Psych Part 4 Flashcards
Validity
External Validity: Difficult to apply to the real world
Internal Validity: inherent flaws/innacuracies in design
Demand characteristics
Internal validity error: subtle cues that alter the behaviour of subjects
Construct validity
Internal validity error. Does it actually measure what it is supposed to?
Threats to internal validity
Impression management - behaviour adapts to perceived characteristics; self-fufilled prophecy
Confounding variables
Lack of reliability - tools are not measuring what they are supposed to
Sampling bias
Attrition effects
Demand characteristics
Experiment does not reflect real world
Selection criteria
Situational effects
Lack of statistical power
Correlation Studies
Tend to draw on Pearson Correlation studies. -1 to +1
Ethnographic studies
Qualitative!
Researchers immerse themselves in a group.
Strength: Minimal resources; in-depth
Weaknesses: replicability, presence of researcher, hard to verify methodology
Longitudinal Studies
Sub-type is cross-sectional studies looking at a collection of the population at a specific time.
Case studies
In-depth exploration of individuals, groups, or phenomena
Phenomenological studies
introspective method.
Study oneself or study thoughts/self-perceptions
Survey
Pros: easy to administer and cheap
Cons: hard to validate honesty, whether it is a poor sample, or poor questions
Archival studies
Previously collected data
Biographical studies
Extensive life account
Observational
Observation only. No attempt to control variables.
Society
A group of people that share a culture and live/interact with eachother in a definable area
Sociology
Study of people and the reciprocal influence of society
Structural Functionalism
Society as a living organism. Independent parts with distinct and necessary purposes.
Initiated by Herbert Spencer.
Focus on social functions and societal structures.
Can thrive or become diseased.
Emile Durkheim
1858 - 1917. Established Sociology as a distinct discipline.
Functionalist. Argued that order was paramount to a successful society because all structures are interdependent.
Modern societies are more complex than primitive ones which can be held together because they are small and share language, customs, and values.
Dynamic equilibrium. Can break, but good societies revert. Social dysfunction reduces stability of society.
Society can be viewed hollistically as a collection of SOCIAL FACTS which are elements that serve a function in society: laws; morales; values; religion. Related, believed in COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCE.
MANIFEST FUNCTIONS
LATENT FUNCTIONS
CRITIQUE: Inability to account for rapid change.
Conflict Theory
Marx (1818 - 1883)
Unequal social order maintained by hegemony.
Societal “consensus” is defined by a super-strucutre and used to justify what is normal/inevitable.
Max Weber
1864 - 1920
Conflict Theory
Did not believe collapse of capitalism was inevitable.
Critique of Marx was the lack of integration of beliefs/values. Included the protestant/puritan work ethic as contribution to capitalist success.
Funamental trend of society was its RATIONALIZATION ie. increased efficiency.
Symbolic Interactionism
Term by Hubert Blumer, but Weber set the stage.
(Micro) Society as a composite of small interactions.
Individuals shape reality through understanding and subsequent behaviour.
George Herbert Mead
1863 - 1931
We make sense of the world by ascribing meaning to symbols and language, which depend on individuals and the social context.
Meaning is a central aspect fo human behaviour, but it is subjective:
1. humans ascribe meaning and act on that meaning
2. language allows for generation of meaning
3. Modify meaning by observation and interpretation of others in a social context
Encouraged language, games, and play at all ages.
Difference between “I” (individual self) “me” more important when others interpret our behaviour.
Thought = a composition of I and ME.
Definition of the situation.
Thomas Theorem - our interpretation of a situation reflects our response.
Dramaturgical Approach
Erving Goffamn (1922 - 82)
Sub-type of symbolic interactionism.
Life as a stage, individuals as performers.
Critiques of interactionism
Neglects macro social interpretation and may miss larger social issues.
General critique of conflict theory
Too much focus on conflict, what about cooperation and beliefs.
Social Constructionism
People assert reality. Society is subject to “meaning making” and collective definition making.
Social constructs: mechanisms and practices created by society.
Major difference with SI: SC can focus both micro and macro.
STOCKS OF KNOWLEDGE: allow for quick classification of actions and structures our process –> result is TYPIFICATION (general knowledge structures view).
Typification can expand to Institutionalization.
Concerned with Mass Media.
Feminist theory
Concerned with the difference between men/female.
How social structures contribute to gender differences (macro) and how differences result in individual reactions (micro).
Active Oppression
Intersectionality
Rational Choice and Exchange Theory
Economic (micro and macro)
Includes Social exchange theory, game theory, and rational actor theory.
Focus: Maximize advnatage and minimize disadvantage. Social order is a consequence of this.
Utilitarian:
1. Rational actions
2. Maximize self-interest
Criticism of Rational Choice and Exchange Theory
Does not account for our lack of rationality and culture/subjective meaning.
Social institutions
complexes of roles, norms, and values that exist in a relatively stable form and contribute to governance of people.
Ex. Education, family, religion, government, and healthcare
Family
Five general functions:
1. Reproduction
2. Protection
3. Socialization
4. Affetion/companionship
5. Social status
Polygamy
Polygyny
Polyandry
Endogamy
Marry within group
Exogamy
Marry outside group
Kinship
How we think about how we are related. A cultural group not a biological group.
Community, friends, guardians
Kin group delineations
Bilateral - both maternal and paternal
Maternal - Matrilineal
Paternal - patrilineal
Relationships of power within kin
Egalitarian, Patriarchal, Matriarchal
4 Types of child abuse
Physical, emotional, sexual, neglect
Hidden Curriculum
Conflicts with the manifest curriculum
Education segregation
divisions between high and low economic standing
Teacher expectancy theory
Teacher develops impressions of students (quickly), if student generally fits, they will play into that role.
Educational stratification
Can perpetuate gaps in education across groups.
Forms of Religious Organization
Ecclesia - dominant organization that includes most of society. Born into institution. Ex. Sweden with lutheranism
Church - Integrated, join by birth but possible to join later, concerned with sacred and ordinary aspects of life.
Sect - Distinct from larger society and breaks away from larger institutions. Can be by birth or later.
Cult - Far outside social norms.
Social Function of religion
Cohesion, meaning, support of all kinds, social dissent/violence, social change, lifestyle
5 Major religions
Christianity - 30% of global population; has judgement day
Islam - 20 - 25% of global population; No secularization in muslim states;
Hinduism - 14% of global population, polytheistic, reincarnation
Buddhism - No deity; achieve enlightenment, and overcome physical/material desires
Judaism - 0.2% of global population
Religiosity
Extent to which religion influences life
Aristarchic Governments
Aristocratic (elites)
Meritocracies (meritorious)
Distribution of power in Government structures
Aristarchic
Autocratic
Monarchies
Autocratic
Dictatorship - one person
Facist regime - small group
Choosing government leadership
Authoritarian Government
Democratic Government
Oligarchic Government
Authoritarian government
Selected
Some individual freedoms
No control over representation
Oligarchic Government
Can be but not always elected.
Ruled by a group with shared interest, typically wealthy.
ex. Theocracies
Structure of governments
Republican
Federalist
Parliamentary
Presidential
Anarchy
Republican
People have supreme power
Federalist
Governing head, but shares power with constituent groups
Parliamentary
Executive and Legislative
Presidential
Organizing branches and head of state
Four economic structure categories
Command
Market economics
Mixed economies
Traditional economies
Economics
Describing the production, distribution, and consumption of resources
Command Economy
Economic decisions are made based on production plan. Means of production are usually public.
ie. Socialism/Communism
Market economies
Economic decisions are based on market, means of production are private,
Mixed economies
Blend of command and market economies.
Traditional Economies
Social customs considered in economies - barter/trade
Communism
Special form of socialism. Collective ownership of goods production, absence of currency, classes, and states.
Rooted in shared economic, political, and social ideologies.
Welfare capitalism
Private, but public social welfare
State Capitalism
Business are primary, but function with government oversight
