SCLO: Part One: Short Answer Flashcards
Principles
- Human beings are social animals and we have a basic need to belong
- Culture influences behavior
- Humans are social animals and so have a social and self identity
- People’s views of the world are resistant to change
Research Methods
- Experiments, case studies, interviews, correlational studies, overt and covert observational studies and surveys
Ethical Considerations
Emotional harm, informed consent, right to withdraw, deception, debriefing
Heider’s Attribution Theory
- People look for causes and reasons for other people’s behavior because we feel that there are motives
- People construct their own theories as to why people act the way they do
- People do this because they want to understand, control and predict their environment
Discounting Principle of Attribution
People opt for the simplest definition
- We discount other possible causes when we believe one is most likely
- We are more likely to give one factor all the credit when several factors may be at play
Fundamental Attribution Error
- When people overestimate the role of dispositional factors in an individual’s behavior and underestimate situational factors
- Often happens when there isn’t enough information to make a balanced decision
Self-serving Bias Error
-When people take credit for success, attributing them to dispositional factors, but attribute their failures to situational factors
Modesty Bias
-Attribution of failures to ability and disposition
Actor-observer Effect
- People attribute their own behavior (as the actor) to situational factors
- People (as observers) attribute other’s behavior to dispositional factors
Situational and Dispositional Factors in Behavior
- Dispositional factors: Personal or internal reasons for behavior
- Situational factors: External or environmental reasons for behavior
In-groups and Out-groups
- In-group: a social group in which one identifies
- Out-group: a social group in which one does not identify
Stereotypes
- The cognitive process of categorizing people into groups based on visible cues such as gender, nationality, race, religion, body appearance
- Assuming all members of a group share the same characteristics
- Assigning individuals to these groups and presuming that they all possess the same characteristic based on little information other than their possession of the noticeable trait or cue
Errors in stereotype formation
- Grain of truth: We create generalization about groups based on one experience
- Illusory experience: A false relationship is perceived between two variables
- Confirmation bias: We seek out and remember information that confirms what we already believe
- False propaganda: groups/individuals with political or inter-group motives distort information
Stereotype Threat
-The effect of a stereotype on one’s performance. Occurs when one is in a situation where there is a threat of being judged or treated stereotypically or a fear of doing something would inadvertently confirm that stereotype
Spotlight Anxiety
Causes emotional distress and pressure that may undermine performance
Social Identity Theory
-Based on the assumption that individuals strive to improve their self-image by trying to enhance their self-esteem based on their personal identity and social identity
Social Identity Theory Component: Identification with a group
Groups with higher value tend to help meet goals, match traits and values, satisfy basic needs, positive stereotypes, have a higher status and are freely chosen
Social Identity Theory compononets
Identification with a group, social comparison, positive self-esteem
Social Identity Theory Component: Social Comparision
a. When comparing one’s own social group with others we tend to exaggerate the similarities of those in the same group and exaggerate the difference of those in the out-group
Social Identity Theory Component: Positive Self-esteem
a. Comes from being a member of a group. Self esteem is seen as a basic motivator for humans
Social Learning Theory
The passing along of social norms through observational learning
Social Learning Theory Factors
- Attention: the person must pay attention to the model
- Retention: the observer must be able to remember the behavior
- Motor reproduction: the observer must be able to replicate the action
- Motivation: Learners must want to demonstrate what they have learned
Motivation factors of social learning theory
- Consistency: if the model acts consistently across situations
- Identification with the model: There is tendency to imitate models who are like us
- Rewards/punishment: we watch what happened to other’s as a result of their behavior and learn from their consequences
- Likability of the model: Friendly models and those who we already have a friendly connection with
Compliance
-A response to a direct attempt to influence someone by means of a request; one person explicitly asks another to act in a certain way
Compliance Techniques
- Reciprocity: One person tries to repay, in kind, what another person has provided
- Commitment and Consistency: People have a desire to be consistent within their words, beliefs, attitudes and deeds
- Social Proof: People mirror the behavior of people that they want to be more like
- Liking: People prefer to say yes to individuals they know and like
- Authority: People tend to obey authority figures
- Scarcity: People assign more value to opportunities when they are less available
Conformity
-Involves a change of behavior towards someone or something because of pressure from a group rather than a direct request
Factors that Influence Conformity
- Group Unanimity: Conformity is most likely when all the confederates agree
- Group size: Higher level of conformity with more than one person, but very large groups decrease conformity
- Self-esteem: Subjects with high self-esteem conform less than those with low self-esteem
- Confidence: When individuals feel they are an expert in this field they are less likely to conform
- Cultural norms: People in collectivist societies are more likely to conform than those in individualistic studies
- Attractiveness of the group
- Reinforcement: being rewarded for agreeing with the majority
Emic
-Looks at behaviors that are culturally specific
Etic
-Looks at universal rules for behavior across culture, attempts to be culturally neutral
Culture
- A dynamic system of rules, explicit and implicit, established by groups in order to ensure their survival, involving attitudes, values, beliefs, norms, and behaviors
- Behavior patterns that are typical of certain groups and passed down through the generations by observational learning
Culture definition problems
- Numerous accepted definitions
- Culture is complex because it includes all human life and its artifacts
- It changes
- There are political aspects to cultural definitions
- Definitions reflect out assumptions, theoretical orientations and interests
Cultural Dimensions
-Aspects of culture that can be measured relative to other cultures, differences in behavior are a consequence of culture, culture is defined as mental programming, unlearning, what is programmed is difficult because we are resistant to change
Ecological Fallacy
-When looking at two cultures it should not be assumed that they must be different from one another or that just because a person is from a culture that the dimensions necessarily apply to that person
