social approach- in groups and out groups

Question 1

what is social catigorisation ?

Answer 1

We divide people into social groups (categories) depending on their characteristics and appearance (gender, ethnicity, age)

. we perceive people within a category as similar (e.g. all young people are the same)

. At the same time, we perceive the people in different categories to be very different from the people in another (e.g. all young people are completely different from old people)

Question 2

what’s an “in-group” ?

Answer 2

.Most humans have a strong desire to belong, so it is easy for us to think of ourselves as a member of a category- this is an “in-group”

. We identify with the in-groups norms and values; giving us a sense of belonging, self-esteem and status.

.

Question 3

what’s an “Out-group” ?

Answer 3

.An out-group is anyone that does not belong to your group; a group you are not a part of

Question 4

what occurs as a result of us having “out-group” and “in-groups” ?

Answer 4

out-groups are perceived more negatively and receive inferior treatment in comparison to that of the in-group members.
.as it makes us feel good about our in-group and ourselves
They may be stereotyped resulting in discrimination .
. such as exclusion because of certain characteristics like gender, sexuality, skin colour, class ext.

.

Question 5

how are stereotypes formed ?

Answer 5

Through social categorisation - putting people into categories and assuming all members of the group are the same.

Question 6

whats another way stereotypes are formed according to the social learning theory ?

Answer 6

Social learning theory- the social learning there argues that we learn stereotypes by observing other forms of social information (parents, friends, social media)

Question 7

positive effects of stereotyping ?

Answer 7

Stereotypes simplify our interactions with other people in a complex social world; saving cognitive effort.

Question 8

Prejudice =

Answer 8

a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.

Question 9

discrimination =

Answer 9

the process of acting upon these prejudice views (the outcome of prejudice) – treating some people different from others

Question 10

strength = “in-groups and out-groups”

Answer 10

there is research to support it = there is psychological research showing the effects of stereotypes on memory

Question 11

what is the research that supports in groups and out-groups ?

Answer 11

Gordon Allport and Leo Postman (1947)

Question 12

explain Allport and Postmans study ?

Answer 12

racial stereotypes can cause people to make dramatic errors in eyewitness testimonies

. White participants were shown a picture of an argument with a well-dressed black man and a white man with a razor

. the participant was asked to recall the photo they were shown to another participant, and so on for 6-7 participants

. over 50% of the participants wrongly recalled the razor was held by the black man and was the aggressor.

. The study showed that cultural stereotypes can bias memory in a way that supports the stereotype

Question 13

weakness= in-groups and out-groups

Answer 13

Weakness= the social approach may not give the best explanation of stereotyping and prejudice.

There is evidence that some people are prejudiced because of their personality and not just because of social factors.

Some people develop an authoritarian personality as a result of a harsh upbringing.

These people blame out-groups for their own perceived failings and are therefore more likely than most to be open to stereotyping and strong prejudices