Social behaviour- the influence of groups Flashcards
What is a group?
Group = collection of people with shared features or attributes
Experienced (belongingness)- ethnicity, occupation, team
What is an in-group?
In-group (us) = a group in which someone identifies
What is an out-group?
Out-group (them) = a group in which someone does not identify
What is social facilitation?
- better performance in competition
- improved by merely being observed
What happens due to social inhibition and why does this happen?
Tasks get more complex
More errors, poorer performance, people more distracted.
What is social loafing?
The phenomenon of people exerting less effort to achieve a goal when they work in a group than when they work alone
How to reduce social loafing?
- Make individual contributions identifiable
- Emphasise valuable individual contributions
- Keep group size at an appropriate level
What is a risky shift?
Risky Shift: A group consensus is almost always riskier than the average decision made by individuals prior to a group discussion
What is group polarisation?
Group Polarization: Group discussion strengthens the average inclination of group members- e.g. novel/persuasive arguments, social comparison and social desirability, discussion produces a commitment
Non-social factors responding to an emergency?
- ambiguity of the situation
- personality
- personal threat/cost of intervention
What are social factors responding to an emergency?
Presence of others e.g. bystander apathy
Why do we help others?
Cultural norms
- social responsibility norm- give freely to those in need- good to someone they will be good to you
- the reciprocity norm- help people who help us
Who are the people that help?
- altruists (or egotists?)
- in a good mood
- men (helping women)
- those who feel competent
What are norms?
• shared beliefs re appropriate conduct -explicit rules e.g. laws -implicit, taken-for-granted habits • behaviours that characterise groups -cf. stereotypes – but within groups • inherently resistant to change
What is conformity?
A type of social influence involving a change in belief or behaviour to fit within a group.
