Social Glossary Flashcards
Agentic State
A state of mind in which individuals give up their free will in order to follow instruction from an authority figure- they see themselves as an agent of others.
Obedience
Type of social influence where an individual follows the rules or orders given by an authority figure.
E.g. Student turns up to a detention that a teacher has told them to attend.
Autonomous State
A state of mind in which individuals act according to their free will as they see themselves as having power. Individuals feel responsible for their actions.
E.g. We revise because we want to succeed not because someone’s told us too.
Moral Strain
Feeling of discomfort/upset as the obedient behaviour goes against moral values or feelings of right and wrong.
E.g. Pps in Milgram’s studies suffered moral strain in that they knew what they were doing was wrong and felt distressed but felt unable to disobey.
Prejudice
A learned attitude or prejudgment about another person/group that involves feelings of dislike, hostility and fear based on little or no actual knowledge of them but rather a stereotype.
Discrimination
Actions that occur towards another person/group because of prejudice- physical, avoidance or verbal actions.
In-group
A group which you are a member of.
Out-group
A group that has something in common with one your in-groups, but of which you aren’t a member.
E.g. A out group for Man U fans would be Chelsea fans.
Social categorisation
Automatic act of categorising ourselves and others into particular social groups.
Social identification
Adopting the identity of the in group we have categorised ourselves as belonging to and internalising the culture of that group.
E.g. Absorbing groups norms and values. Such as a close group of friends who wear the same clothes and listen to the same music.
Social comparison
The act of comparing our in-group with one or more out-groups, viewing them in a negative way.
E.g. Out group denigration takes place to raise an in groups self esteem.
