SCLOA

Question 1

Outline principles that define the SCLOA (e.g the social and cultural environment influences individual behavior).

Answer 1

Principle - social and cultural environment influenced behavior.

Maguire (YYY) -

Conclusion -

Question 2

Discuss ethical considerations related to research studies at the sociocultural level of analysis.

Answer 2

Text.

Question 3

Describe the role of situational and dis-positional factors in explaining behavior.

Answer 3

Situational -
Dis-positional -

Zimbardo - if situational factors affect the behavior, more than disproportional. 22 male participants. Volunteers + tested. “Arrested”, blindfolded, striped and cuffed. Set in a fake prison. 3 cells, 3 people in each. Randomly assigned roles: prisoners (24 h) or guards. (8 h)
Result - 6 days only, not 14. Prisoners asked lawyers to help them out, guards showed steady increase in aggression. Some unable to leave their cells, despite being free to walk out.

Shows that:

Question 4

Discuss two errors in attribution.

Answer 4

FAE - depends on where we focus (attention). Overestimate the influence of personal characteristics and underestimate the influence of situational characteristics. (Ross, 1977).

Self-serving Bias - tendency of actors to attribute successful behavior to internal causes but unsuccessful behavior to external ones. (Holloway, 1986).

Question 5

Explain Social Identity Theory, making reference to two relevant studies.

Answer 5

Social Identity Theory - we identify ourselves within a group, classify people (we or them) In-group and Out-group favoritism. Good way to understand human behavior and norms. But - society changes -> group changes -> identity changes.

Study 1: Taifel - if randomly placed boys would show in-group favoritism and out-group discrimination. Pairs of 8, randomly allocated, estimate dots. 64 school boys, UK. majority gave to in-group. (linked to SIT)

Study 2: Diets-Uhler (1999) - Examine sports fans reactions. Strongly identify / not strongly identify. 74 psychology students, questionnaire. After every game, self-esteem scale. Fans strongly identified = more favorable.
Team won: expected, positive.
Team lost: unexpected, negative.

Question 6

Discuss the use of compliance techniques.

Answer 6

Foot-In-The-Door - compliance to small request -> big request.

Freedman & Freser (1966) - 144 Californian house wives. 4 conditions.
Results - 2/3 complied to small request, no one who declined small request, accepted large request. Small request = more willingly large request.

Question 7

Conformity.

Answer 7

Conformity -

Asch’s Conformity study - to see if possible to change ones behavior by applying group pressure (answer a question wrong) Tested in groups of 7-9, only one participants in each group. 18 trials. 75% conformed at least once.

Conclusion -

Question 8

Examine the role of two cultural dimensions on behavior (e.g individualism/collectivism).

Answer 8

Text.

Question 9

Discuss how the environment can influence behavior.

Answer 9

environment - outside stimuli.

Question 10

Principles of Socio-cultural level of analysis.

Answer 10

1. We need to belong.
2. We are social animals - social self which reflects group membership.
3. Humans create and shape culture and are influenced by their culture.
4. Conceptions are resistant to change.

Question 11

Social Learning Theory with reference to two studies.

Answer 11

• important role models: e.g parents or siblings. Occurs spontaneously: without reinforcement. Attention, retention, reproduction, motivation.

Bandura (1961) - to investigate weather children can obtain aggressive behavior by observing models. 36 boys, 36 girls. Children observe adults, non-aggressive & aggressive.

Question 12

Formation of stereotypes.

Answer 12

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