MCAT Psych #8 Flashcards
Michelangelo phenomenon
the concept of self is made up of both up of both intrapersonal self, the ideas an individual has regarding his or her own abilities, traits, and beliefs, and the interpersonal self, the manner in which others influence creation of the ideal self.
social action
actions and behaviors that individuals are conscious of and performing because others are around. Considers just the individual that is surrounded by others. Humans will behave in different ways based on their social environment and how their behavior will affect those around them.
social facilitation
people tend to perform better on simple tasks when in the presence of others. People naturally exhibit a performance response when they know they are being watched.
Yerkes Dodson
Yerkes-Dodson Law of social facilitation
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 on less familiar tasks (complex tasks)
deindividuation
occurs when individuals are in group settings. The presence of a large group provides anonymity and causes a loss of individual identity.
Leads to: Antinormative behavior: behavior against the norm
• Being part of a group makes someone lose their sense of individuality and makes them more likely to act in a manner inconsistent with their normal self ==> violence seen in crowds and riots
antinormative behavior
behavior against the norm
bystander effect
occurs in social groups wherein individuals do not intervene to help victims when others are present.
The likelihood and timeliness of response is inversely related to the number of bystanders.
1. In groups people are less likely to notice danger or anything out of the ordinary.
2. Individuals take cues from others so if no one else is responding then neither should you
3. The degree of the emergency or situation
4. The relationship or emotions toward the person in need
5. If the group knows each other well then they are more likely to help.
5 factors of the bystander effect
1. In groups people are less likely to notice danger or anything out of the ordinary because it is social etiquette not to watch others.
2. Individuals take cues from others so if no one else is responding then neither should you
3. The degree of the emergency or situation or the danger to the victim. Bystanders are more likely to intervene in a high danger scenario.
4. The degree of responsibility felt by the bystander, which is determined by the bystander’s competency, the relationship or emotions toward the person in need, if the victim is deserving of aid
5. If the group knows each other well then they are more likely to help.
social loafing
the tendency of individuals to put in less effort when in a group setting than individually.
Physical effort, mental effort, or initiative effort (coming up with a solution to a problem)
peer pressure
the social influence placed on an individual by a group of people or another individual.
Can be positive or negative. Play a big role as kids grow up and become teenagers.
Identity shift effect: when an individual’s state of harmony is disrupted by a threat of social rejection, the individual will often conform to the norms of the group.
• Identity shift where the individual accepts the norm of the group as their own.
• Cognitive dissonance: the simultaneous presence of two opposing thoughts or opinions.
o Leads to an internal state of discomfort and the individual will reduce this discomfort by changing, adding to, or reducing one of the thoughts.
Solomon Asch conformity experiment: card with different lengths and confederates (actors) placed in there to answer right or wrong
• Individuals will sometimes provide answers they know to be untrue if it avoids going against the group.
peers
individuals who are equals within a social group.
identity shift effect
peer pressure
when an individual’s state of harmony is disrupted by a threat of social rejection, the individual will often conform to the norms of the group. This can lead to internal conflict because the behavior is outside the normal character of the individual. To eliminate this, the individual experiences an identity shift where the individual accepts the norm of the group as their own.
cognitive dissonance
the simultaneous presence of two opposing thoughts or opinions.
o Leads to an internal state of discomfort and the individual will reduce this discomfort by changing, adding to, or reducing one of the thoughts.
Solomon Asch conformity experiment
card with different lengths and confederates (actors) placed in there to answer right or wrong
• Individuals will sometimes provide answers they know to be untrue if it avoids going against the group.
social interaction
explores the ways in which two or more individuals can both shape each other’s behavior. Include group processes and establishment of culture.
group polarization
the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the individual ideas and inclinations of the members within the group (extreme as in riskier or more cautious). Describes behavior at the individual level.
Either riskier or more cautious.
Discussion within the group makes the ideas more and more extreme.
Originally termed risky shift, but psychologists soon realized that groups also made more cautious decisions so the term became choice shift (behavior change of group as whole)
Ex: jurors who initially want high punishment want even higher, politicians who agree when with members of their political party waver a little bit when they are on their own.
groupthink
a social phenomenon in which desire for harmony or conformity results in a group of people coming to an incorrect or poor decision. Alternative ideas are not assessed in order to minimize conflict among members. Irving Janis factors in groupthink: 1. illusion of invulnerability 2. collective rationalization 3. illusion of morality 4. excessive stereotyping 5. pressure for conformity 6. self-censorship 7. illusion of unanimity 8. mindguards
illusion of invulnerability
Groupthink
the creation of optimism and encouragement of risk-taking.
collective rationalization
Groupthink
ignoring warnings against the ideas of the group
illusion of morality
Groupthink
the belief that the group’s decisions are morally correct
excessive stereotyping
Groupthink
the construction of stereotypes against outside opinions
pressure for conformity
Groupthink
the pressure put on anyone in the group who expresses opinions against the group, viewing the opposition as disloyal
self-censorship
Groupthink
the withholding of opposing views
illusion of unanimity
Groupthink
the false sense of agreement within the group
mindguards
Groupthink
the appointment of members to the role of protecting against opposing views.
fad
a behavior that is transiently viewed as popular and desirable by a large community.
o Ex: media or social videos, clothing
mass hysteria
a shared, intense concern about the threats to society. The delusion is augmented by distrust, rumors, propaganda, and fear mongering.
o Ex: Salem witch trials
culture
defined as the beliefs, behaviors, actions, and characteristics of a group or society of people.
Learned in a society by imitating
Passed on through generations.
Humans show varied behaviors based on their cultures.
The beliefs held by an individual are typically based on learned behavior, expectations, and pressure from the group one is in.
culture shock
when traveling outside of one’s own society, the cultural differences can seem quite dramatic.
cultural assimilation
the process by which an individual’s or group’s behavior and culture begin to resemble that of another group.
o Could also be groups of different cultures merging into one.
o Typically, not an even blend.
o Ethnic enclaves: slows assimilation, locations (usually neighborhoods) with a high concentration of one specific ethnicity.
cultural assimilation
melting pot, blending
the process by which an individual’s or group’s behavior and culture begin to resemble that of another group.
o Could also be groups of different cultures merging into one.
o Typically, not an even blend. The more powerful group has influence over the other, resulting in more traits of that culture being displayed after transformation.
o Ethnic enclaves: slows assimilation, locations (usually neighborhoods) with a high concentration of one specific ethnicity.
multiculturalism
communities or societies containing multiple cultures.
o Enhances cultural diversity and acceptance within society.
o Cultural mosaic, cultures coexist
subcultures
groups of people within a culture that distinguish themselves from the primary culture to which they belong.
• Could be a symbolic attachment to a particular thing
• Counterculture: the subculture group gravitates toward an identity that is at odds with the majority culture and deliberately opposes the prevailing social mores.
counterculture
the subculture group gravitates toward an identity that is at odds with the majority culture and deliberately opposes the prevailing social mores.
subverts the majority culture’s definitions of normalcy.
socialization
the process of developing, inheriting, and spreading norms, customs, and beliefs
primary
secondary
anticipatory
resocialization
secondary socialization
the process of learning appropriate behavior within smaller sections of the larger society.
Smaller changes and refinements and is based on learning the rules of specific social environments.
Ex: the behavior necessary to thrive in school is different than at home or on a sports field.
anticipatory socialization
the process by which a person prepares for future changes in occupations, living situations, or relationships.
A couple living together in preparation for married life.
resocialization
process by which one discards old behaviors in favor of new ones to make a life change, and can have positive or negative connotations.
Military: obey commands
cultural transmission (cultural learning)
the manner in which a society socializes its members.
cultural diffusion
the spread of norms, customs, and beliefs (especially new ones) throughout the culture
norms
societal rules that define the boundaries of acceptable behavior
Although they are not laws, norms act as social control for regulating behavior.
Can differ between groups in society and between different cultures.
mores
widely observed social norms
folkways
norms that refer to behavior that is considered polite in particular social interactions
• Ex: shaking hands after a sports match
sanctions
penalties for misconduct or rewards for appropriate behavior
can be both for positive and negative things.
taboo
socially unacceptable, disgusting, or reprehensible
what are the agents of socialization
parents or family members, friends, bosses, personal relationships, environment, geography, ethnic background, religion, media
pop culture
: modern popular culture transmitted via the mass media and aimed particularly at younger people.
pop culture
: modern popular culture transmitted via the mass media and aimed particularly at younger people.
agents of socialization: family
language acquisition, relationships, rules, morals
agents of socialization: peers
activities, trends
agents of socialization: religion
values, love for others, meaning of life
agents of socialization: government
laws, sense of security
agents of socialization: media
stereotypes, trends
agents of socialization: work
employment, money, rules, roles
agents of socialization: ethnic background
beliefs, values, customs
agents of socialization: clubs/social groups
social interaction, rules governing activities
agents of socialization: school
grammar, rules, social setting values
deviance
any violation of norms, rules, or expectations within a society
Has strong negative connotation but simply means against the norm.
Any act that is met with disapproval from the larger society
social stigma
the extreme disapproval or dislike of a person or group based on perceived differences from the rest of the society.
Difference in beliefs, abilities, behaviors, and appearance
Ex: HIV
Can affect others who are associated with the particular individual.
Allows for perception of social norms and acceptable boundaries and encourages unity in society and promotes social change.
labelling theory
posits that the labels given to people affect not only how others respond to that person, but also the person’s self-image.
Leads to channeling behavior toward deviance or conformity.
Ex: girl is called slutty either becomes sluttier or less slutty after the label
differential association theory
deviance can be learned through interactions with others.
The degree to which one is surrounded by ideals that adhere to social norms vs. ideals that go against them.
Whichever has the greater influence (numerous or intense) will sway the individual’s behavior and the individual will start acting like them
strain theory
attempts to explain deviance as a natural reaction to the disconnect between social goals and social structure.
Ex: American Dream: desirable social goal but the structure of society is unable to guarantee the education and opportunity needed to achieve this goal to all citizens. Theft to achieve the social goal outside of the limiting social structure.
conformity
matching one’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to societal norms.
Pressure to conform can be real or imagined.
Majority influence is a synonym
likelihood of conformity depends on culture (western culture value independent thought, less likely to conform)
normatitve conformity
the desire to fit into a group because of fear of rejection.
what are the two types of conformity
internalization and identification
internalization
conformity
involves changing one’s behavior to fit with a group while also privately agreeing with the ideas of the group. “convinced”
o Ex: Stanford Prison experiment where the subjects internalized their roles and actually started to take on the mentality of prisoners and guards.
identification-conformity
the outward acceptance of other’s ideas without personally taking on these ideas.
compliance
change in behavior based on a direct request
The person or group asking for compliance does not have authority over the individual, typically.
foot in the door technique
compliance
a small request is made and after gaining compliance a larger request is made.
o Ex: student asking for your notes and then for your homework answers later
Ex: Neighbor asks you to get their mail and then once you commit they ask you to water the plants commit to one thing and then up it.
door in the face technique
compliance
a larger request is made at first, and if refused, a smaller request is then made.
o Ex: same as above but opposite. The friend asks you to copy the notes for him but after you say no then he asks if he can borrow your notes to copy.
o The smaller request is oftentimes the original ultimate goal
lowball technique
compliance
the requestor will get an initial commitment from the individual and then raise the cost (money, effort, time) of the commitment.
o Ex: agree to head a committee because it is five hours per month of meetings but then find out after accepting that there is also other stuff you have to do.
raise the cost of ONE commitment (commitment hasn’t been executed yet) rather than asking for another favor overall after one favor has been done (foot in door)
The low-ball is a persuasion technique in which an item or service is offered at a lower price than is actually intended to be charged, after which the price is raised. If a person is already enjoying the prospect of the item or idea, then backing out would create cognitive dissonance.
gaining compliance without revealing the full cost
that’s not all technique
compliance
: an individual is made an offer, but before making a decision, is told the deal is even better than expected.
o Ex: infomercials, receive this and this but if you call in the next 30 mins you will also receive this other thing.
social cognition
focuses on the ways in which people think about others and how these ideas impact behavior.
attitude
expression of positive or negative feelings toward a person, place, thing, or scenario.
Even before meeting someone, past experiences and information from others can influence your attitude toward a person.
3 components: affective, behavioral, cognitive (ABC(
what are the 3 components of attitudes
affective, behavioral, cognitive
affective (attitude)
the way a person feels toward something, and is the emotional component of attitude.
o Ex: snakes scare me
behavioral (attitude)
the way a person acts with respect to something
o Ex: avoiding snakes
cognitive (attitude)
the way an individual thinks about something, which is the justification for the other two components.
o Ex: knowing that snakes are poisonous and dangerous
functional attitude theory
attitudes serve four functions:
1. Knowledge: provides consistency and stability: attitudes help provide organization to thoughts and experiences, and knowing the attitudes of others helps to predict their behavior.
2. Ego Expression: allowing us to communicate and solidify our self-identity.
• Ex: wear a sports hat to identify with a sports team
3. Adaptation: one will be accepted if socially acceptable attitudes are expressed.
4. Ego Defense: if they protect our self-esteem or justify actions that we know are wrong.
• Ex: a child who is bad at math may develop a negative attitude towards math.
what are the four functions of attitudes in the functional attitudes theory
knowledge, ego expression, adaptation, ego defense
learning theory
Attitudes
attitudes are developed through different forms of learning.
Attitudes can be influenced by direct contact with the object (Ex: children like sweets right after trying them).
Direct instruction from others.
Influenced by other’s attitudes.
Formed through classical or operant conditioning or observational learning.
elaboration likelihood model
attitudes are formed and changed through different routes of information processing based on the degree of elaboration.
separates individuals on a continuum based on their processing of persuasive information.
Central route processing: at one extreme are those who elaborate extensively, draw conclusions or make deep thought. Analyzing the content of persuasive info.
Peripheral route processing: focus on superficial details, who the speaker is, catchphrases.
Most individuals fall in the middle of the spectrum.
central route processing
at one extreme are those who elaborate extensively, draw conclusions or make deep thought. Analyzing the content of persuasive info.
dorsal route processing
focus on superficial details, who the speaker is, catchphrases.
social cognitive theory
people learn how to behave and shape attitudes by observing the behaviors of others.
Not trial and error but direct observation influenced by our environment and our own thoughts and behaviors.
Bandura’s triadic reciprocal causation: Behavior, personal factors, and environment all influence each other.
• Ex: the work ethic of employees in a company is affected by how hard their colleagues work, and their previous attitudes toward work, and the systems and infrastructure of the company. And vice versa the behavior may influence the other things.
Bandura’s triadic reciprocal causation
: Behavior, personal factors, and environment all influence each other.
• Ex: the work ethic of employees in a company is affected by how hard their colleagues work, and their previous attitudes toward work, and the systems and infrastructure of the company. And vice versa the behavior may influence the other things.
draw the Yerkes dodson performance vs. arousal curve for simple vs. complex task
simple task is exponential with an asymptote at strong performance
complex task is a bell curve
what increases deindividuation
when the group is uniform or masked
can group polarization lead to both riskier and more cautious decisions or just one or the other?
both
why did the group polarization term switch from risky shift to choice shift?
realize that being in groups may also lead to more cautious decisions.
do people have to be together physically in groups to experience polarization?
no, they may just read another’s idea
what is the difference between choice shift and polarization?
polarization is used to describe behavior at the individual level, while choice shift describes the behavior change of the group as a whole.
In terms of immigrant assimilation, what factors can be used to assess the completeness of assimilation?
socioeconomic status, geographic distribution, language attainment, and intermarriage.
ethnic enclaves
locations (usually neighborhoods) with a high concentration of one specific ethnicity.
Ex: chinatown or Little Italy.
compare assimilation and multiculturalism
assimilation: usually uneven, merging of cultures, a melting pot
multiculturalism: celebration of coexisting culture, a cultural mosaic
group polarization vs. group think
Group polarization and groupthink are both social processes that occur when groups make decisions. Group polarization is the tendency toward extreme decisions in a group. Groupthink is the tendency for groups to make decisions based on ideas and solutions that arise within the group without considering outside ideas, given the pressure to conform and remain loyal to the group.
primary socialization
occurs during childhood when we initially learn acceptable actions and attitudes in our society, primarily through observations of our parents and other adults in close proximity
____ are a form of social control because they act to regulate the behavior of individuals and groups
norms
what are the agents of socialization in young kids, adolescents, adults?
young kids: parents or family members
adolescents: teachers and peers
adults: colleagues, partner, boss
one’s environment can also be an agent of socialization
what does labelling theory lead to?
it leads the person to channel their behavior either into deviance or conformity.
the pressure to conform can be both ___ and ____
real and imagined
what is another name for conformity?
majority influence
normative conformity
the desire to fit into a group because of fear of rejection
____ society tends toward conformity
collectivist
what are the common techniques used to gain compliance?
foot in the door technique
door in face
lowball
thats not all
lowball technique vs. foot in door technique
foot in the door they actually complete the first thing whereas lowball they have no completed the first thing yet. Lowball: gaining compliance without revealing the full cost
obedience
changing one’s behavior in response to a direct order from an authority figure (real or perceived)
Compared to compliance: friend vs. teacher demanding your notes
what is the classic obedience study?
milgram study with shocking: learner and teacher
what is the classic conformity study?
Asch conformity study
compare primary and secondary socialization
primary socialization refers to the initial learning of acceptable behaviors and societal norms during childhood, which is facilitated mostly by parents and other trusted adults. Secondary socialization refers to learning the norms of specific subgroups or situations during adolescence and adulthood.
can you have an attitude toward someone before meeting them?
yes, even prior to meeting someone, past experiences and information from others can influence your attitude toward a person
functional attitudes theory: knowledge
provides consistency and stability: attitudes help provide organization to thoughts and experiences, and knowing the attitudes of others helps to predict their behavior.
functional attitudes theory: ego expression
allowing us to communicate and solidify our self-identity.
Ex: wear a sports hat to identify with a sports team
functional attitudes theory: adaptation
one will be accepted if socially acceptable attitudes are expressed.
functional attitudes theory: ego defense
Ego Defense: if they protect our self-esteem or justify actions that we know are wrong.
• Ex: a child who is bad at math may develop a negative attitude towards math.
central route processing is ____ elaboration
high
peripheral route processing is ___ elaboration
low
compare social action and social interaction
social action is best described as the effects that a group has on individual behavior, including social facilitation. deindividuation, the bystander effect, social loafing, and peer pressure. Social interaction describes how two or more individuals influence each other’s behavior, including group polarization and group think.
