Psych 8 Flashcards
social action
actions and behaviors that individuals are concious of and performing because others are around
Yerkes-Dodson law of social facilitation
Being in the presence of others will significantly raise arousal, which increases ability to perform simple tasks and hinders performance of complex tasks.
Social facilitation
describes the tendency of people to perform at a different level based on the fact that other people are around due to perceived evaluation
Deindividaution
is a loss of self-awareness in large groups, which can lead to drastic changes in behavior.
The bystander effect
describes the observation that when in a group, individuals are less likely to respond to a person in need. Depends on degree of danger and cohesiveness of group.
Social Loafing
Individual puts less effort when in a group
Identity shift effect
If a person’s identity is different than a group’s, the person will conform their behavior to the norm. This is because behavior against the norm causes internal conflict, so shift identity.
Cognitive Dissonance
simultaneous presence of 2 opposing thoughts/opinions
Choice shift
initial idea not extreme, but through discussion, becomes more extreme. Can either become too exterme or too cautions.
Cultural transmission/learning
manner in which society socializes its members
Cultural diffusion
spread of norms, customs, and beliefs (especially new ones)
Peer pressure
refers to the social influence placed on individuals by others they consider equals. E.g. the bar length experiment
Group polarization
is the tendency toward making decisions based on ideas and solutions that arise within the group without considering outside ideas.
Culture
describes the beliefs, ideas, behaviors, actions, and characteristics of a group or society of people
Assimilation
is the process by which a group or individual’s culture begins to melt into another culture
Multiculturalism
refers to the encouragement of multiple cultures within a community to enhance diversity
Subcultures
refer to a group of people within a culture that distinguish themselves from the primary culture to which they belong.
Counterculture
subculture away from the norm
primary socialization
children learn from parents and adults. Provides foundation for creating personality
secondary socialization
socialization with smaller group of society. Typically with adolescents and adults and smaller changes and refinements compared to primary socialization.
Socialization
is the process of developing and spreading norms, customs and beliefs.
Anticipatory socialization
process by which someone preps for future changes
Resocialization
discarding old behaviors in favor of new ones
Norms
are what determine the boundaries of acceptable behavior within society
Mores
widely accepted norms
sanctions
penaliteis for misconduct
folkways
norms that refer to polite behaviors
Labeling theory
labels given to someone affect not only how others repond to the person, but also the other person’s self-image.
Stigma
is the extreme disapproval or dislike of a person or group based on perceived differences from the rest of society
Internalization
changing behaviors and agreeing with ideas
Identification
outward acceptance, but internally disagreeing with ideas
Deviance
refers to any violation of norms, rules, or expectations within a society. May be positive or negative.
Conformity
is changing beliefs or behaviors in order to fit into a group or society. E.g. prison guard experiment.
Compliance
occurs when individuals change their behavior based on the requests of others. Usually from someone with authority.
foot-in-door
small request to larger request
door-in-face
large request (refused) to smaller request
low-ball
get initial commitment then raise the cost of commitment
that’s-not-all
made offer then told deal is better than expected
obedience
is a change in behavior based on a command from someone seen as an authority figure.
social cognition
how people think about others and how these ideas impact behavior
Affective component of attitude
Way person feels toward something. Emotional component.
Behavioral component of attitude
Way person acts with respect to something
Cognitive component of attitude
Way somone thinks about it (e.g. knowing something is dangerous)
Functional attitudes theory
states that there are four functional areas of attitudes that serve individuals in life: knowledge (attitudes provide consistency and stability to thoughts and experiences), ego-expression (allows us to communicate and solidify self-identity) and , adaptability (one will be socially accepted if socially accepted attitudes are expressed), and ego defense (protect self-esteem and justify actions we know are wrong)
Learning theory
states that attitudes are developed through forms of learning: direct contact, direct interaction, direct instruction and conditioning
Elaboration likelihood model
states that attitudes are formed and changed through different routes of information processing based on the degree of elaboration central route processing (deep thinking) vs. peripheral route processing (shallow thinking, focus on superficial)
Social cognitive theory
states that attitudes are formed through observation of behavior, personal factors and environment
Modeling:
copying others
Group polarization
is a phenomenon where group decision-making amplifies the original opinion of group members. First, all the view does not have equal influence. Second, arguments made tend to favour popular view and any criticism is minority – confirmation bias.
Groupthink
occurs when maintaining harmony among group members is more important than carefully analyzing problem at hand. Happens in very cohesive, insulated groups. Often have important/respected leaders, and in the interest of group “unity” individuals suppress own opinions.
Cognitive attitude
involves someone’s beliefs and knowledge. What someone knows to be true can affect one’s attitude towards certain issues. E.g., If you know that lions are dangerous, your attitude towards them may be negative and fearful.
Affective attitude
involves someone’s feelings or emotions, which largely shape our attitude. E.g., If you love someone, you will most likely address them with a positive, loving attitude.
Behavioral attitude
involves someone’s actions. Our behavior is greatly dependent on our attitude. E.g., If we have a positive attitude, we are more likely to behave productively.
