Social 6-10 Flashcards
what is conformity?
a change in a person’s behaviour or opinions as a result of real or imagined pressure from a person or group
why do we conform?
- informational social influence
- normatvie social influence
- social norms
what is informational social influence
accepting information from others as reflecting reality (what is right)
what is normative social influence
people wanting to meet positive expectations of others
what is social norms
conforming based on rules on how to behave
carpark study=people littered in a dirty carpark but not in a clean one
types of social norms in conformity
- descriptive social norm
- injunctive social norm
what is descriptive social norm?
how the majority of people act
what is injunctive social norm?
how other expect you to act
what is deindividuation (stanford prison study)
feeling less of an individual
what was the outcome of the stanford prison study?
prisoners and guards conformed to their social roles and were deindividualised
what was the outcome of the BBC prison study?
guards were kind to prisoners and worked together with them
what is a necessity for a successful minority?
consistency which shows commitment
what was the outcome of Moscovici’s study?
the more consistent minority had the highest level of conformity to minority
what is obedience?
complying to orders from someone of a high status
what was a finding of Milgram’s obedience study (electric shocks)
65% gave the maximum shock. obedience decreased due to social support, lack of experimenter presence and when participants chose their own shock level
what was a criticism of the prods used n Milgram’s study?
only one measured obedience = ‘you have no other choice, you must go one’
what is included in ethics as proposed by Nuremberg Code
- informed consent
- results fruitful for society
- avoid unnecessary harm
- risk should not exceed benefits
- participants free to end participantion
What did Sherif (1936) find in his research into conformity? (moving light study)
participants’ answers to moving light were more diverse when in a group showing they changed based on the group’s opinion
what did Asch (1956) find in his research into conformity?
75% of people conformed at least once
What was Sherif & Sherif’s (1969) theory of what groups should be like?
a group should have social structure = a superior and subordinates
what was Tajfel’s (1981) theory of what groups should be like?
a group exists when 2 or more people define themselves as members of the group (common identity)
What is the Minimal Group Paradigm?
Showing a preference for own group even without knowing the others and what they were invlolved in
what are the 2 ways in which groups can influence behaviour?
group performance and moral behaviour
what are the two ways group performance can be affected by groups?
- social facilitation
- social loafing
what are the two ways moral behaviour is influenced by groups?
- ingroup bias
- crowd behaviour
what is social facilitation?
when performance improves in the presence of others
what was Triplett’s (1898) finding into social facilitation?
when people had to cycle or wind a fishing reel, the performances were better in the presence of others
what is social loafing?
performance decreases in the presence of others
what was Ringlemann’s (1913) finding into social loafing?
when people pulled a rope either alone or in a group, performance declined as group size increased
describe reasons for changes in group performance
when a person’s efforts can/can’t be evaluated in a group then they increase/decrease their effort which cause social facilitation/social loafing
what is the Realistic Conflict Theory (Sherif, 1966)
- conflict arises because 2 or more groups are competing for a scarce resource
- harmony can be achieved by working on a superordinate goal (together)
Describe the Robbers Cave Experiment (Sherif, 1961)
at a camp boys, in different groups, were put against each other but then asked to do a task for both teams. Conflict was resolved when they did this task
what did Lebron (1908) suggest about crowd behaviour?
people behave differently in crowds when:
- anonymous
- lose personal responsibility
- act without personal restraint
what did Reicher (1984) discover about crowd behaviour during riots
people didn’t attack all buildings so they followed SOCIAL NORMS
what are the steps to crowd behaviour by Postmes and Spears (1998)
- initial deindividuation - feel apart from the group
- act with group norms
What is the Bystander Effect
when there are other people around, individuals are less lively to help people in need, than when they’re alone
describe case study of Kitty Genovese (Bystander Effect)
- after being stabbed on the way home from work, 38 people heard her scream but no one helped.
- because she remained un-helped, her stabber raped then killed her
Why are people unwilling to help? (Bystander Effect)
- PLURALISITIC IGNORANCE-think not an emergency
- AUDIENCE INHIBITION-don’t want to look stupid in front of other
- DIFFUSION OF RESPONSIBILITY-feel shard responsibility to help. more people=less individual responsibility
Describe findings from Latane and Darley’s 1970, study into bystander effect (SMOKE FILLED ROOM)
people were less likely to go for help when with other people.
with confederate=10% of people went for help
Describe findings into Latane and Darley’s 1968, study into bystander effect (SEIZURE VICTIM)
helping decrease with more bystanders
Describe findings into Latane and Rodin (1969) study into bystander effect (FALLEN CABINET)
- high helping when with a friend
- low helping when confederate does nothing
Describe findings into Pilivin 1969 study into bystander effect (FALLEN PERSON ON SBWAY TRAIN)
-lower helping when black and drunk person (75%)
generally helping was at 100%
Describe the findings of the study into the existence of the bystander effect (Fischer 2011)
meta-analysis of studies found 53 studies suggesting bystander effect exists and has been replicated
Reducing the bystander effect (Beaman, 1978)
after being lectured on the bystander effect, there was generally more helping behaviour (65%)
what drives helping behaviour?
- altruism
- egoism
what is helping?
an intentional act that benefits another living being or group
prosocial behaviour
behaviour that benefits others but isn’t driven by personal obligations; can be selfless or selfish
altruism
an act that is motivated by desire to help selflessly, without benefit to self
egoism
focus on self, wanting to help to feel proud, remove guilt
negative state relief model (Gialdini, 1987)
- seeing others in need causes distress for human
- we want to remove the distress therefore helping is selfish
describe the findings of Manucia 1984 research into the negative state relief model
highest helping=when people were sad and thought their emotions weren’t fixed
wanted to help to feel better
what is the Empathy Altruism Hypothesis, Bateson 1991
- people with high empathy =want to help (selfless)
- low empathy=only help when cannot escape situation
Describe Bateson’s findings into the Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis, 1981 (WATCHING SIMILAR/DISSIMILAR PEOPLE GETTING SHOCKS)
people were more likely to help when high empathy and cannot escape (10/10 shocks) and thought person was similar to them
Describe Shepard’s findings into the Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis (2018)
- prideful sperm donors had the intention and action of giving (high egoism)
- prideful egg donors had the intention of giving but less action (women have limited eggs)
what is aggression?
form of behaviour directed towards the goal of HARMING or INJURING another LIVING BEING who is motivated to AVOID such treatment
what does an act need to have to be considered aggressive?
- an INTETNITON to be aggressive
- an UNDERSTANDING that it will cause PAIN
- person motivated to AVOID harm
types of aggression
- VIOLENCE
- RATIONAL aggression
- INSTRUMENTAL aggression
- HOSTILE aggression
what is violence?
behaviour designed to cause HARM through PHYSICAL force
what is rational aggression?
damaging SOCIAL relationships
what is instrumental aggression?
aggressive act with their aim of ACHIEVING a goal
what is hostile aggression?
aggressive behaviour motivated by desire to EXPRESS ANGER
what are the biological explanations of aggression?
- Steam-Boiler Model
- Genetics
- Hormones
What is the Steam Boiler Model explanation to aggression? (biological)
- we constantly produce AGGRESSIVE ENERGY and occasionally need to release it i.e aggressive actions
- reducing ager-evoking does not reduce aggression
- if allowed to build up, we BURST=be aggressive in ANTI-SOCIAL ways
what is the genetic explanation of aggression (biological)
-50% of people aggressions were due to genetics (meta-analysis of twin and adoption studies)
what is the hormones explanation of aggression (biological)
- testosterone activates fight response
- high testosterone=high aggression
- 2D:4D ration=long ring fingers=high aggression (only in men)
- increase of testosterone, increase aggression (more hot sauce after holding a gun)
what are the psychological explanations to aggression?
- FRUSTRATION-AGGRESSION HYPOTHESIS
- blocking of ones daily goal leads to aggression
- more aggression when there is NOR FEAR of PUNISHMENT and CAUSE OF FRUSTRATION is available
- Social Learning Theory=Bobo doll study. Aggression increases from watching a model
what are the situational explanations to aggression?
- weak to moderate link between MEDIA VIOLENCE and aggression (meta-analysis)
- ALCOHOL- 80% of violent offenders drank alcohol before crime (increases aggression when low in empathy)
- HEAT-temperature increases aggression to a certain point (25 degrees) after this temp people get tired
what is facial symmetry?
- one side of the face is identical to the other; mirror image
- people generally find facial symmetry more attractive
why are symmetrical faces more attractive?
EVOLUTION!
- motivated to find partners with strong genes
- facial symmetry=GENE STRENGTH & ability to deal with DEVELOPMENTAL STRESS
What facial features are attractive in females?
-smooth skin
-high cheekbones
(high oestrogen=healthy offspring)
what facial features are attractive in males?
-prominent brow and cheek bones
-wide jaws
(high testosterone=strong offspring)
what body features are attractive in males?
- body symmetry=fast & lots of sperm
- broad shoulders and narrow waist
what body features are attractive in females?
- breast symmetry=better reproductive ability
- hourglass figure (hips:waist of .70=reproductive ability
what is the importance of attraction
- males want attractive partners
- females want good financial prospects
evaluation of physical attractiveness
limited and outdated
-assumes that healthy offspring is central to attraction but NOT EVERYBODY WANTS CHILDREN
what are the psychological features of attractiveness?
- proximity=being physically close to a person increase liking
- familiarity=people remembered strangers that they had seen more times in a lecture theatre
- similarity=people liked people that were more similar to them even though hadn’t met them
what is the Law of Attraction?
the more similar you are to a person, the greater the attraction
