PSY1001 WEEK 4

Question 1

define social categorisation

Answer 1

process of assigning people to groups based on social categories

Question 2

define prototype

Answer 2

to apply schematic knowledge, first categorise as fitting specific schema into cognitive categories of attributes. can represent average category member but usually represents extreme member

Question 3

why do we socially categorise

Answer 3

to understand- important for perception and making judgement on others disposition
adaptive for survival- identify allied groups and enemies

Question 4

define ingroup

Answer 4

groups with which an individual feels sense of membership, belonging, identity

Question 5

define outgroup

Answer 5

groups with which individual does not feel sense of membership, belonging, identity

Question 6

how are our categories organised, what are used

Answer 6

in hierarchy from less to more inclusive (fewer/more attribute or members). we tend to rely on intermediate categories, usually use exemplars. as we become more familar we use prototypes

Question 7

define stereotype

Answer 7

collection of traits that society associates with particular social group

Question 8

give key themes of a stereotype

Answer 8

slow to change,
change in response to wider socio-political and economic change,
acquired at early age,
more pronounced and hostile when there is social tension

Question 9

define perceptual accentuation

Answer 9

process of categorisation might be responsible for stereotyping. we carry out perceptual accentuating of intra-category similarity/difference such as using colour of wine to judge tastes

Question 10

define stereotype threat

Answer 10

concern experienced by person when there is a possibility that they may act in way consistent with negative stereotypes

Question 11

when does stereotype threat usually occur

Answer 11

restricted access to education, health, housing, employment meaning that discrimination creates visible evidence of disadvantage, leading to internalised failure and giving up

Question 12

how may individuals who experience stereotype threat act with other

Answer 12

sensitive to cause of others treatment of them, leads to suspicion and mistrusting. often attribute positive outcome to external reverse discrimination and tokenism, underattributing negative reaction to prejudice

Question 13

define self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 13

stereotypical beliefs can create material realities confirming belief

Question 14

define prejudice

Answer 14

negative attitude held towards a societal group or its members

Question 15

define attitude

Answer 15

general, enduring, positive or negative feeling about a person object or issue

Question 16

define discrimination

Answer 16

negative behaviours toward a person because of their group membership

Question 17

explain the stereotype content model

Answer 17

argues stereotype content reflects changes in society

Question 18

how are stereotypes classified along dimensions of competence and warmth, linking to groups social status and competitive potentials? (stereotype content model)

Answer 18

warm: intent and linked to competition for resource (low competition is perceived as positive intentions and high warmth stereotype like friendly, high competition is negative intention and withlow warmth stereotype like unfriendly)
competence: capability and linked to social status, (high status perceived highly capable so high competence stereotype of intelligence, low status perceived low capability so low competence stereotype like weak)

Question 19

apply stereotype content model with stereotype classification to eldery

Answer 19

low competition = high warm stereotype
low status = low competence stereotype

Question 20

define covariation judgements

Answer 20

how strongly we perceived things to be related, and is essential in schema formation and social inference

Question 21

explain cognitive stereotype explanations of illusory correlation (a definition)

Answer 21

overestimation degree of correlation, or seeing correlation when not existing. when we make covariation judgement we dont want to be wrong so search for schema-consistent info in order to not disconfirm preexisting schema

Question 22

what is the influence of statistically infrequent event co-occurance on stereotypes

Answer 22

minority groups (statistically infrequent) performing negative behaviours (statistically infrequent) causes pairing resulting in association, forming stereotype

Question 23

explain procvess of stereotyping (stereotype application and activation) and how we measure it

Answer 23

1. stereotype application: using activated stereotypes in judgement (measured by using scales of individual traits; is Jane sensitive, rude, loud)
2. stereotype activation: degree to which stereotype is accessible in mind (lexical decision tasks)

Question 24

explain lexical decision tasks

Answer 24

display stereotypical words prior to assocaited target word, priming. decide if make-up or proper word
find it easier to decide when already primed in head

Question 25

why do people stereotype

Answer 25

act as an energy-saving device = simplify info, reducing cognitive load, judgemental heuristic (short-cut)
system justification theory = want to believe our social systems are fair and legitimate, so rationalise inequalities

Question 26

how are stereotypes perpetuated (biases in exposure to info and interpretation of info)

Answer 26

1. biases in exposure to info = research shows that we are more likely to seek stereotype confirming info
2. biases in interpretation of info = ultimate attribution error means we attribute negative or stereotpyic behaviour to disposition and positive or counterstereotypic behaviour to situation

Question 27

give research evidence impacting race and stereotypes

Answer 27

black/white college students completed exam, those in stereotype threat condition performed less well

Question 28

give research about gender and stereotype threat

Answer 28

maths test studies, men perform worse when stereotype threatened on interpersonal perception task, can impact our learning ability

Question 29

give a real world result from stereotype threat

Answer 29

affects learning and stereotyped domain disengagement
STEM leaky pipeline
pink collared careers