Group Membership and Peer Relationships Flashcards
what are groups?
a collection of people that interact with other members, and are structured through roles, expectations, and shared associations
types of groups
- incidental groups
- membership groups
- identity reference groups
incidental groups
brought together for a short period of time with minimal involvement and committment
membership groups
have shared long-lasting commitments to common goals
identity reference groups
identification through shared values and norms
campbell (1958) suggested group distinction is informed by ________
entativity
entativity
the properties of a group that makes it distinct
how did moreland and levine (1982) identify the process of group socialisation?
- investigation
- socialisation
- maintenance
- resocialisation
- remembrance
social explanations for group membership
- sociometer theory
- terror management
- uncertainity-identity theory
sociometer theory
leary and baumeister (2000) found group membership is motivated by self-esteem and desire to be included, which increases their social connection with others
terror management theory
membership is motivated by fear of death and group membership reduces feelings of terror and existential anxiety
uncertainty-identity theory
group membership helps to define uncertain identity and entativity is influential in providing this
how are dispositional traits influential in group identity formation?
personality traits, such as conscientiousness, correlated with civic national identity
openness to experience was negatively associated with ethnic nationhood
ethnic nationhood
belonging based on ethnocultural sameness
civic nationhood
adhering to national political culture
evidence that identification is a product of personality
neuroticism was not useful for identification with nation or the army, but conscientiousness and agreeableness were correlated with group identification
what are roles?
patterns of behaviour to distinguish between group activities and differentiate between people for the greater good of the group
correspondence bias
the incorrect assumption that performed group behaviour is equitable to and reflective of dispositional traits
what do high-status role holders have?
consensual prestige and a tendency to initiate ideas
how can group hierarchies change over time?
because of social comparison within the group
expectation states theory
roles are a consequence of status-based expectations, as diffuse traits are generalised across irrelevant situations
specific status characteristics
useful attributes to complete a group task
diffuse status characteristics
widely positively regarded attributes, but these are not task-specific
who are leaders?
someone who will take a pivotal role within a group to achieve common goals
what is a prototype?
an ideal representation of a group used to evaluate others, and these have significant influence and occupy leadership roles
social explanations of leadership
social identity theory
social identity theory
identity is built through group membership and comparison to other groups
leadership prototypicality was success when they were aspirational and the group had longevity
individual explanations of leadership
- personality traits
- subordinate characteristics
how are personality traits associated with leadership?
extraversion and neuroticism were the strongest and weakest correlates with leadership
how is leadership reliant on subordinate characteristics?
high subordinate agreeableness was associated with transformational leadership, whereas neuroticism was related to passive-avoidance
what are peer relationships?
a specific form of group membership
affiliations between individuals with shared characteristics, fostered through social interactions
what are friendships?
a special form of dyadic, voluntary peer relationship
functions of peer relationships
- social, emotional, and behavioural functioning
- reinforce identity development
- develop skills
social, emotional, and behavioural functioning
peer networks are predictors of academic motivation, achievement, and social functioning
reinforce identity development
association with peers allows for the development of a sense of identity based on a need to belong
develop skills
learning to engage in cooperative activities, understanding social structures, and how to mobilise aggression
social theories of peer relationships
- social learning theory
- social identity theory
social learning theory
behaviour is learned through modelling peer behaviour, which can be maintained through reward and punishment
social identity theory
the behaviour of individuals who identify with the group are likely to be directed by group identity and norms
individual theories of peer relationships
- personality traits
- homophily
how do personality traits influence peer relationships?
extraversion, agreeableness, and self-esteem are strong predictors of the number and quality of friendships
how does homophily influence peer relationships?
group success was associated with similarity in individual personality traits, such as conscientiousness and neuroticism
situational theories of peer relationships
propinquity
propinquity
people are likely to become friends with those they see and interact with more based on mere exposure effect
