paper 1 soc SAQ Flashcards
social identity study & theory
Tajfel (1970)
Social identity theory - individuals identify w/ being apart of a social group.
Social categorization - in-group, & an out-group
social cognitive study & theory
Odden & Rochat 2000s
Social cognitive theory - behaviour learned via members modelling behaviours, & others learn these via observation, & imitation, & vicariously learning
After individual retains behaviour, they attempt to reproduce & learn it,
culture groups & theory
Berry 60s
Cultures - shared attitudes, behaviours, traditions, & associations,
- transmitted via generations
cultural dimensions study & theory
Berry 60s
- individualism vs. collectivism in influencing behaviour of conformity
- individualism, originating in environmental need for self-reliance make members less conform & rely
- environmental need 4 co-operation informing cultural value of collectivism make more likely 2 conform 2 co-operate & promote community
enculturation / norms study & theory
Odden and Rochat (2004)
Enculturation - learning norms, behaviours, & skills of culture
Tajfel (1970)
AIM
- investigate out-group prejudice after arbitrary placement into groups
STUDY
- true experiment
PARTICIPANTS
- 64 boys — aged 14 to 15
METHOD
- participants were asked to estimate the number of dots within an area, and were placed into groups based on whether they overestimated the no. Dots or underestimated
- each participant was tested by asking to reward certain amount of money to their in-group which was connected to a certain about of money to the out-group
- these options were shown in matrices with 2 main conclusions
(1) most in-group profit, w/ more money given to out-group
(2) maximum difference between in & out group’s profit, however, this was the lowest possible amount in-group would receive
RESULTS
- the boys would consistently choose option 2, giving the least money to their in-group, to disadvantage out-group at any cost
IMPLICATIONS
- even when there is no reason for out-group discrimination, people are still inclined to in-group favouritism
acculturation / assimilation study
Lyons-Padilla et al. (2015)
stereotypes study & theory
Steele and Aronson (1995)
Stereotypes are a generalisations associated with the characteristics of groups of people. Stereotypes influence behaviour through prejudice and discrimination against the stereotyped group of people. The theory of stereotype threat posits that stereotypes can be internalised by individuals in the stereotyped group, thus causing harm to those individuals’ self-perception, and thus behaviour
Link: Steele and Aronson (1995) investigated the effect of stereotype threat, specifically racial stereotype against black people, on being internalised by stereotyped individuals, specifically, academic performance (behaviour) on black participants
Steele and Aronson (1995)
AIM
- To investigate the effects of stereotype threat on the test performance of African Americans
STUDY
- true experiment
PARTICIPANTS
- 114 black and white students
- Half were induced stereotype threat
- Half were neutral for control
METHOD
- The participants performed a 30-minute standardised test of verbal ability
- The participants in experimental condition incurring stereotype threat were told the test diagnosed intellectual ability
- The control condition were told the test was a problem solving exercise
- Theory: linking the test to intellectual ability may activate existing racial stereotypes causing black participants to face the threat of fulfilling the stereotype
RESULTS
- The performance between black and white participants were equivalent in the control condition
- However, black participants performed worse than white participants in the stereotype threat condition
IMPLICATIONS
- The expectation of negative racial stereotypes creates a self-fulfilling prophecy where participants subconsciously fulfil the stereotype
Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions theory
Cultural Dimension:
- Individualism vs Collectivism may influence behaviour as cultural norms shape our values of individualism vs collectivism
- Cultural dimensions shape the thinking of people within the culture which can affect their behaviour
Individualism vs. collectivism
- Individualist societies prioritise individuals
- Values: uniqueness, freedom, privacy, independence
- Collectivist societies prioritise community
- Values: family, relationships, shared heritage, interdependence,
social harmony - origins/causes/reasons of cultural dimension of individualism vs collectivism:
environmental factors:
Inuit rely on hunting and fishing which require individual skills and initiative which promoted independence, self-reliance, and thus individualism
Sierra Leone culture practiced farming, which necessitates co-operation, co-ordination, community, and thus collectivism
Berry (1967)
AIM
- To investigate whether the cultural group or norm of collectivism or individualism would influence the susceptibility to conformity
STUDY
- quasi-experiment
PARTICIPANTS
- Around 360 people
- From 3 different cultures around 120 people from each culture
- Sierra Leone collectivist culture
- Inuit Canadian individualist culture
- Scottish control culture with elements of both
METHOD
- Individually participant had identify which line out of 8 was the closet in length to the line given
- There were 6 trials, however, on the 3rd trial, the participants were given a hint as to what most people apart of ones culture would choose to be correct which was the true closet line
- However, on trials 4-6, the participants were given the same hint but suggested an incorrect answer
RESULTS
- Collectivist cultured participants were more likely to be influenced and conform to the incorrect answer
IMPLICATIONS
- Cultural groups with collectivist norms are more likely to conform as they value agreeability with ones respective cultural group
- Berry believes this is because the collectivists don’t want to go against the rest of the people within your collectivist group as this is the mentality that they hold
Odden and Rochat (2004)
AIM
- To investigate the role of observational learning or social cognitive theory in enculturation in Samoa
STUDY
- naturalistic observational study
- longitudinal design
PARTICIPANTS
- 28 Samoan children
METHOD
- Since Samoan culture takes a non-interventionist approach to raising children as they believe children learn important skills and values on their own, researchers could observational investigate observational learning of cultural norms
- Children are also not taught how to fish due to limited supply of fishing equipment, forcing them to learn observationally watching adults fish/
- The researchers observed the Samoan children’s behaviour over 25 months, and at the end children completed a multi-choice test on their knowledge of Samoan values and their hierarchy system
- Emic approach to enculturation as studied the culture from within
RESULTS
- By the children were 10 most of them began borrowing fishing equipment without adult supervision and learnt how to fish by recalling watching adults fish
- By 12 most children were capable fishermen despite never being overtly taught how to fish
- The test demonstrated that most children, despite never being overtly taught, understood the concepts, values, and norms of their culture
IMPLICATIONS
- Children are able to learn the norms of their culture simply by observing and overhearing the conversations of others
- Observational learning plays an important role in enculturation to learn cultural values, norms, behaviours, and tradition through observation and imitation
Lyons-Padilla et al. (2015)
AIM
- To investigate the effect of acculturation strategies of Muslim immigrants on mental health
- To investigate the effects of globalisation promoting Pakistani Muslim immigration to more globally dominant cultures such as US on mental health of immigrants
STUDY
- Correlational survey
PARTICIPANTS
- Over 200 Muslim immigrants from Pakistan in US between 18-35
METHOD
- Survey consisted of questions about acculturation strategies, significance loss (feeling purposelessness in life), and support of islamic extremism
RESULTS
- The integrated immigrants had better mental health and cultural identity outcomes
- The immigrants with radical/extremist Islamic views correlated with significance loss which comes from the marginalisation component of acculturation
- Marginalised immigrants experienced loss of personal and cultural identity, and excluded themselves from cultural gatherings as well
- The immigrants who experienced more significance loss were correlated to be more likely sympathetic towards radical Islamic beliefs potentially due to the purposelessness of significance loss which is caused by marginalisation acculturation strategy
IMPLICATIONS
- Increasing immigration to Western countries due to globalisation affects mental health by creating significance loss in the immigrants whose acculturation strategies consist of marginalisation ,
- As globalisation increases immigration of local cultures to more globally dominant cultures such as US, the globalised immigration affects the mental health of immigrants due to their acculturation strategies
- Acculturation, promoted by globalisation, if consists of marginalisation strategy may cause significance loss which is a risk factor of radicalisation of Muslim immigrants (Kruglanski et al, 2014), as immigrants who feel disconnected to local and global cultures, and thus often also experience prejudice or discrimination, may potentially seek connection in extremism
- As globalisation has coincided with Islamic extremism and terrorism (Lutz and Lutz, 2015), the significance loss resulting from marginalisation acculturation strategies and prejudice and discrimination against increasing immigrants due to globalisation, may possibly cause radicalisation and extremism
