eliminate the sense of internal conflict, individuals experience in identity shift, where they adopt the standards of the group is their own
What is cognitive dissonance?
How does cognitive dissonance relate to the identity shift effect?
Cognitive dissonance is the simultaneous presence of two opposing thoughts or opinions
Generally leads to an internal state of discomfort, which may manifest his anxiety, fear, anger, or confusion
Individuals to try to reduce this discomfort by changing, adding to, or minimizing one of these dissonant thoughts
The identity shift effect is when one adopts the standards of the group while still maintaining the identity standards of self, arising in conflict, highlighting, a larger theme in psychology: cognitive dissonance
Describe Solomon Asch’s conformity experiment
Showed that individuals will often conform to opinion held by a group
Individuals participated in simple tasks of perception, in this experiment, length of lines on cars were used in the participants were asked to identify the matching length
When the individuals were in the presence of a group who claimed the correct answer, the individual identify the correct answer 99% of the time
When the individuals were in the presence of a group who claimed the incorrect answer, the participant answered incorrectly up to 1/3 of the time
Asch concluded that individuals will sometimes provide answers. They know to be untrue if it avoids going against the group: the urge toward conformity could outweigh the desire to provide the correct answer.
What is group polarization?
Group polarization describes the tenancy for groups to collaboratively make decisions that are more extreme than the individual ideas and inclinations of the members within the group
This phenomenon has shown that individuals in groups will form opinions that are more extreme than the opinions they would reach in isolation
The hypothesis underlying polarization is that the initial idea is tend not to be extreme, but that through discussion within the group, these ideas tend to become more and more extreme
Regarding group polarization, what is risky shift? What is choice shift?
The hypothesis underlying polarization is that initial ideas tend not to be extreme, but that through discussion within the group, these ideas tend to become more and more extreme
This concept was originally termed risky shift because it was noticed that groups tended to make risky decisions than individuals
However, psychologist began to realize that groups could also shift toward caution and renamed to choice shift
Choice shift refers specifically to measure changes in decisions before and after group interaction, group polarization refers more generally to the tendency of a group to move to more extreme conclusions and decisions as a result of interaction
What is groupthink?
Groupthink refers to a social phenomena in which desire for harmony or conformity results in a group of people coming to an incorrect or poor decision
In an attempt to eliminate or minimize conflict among the group members, consensus decisions are reached without alternative ideas being assessed
The desire to agree with the Group causes a loss of independent critical thinking
The group also begins to isolate and ignore external viewpoints, seeing its own ideas is correct without question 
What did Irving Janis have to say about groupthink
Irving Janis conducted the first research on the theory of group think in the 1970s
Investigated the decision-making of groups that had led to disastrous American foreign policy decision decisions, including the bay of pigs invasion
What eight factors did Irving Janis examine that are indicative of group think?
Illusion of invulnerability: members encourage risk, ignore possible pitfalls, and are too optimistic
Collective rationalization: members ignore expressed concerns about group approved ideas
Illusion of morality: members believe ideas produced by the group are morally, correct, disregarding evidence to the contrary
Excessive stereotyping: members construct stereotypes of those expressing outside opinions
Pressure for conformity: members feel pressured not to express opinions that disagree with the group, and view opposition as disloyal
Self censorship: members withhold ideas and opinions that disagree with the group
Illusion of unanimity: members believe the decisions and judgments of the group to be without disagreement, even if it does exist
Mind guards: some members may decide to take on a role protecting the group against opposing views
Many of the groupthink factors can be seen in the image of McCarthy era propaganda
What is a fad?
What is mass hysteria?
A fad is a behavior that is transiently, viewed as popular and desirable by a large community. Can include owning certain objects, or engaging in certain behaviors.
Mass hysteria refers to a shared, intense concern about the threats to society
What is culture?
Culture can be defined as the beliefs, behaviors, actions, and characteristics of a group or society of people
Culture is learned by living within a society, observing behaviors and traits, and adopting them
Not to be confused with a “ cultured individual” as sociologist, consider all people to be cultured by living with an society and participating in its culture 
What is cultural assimilation?
What is multiculturalism?
Cultural assimilation: (usually uneven) merging of cultures; a melting pot
Multiculturalism: celebration of coexisting cultures; a cultural mosaic 
What is a subculture?
Counterculture?
Subcultures referred to groups of people within a culture that distinguish themselves from the primary culture to which they belong
Counterculture: the subculture group gravitate towards an identity that is at odds with the majority culture and deliberately opposes the prevailing social mores
Concept check 8.1
What is socialization?
Cultural transmission (or cultural learning)?
Cultural diffusion?
The process of developing, inheriting, and spreading norms, customs, and beliefs
Individuals gain the knowledge, skills, habits, and behaviors that are necessary for inclusion in society
Cultural transmission or cultural learning is when beliefs, customs, and cultural norms are passed down from one generation to another
Cultural diffusion is the spread of norm, customs, and beliefs from one culture to another
What are the two categories of socialization? (Primary and secondary)
Primary socialization occurs during childhood when we initially learn acceptable, actions and attitudes in our societies through observations of our caregivers and other adults
Secondary socialization is the process of learning appropriate behavior within smaller sections of the larger society 
