Interactions between psychology and sociology

Question 1

Explain the following definitions:

Sociology

Psychology

Social Psychology

Answer 1

Sociology - The study of the relationships between people living in groups, especially in industrial societies

Psychology - The scientific study of the way the human mind works and how it influences behavior or the influence of a particular character on their behavior

Social Psychology - How people’s behavior and mental process are shaped by the presence of others (physical/non-physical presence)

Question 2

Name the 4 factors that affect social influences and social cognition

Answer 2

The presence of others

Conformity

Group Interactions

Stereotypes

Question 3

Explain how influences affect social cognition

Answer 3

Socio-economic status

Opinions

Culture

Body-composition

Fitting in - Fitting Out

Question 4

What is a reference group?

Answer 4

A reference group is a group to which an individual or another group is compared

Question 5

Give examples of primary and secondary reference groups

Answer 5

Primary Group:

Intimate, personal, and informal relationships

Long-term, sometimes life long

We develop our self-identity or who we are

Family members, close friends

Secondary Groups:

Impersonal, formal, distant relationships

Short-term or temporary

We meet our life partners through these

Work, school, associations, etc

Question 6

Give an example of social facilitation/inhibition in the presence of others

Answer 6

Certain tasks are performed better when done alone or in parallel with others

Question 7

Explain what deindividuation is and give an example

Answer 7

Deindividuation is a state in which you become so immersed in the norms of the group that you lose your sense of identity and personal responsibility

An individual relinquishes individual responsibility for actions and sees behaviour as a consequence of group norms and expectations

Examples:

At large charity events, when people feel they are part of the group, they tend to donate and raise larger sums of money.

When training with a military unit, people are more likely to push themselves harder

Question 8

Explain what the by-stander effect is

Answer 8

The bystander effect, or bystander apathy, is a social psychological theory that states that individuals are less likely to offer help to victims in the presence of other people

Question 9

Explain what Active Bystander is and name the 5D’s of an active bystander

Answer 9

When we are in a group, we can look to each other to decide what is appropriate behavior and what is not

So if there is a crisis - and it is not clear what we should do because of the confusion - we often look at what everyone else is doing to get social cues

If we don’t see anyone doing anything, we might assume there is a reason for the inaction

The 5D’s of an active bystader:

Direct - Call it out, speak to the perpetrator

Distract - Interrupt by speaking to the victim, asking them to come with you

Delay - Guve support to the victim after the event, get them help

Delegate - Get someone to help you, intervene together, or get an adult

Document - write down what you saw happening, and take this information to an adult

Question 10

Explain what internalization is and give an example

Answer 10

An individual’s acceptance of a set of norms and values (established by others) through socialization

Publicly changing behaviour to fit in with the group while also agreeing with them privately

Example: Live with a vegetarian at uni and then decide to become one too because they agree with their friend’s viewpoint

Question 11

Explain what conformity is and what are the two types of conformity

Answer 11

Conformity - a type of social influence involving a change in belief or behavior to fit in with a group

Compliance - superficial and public. Change in behavior is not personal views

Internalization - Depept and private. Change in behavior and personal views

Question 12

Explain the terms normative influence and informational influence

Answer 12

Normative influence - when normative influence is operating, people go along with the crowd because they are concerned about what others think of them

Informational influence - the other reason we sometimes go along with the crowd is that people are often a source of information

Question 13

Explain the 3 categories of minority influence - 3 consequences of influence

Answer 13

Resistance - people oppose the behavior desired by the influencer

Compliance - motivated by external sources (rewards) to implement the request

Commitment - Ientit with and highly motivated to implement the request

Question 14

Explain what obedience to authority is

Answer 14

Obedience is a form of social influence where an individual acts in response to a direct order from another individual who is usually an authority figure

Question 16

Explain the difference between cognitive dissonance and the self-perception theory

Answer 16

Cognitive dissonance:

The state of discomfort resulting from conflicting ideals, beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors

There is often a discrepancy between attitude and behavior

Gives rise to discomfort

Self-perception theory:

The theory claims people develop attitudes and opinions by observing their behavior and drawing conclusions from them

There is congruence between attitude and behavior

Does not give rise to tension or discomfort, just logical observations

Question 17

Explain the different types of group interactions that affect our behavior

Answer 17

Institutional Norms - The expectations of behaviors or practices that are acceptable within an institutional environment

Group decision making - a situation faced when individuals collectively make choices from the alternative before them, The decision is then no longer attributed to any single individual who is a member of the group

Question 18

Name some examples of where stereotypes are found

Answer 18

Diversity

Age

Ethnicity

Sexual Orientation

Gender

Religion