Pyschology SCLoA

Question 1

Compliance

Answer 1

Refers to changing one’s behavior due to the request or direction of another person.

Tactics humans use to persuade others to comply with their appeals. (Cialdini 2009)

2 techniques

• FITD
• Low Balling

Cialdini (2009), who outlined the main factors involved in compliance,

• Authority
• Commitment
• Social proof/social image

Question 2

Conformity

Answer 2

Following group behaviour

In-groups and Out-groups

Question 3

Stereotypes affecting behaviour **

Answer 3

…. we are cognitive misers

Question 4

Social Identity Theory

Answer 4

Theory that one’s self concept based on knowledge of membership in social groups, suggested by Henri Tajfel that can lead to prejudice (prejudgment) as we see ourselves as part of a group. Outsiders are inferior.

Tajfel and Turner (1979) deciding whether someone is part of the in or out-group.
1. Social Categorisation (category accent effect)

2. Social Identification (identifying and taking group norms and attitudes: group membership becomes part of your (social) self-image)
3. Social comparison (self-esteem is enhanced by the perception that your group is better: positive distinctiveness meaning you are better than others)

Question 5

Conformity on Group Norms

Answer 5

Asch (1951) Lines
Participants with the sneaky participants (confederates)

3 variables that affect the extent to of in-group favouritism

1. Extent to which we identify with in-groups
2. Extent to which there are grounds to make comparisons with the out-group
3. Relevance of the comparison group in relation to the in-group

Question 6

Outline the principle of SCLoA

Answer 6

1. Human Behaviour is influenced by socio and cultural factors
2. People have an individual self as well as a social self
3. Humans are social beings and require the need to belong
4. We are resistant to change

Question 7

Tajfel et al. (1970) Kandinsky and Klee

Answer 7

Participants were randomly assigned to the two artists

…

Question 8

Applications of the Cultural Dimensions Model

Answer 8

We minimize other cultural differences that lead us to Misunderstandings and Misinterpretations

Practical Applications:

• gives a general overview/approximate understanding of other cultures like what to expect from them and how to behave towards them
• used in the field of business- promoting cultural sensitivity helps workers work more efficiently when interacting with people from other cultures

Limitations:

• low validity. Internal: methodology has flaws (only used surveys). External: cannot generalize the findings
• perhaps culturally biased

Critical Analysis:

• Hofstede acknowledges that these are only theoretical constructions
• Generalisation can be helpful but should be regarded as ‘guidelines’ for better understanding behaviour in different countries

Conclusion:

• Cultural Dimensions enable users to distinguish different cultural traits but not the differences between members of societies
• Do not necessarily define individual personalities

Question 9

Cultural Dimensions

Answer 9

Suggested by Geert Hofstede (1980) while working with IMB employees in 66 countries. Differences in behaviour are a consequence of culture.

1. Collectivist and Individualist Cultures
2. Long-term and Short-term orientation

Collectivist cultures: Japan, Mexico
Individualist cultures: USA, Germany

Question 10

Attribution Theory

Answer 10

How people explain and interpret behaviour in the social world. (explanations of behaviour)
Situational factors: external
Dispositional factors: internal (psychological)

ex. Sam turns his hw late
Situational: he has family problems
Dispositional: he’s lazy

Question 11

Foot in the Door

Answer 11

1. Initial requests should not be so large
2. Delay between initial request
3. Not same person making both requests

Meineri & Gueguen (2008) Field experiment in France

• Households take part in demanding energy conservation project
• 1st group asked outright and 2nd group completed a questionnaire before
• Compliance higher in second group

Question 12

Commitment

Answer 12

Being consistent with previous behaviour.

Question 13

Lowballing

Answer 13

Cialdini (1974) Field experiment
University students getting up at 7am to volunteer for a study of cognition.

Lowballing relies on commitment. Feeling obliged to act in accordance (public commitment).

Question 14

FITD VS Lowballing

Answer 14

Hornik et al (1990)
Random Israeli telephone interviews on public health issues:
-Both techniques were effective
-Lowballing significantly more effective than FITD
-Combination was even more effective

Question 15

Situational Attribution in SCLoA

Answer 15

Cialdini (basking in reflected glory - university sports team study)
Ingroup success: “we won!”

Question 16

Fundamental Attribution Error

Answer 16

Tendency to make dispositional rather than situational attributions, even when there are clear situational factors present

Explanations:

• We don’t have enough information to make balanced attributions and so we make overwhelmingly dispositional attributions
• Info to make situational attributions is less salient (obvious to us) than the info required to make dispositional attributions

Question 17

Lee et al. (1977) TV show study (FAE)

Answer 17

Participants randomly assigned to position of game-show host, participants and audience member.

• After the show the observers were asked to rank the intelligence of the host and audience
• Observers ranked host as most intelligent even if they knew that they had been randomly assigned the role.
• The host knows things that the ppts didn’t

Question 18

Explanation for FAE

Miller et al (1978)

Answer 18

Sense of control over the world. We believe we have the power to stop bad things from happening to us because of dispositional factors rather than situational.

Culture bound, Western cultures put emphasis on “personal responsibility, often referred as the blame culture

Question 19

Elliot (1968) Blue/Brown eyes study

Answer 19

Discrimination

• Classroom environment
• Day to day preference
• Symbols to form identities

Question 20

Evaluation for SIT

Answer 20

Strengths
When ppl are grouped by preference or randomly, they see themselves as being similar in attitude and behaviour, and a bond is formed among group members.
Sherif et al. (1963) there was real identification with their teams (violence?)

Weaknesses
SIT describes and explains but does not predict human behaviour. Why is it that personal identity > group identity
Cultural expectations may serve as a factor, such as societal constraints

Question 21

Collectivism VS Individualism

Answer 21

Wei et al (2001) Singapore conflict resolution manager study.

• Questionnaires used
• Japanese, Americans, Chinese and Singaporeans.

Dominating Conflict resolution higher individualistic values (American)
Avoiding Conflict resolution (Asian but not always as predicted by the cultural dimension)

American managers that had been in Singapore for a while had adopted a more Asian conflict resolution style.

• Differences found within Asian managers were larger than between groups
• Conflict resolution styles are complex and cannot be reduced to cultural dimensions.
• Large sample.
• Self reports so uh oh.