Module 3 - Social Psychology Flashcards
what was Rousseau idea on the nature of the humankind?
man is by nature good and only institutions make him bad
what was Hobbes idea on the nature of the humankind?
man by nature is nasty and brutish , it the the civilising constraints of society that keeps the nature of the human intact
name the perspectives to social psychology
- cognitive
- learning
- motivational
- biological
- cultural
what is the cognitive perspective
- the emphasis is on how perception affects behaviour
what is the leaning perspective
the emphasis is on the principles of reinforcement and imitation
- the tendency to focus on observable behaviour and ignore cognition. Responses based on prior learning
what is the motivational perspective
emphasis on basic human needs
what is the biological perspective
emphasis on evolutionary past and genetic disposition
what is the cultural perspective
emphasis on how culture affects social behaviour
what are the 4 levels of analysis in social psychology
- intra- personal level
- inter -personal level
- inter -group level
- societal level
define intra-perosonal?
based on what goes inside the person?
define inter-personal?
interaction between 2 people
define inter-group?
based on group level behavior
define societal leve?l
cultural effects on behavior
what did freud draw attention to
- the study of unconscious
- the developmental aspects of personality
- talking cures (therapy)
what was the basic human condition according to Freud?
always following pleasure seeking instincts
what did hobbes claim in terms of human instincts
he claimed that persons baser instincts were curbed by external sanction
when were external restraint of society internalized according to freud
during childhood
what did freud believe in terms of impulses?
- forbidden impulses could never be rules out
- impulses can be denied but will always return and reassert themselves
- as a consequence, there will always be a conflict between instincts and the demands of society
what are the 3 sub- systems involved in conflict?
ID, EGO, SUPERGO
What is ID
- contains most basic urged i.,e drink, rest,
- the need to gain sexual pleasure
ID work in the pleasure principle - ID demands satisfaction in the moment and does not care about the consequences
what is ego?
- works on the reality principle
- ties to satisfy the ID pragmatically in accordance with societal
what is super ego?
represents the internalised rules of parents and society
- feel guilty when you go against the rules
What are the defence mechanisms?
displacement
reaction formation
projection
isolation
what is displacement ?
impulses redirected into a safer course
reaction formation?
original wish supplanted with the opposite
projection?
urges are projected onto others
isolation ?
awareness of memories but not emotions.
what is the oedipus complex
- boy wants to sexually possess the mother - hates the father
- fears that the father may find out and castrate him
- leads to CASTRATION ANXIETY
- the problem gets resolved by the boy giving up the desires for his mother
- the boy identifies with the father, in hope to find some like his mother
what is the electra complex?
- girl realises thats she does not have a penis, which she regards as a catastrophe
- feels that she has been castrated already, develops penis envy
- turns to her father who has a desirable organ in the hope that he will give her a penis substitution in the form of a baby
- she turns her sexual attention to the father - hates the mother
- develops anxiety over her desires, resolves it by identifying with the mother
what age is oral stage
0-2 years
what age is anal stage
2-4
what age is the phallic stage
4-6
what type of complexes develop in the phallic stage
electra and oedipus
what age is the latency stage
6-12
what age is the genital stage ?
12 +
what were the problems with freuds claims ?
- never studied children
- ideas not falsifiable
- little experimental evidence to support his claims
What is an attitude?
is a positive or negative reaction towards a stimulus, such as a person, `action, object or concept
what does attitude comprise of and give examples ?
- cognitive - i.e belief, knowledge
- affective i.e feelings, emotions
- behavioural i.e act, behave
name the techniques which are used to measure attitude
- likert scales
- the bogus pipeline
- electromyography (EMG)
Explain the technique likert scales
- these depend on all honesty
- some times people do not tell the truth
- they sometimes give socially desirable answers
explain the bogus pipeline technique?
- hooked up to impressive looking apparatus and are usually told that it measures minute changed in their muscle
- if the respondent believe that the apparatus assesses their true opinions than there is little point in lying
explain the electromyography?
measures the activity of facial muscles
- when people experience emotion such as happiness or sadness different facial muscles moves
explain the study conducted by LaPiere 1934?
he investigated the relation between racist attitude and behaviour
- toured with a Chinese couple, stopped many restaurant and hotels and only one refused to serve them
- he then went back and wrote to all the places he had been to and asked whether they would accomodate a chinese couple - 92% said no but had accommodated them when they were in front of them
- showed that attitude does not always predict behaviour
to demonstrate the relationship between attitudes and behaviour what must we consider
- When we have a positive attitude towards the behaviour
- When norms support our attitudes
- when the behaviour is under our control
are our attitudes relatively stable?
yes
what is one reason relates to attitude change ?
cognitive dissonance
what is cognitive dissonance
the inconsistency between attitudes and behaviour
why does cognitive dissonance cause our attitude to change?
behaviour is irrevocable so we have to change our attitudes
Attitude can changed by a host of factors, what are these?
if the source is credible, trustworthy, attractive and likeable
and if the message id presented
- quick
- long and without hesitation
how do emotional appeals also change our attitude
fear can work in some circumstances such as
- the message evokes moderate strong fear
- the message provides a feasible (low cost) way to reduce the threat
what is one way to avoid attitude change ?
through rehearsal of counter arguments
