Heroic Imagination Project Flashcards
Universal Human Tendency #1
We react automatically to the things we are not paying close attention to.
Universal Human Tendency #2
We rely on labels and categories in making judgments about ourselves and others.
Universal Human Tendency #3
We depend on those around us for our own interpretation of what’s going on.
Universal Human Tendency #4
We seek acceptance and avoid rejection.
Universal Human Tendency #5
We assume that certain aspects of ourselves and others can’t be changed.
The Situational Analysis - The Pause Button
Before reacting to a stimulus:
1) Bring Yourself Fully into the Present Moment
2) Check for Automatic Behavior
3) Consider Alternative Options
4) Select a Preferred Response
The Situational Awareness Model
In order to more completely and accurately analyze any situation involving human behavior, it is necessary to examine the concurrent impact of variables and forces from three spheres of influence: individuals, situations, and systems.
Situation Blindness
We rarely have all of the information in a given situation. One extra fact can often completely change our perception.
Conformity: Informational Influence
The belief that the group has a better understanding of the situation, or has special information or expertise.
Conformity: Normative Influence
The extreme discomfort that comes from speaking out against the group, even when one knows they are wrong. The desire to be accepted and liked convinces group participants to keep disagreements to themselves.
The Bystander Effect - Diffusion of Responsibility
The presence of others makes one feel less personally responsible for responding to events and each additional person present lowers the chances of anyone helping at all. People tend to assume that someone else will provide the necessary help, especially when there are many others around who could potentially do so.
Obedience to Authority
Sometimes people do harmful or unethical things because they are following the orders of an authority figure. Typically, in most nations there is no training in families or schools to distinguish between just and unjust authorities.
The Minimal Group Paradigm
One factor that influences the formation of stereotypes is the natural human tendency to form groups based on a common identity. Even in randomly assigned groups, individuals rate fellow members of their “group” more favorably than members of the other group.
Ingroup and Outgroup Biases - Us vs. Them
People tend to rate members of the out-group as being more similar to each other than are members of the in-group and members of the in-group as more different from each other. We also tend to exaggerate the differences between the in-group and out-group. This tendency forms the basis of stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination.
Social Roles - Deindividuation
The roles we internalize are associated with certain expectations and norms of behavior. We have mental “scripts” or understandings about what behavior is appropriate in different settings. These unconscious scripts powerfully influence the words we use, the way we view situations and other people, and even our emotional responses. Usually these scripts and roles facilitate social harmony, but we may also apply old scripts in new situations where they are not really right or appropriate.
