Social Process, Attitude, Behavior Flashcards
Social action was described by
Max Weber
Social action is defined as
Actions and behaviors that individuals are conscious of and performing because others are around
Is social action focused on the individual or a group?
Individual
Is social interaction focused on the individual or a group?
Group of two or more
Social facilitation
People tend to perform better on simple tasks when in the presence of others
What explains why people tend to perform better on simple tasks when in the presence of others
Social facilitation
Do people perform better or worse on complex tasks when watched?
Worse
Deindividuation
Loss of self-awareness in large groups, which can lead to drastic changes in behavior
Antinormative behavior
Provides an example of why violent behavior can be seen in crowds or riots - individual loses his sense of individuality
What is the relationship between the number of people who observe an event and the likelihood of intervention?
Inverse
Are bystanders more or less likely to intervene in a high-danger scenario as compared to low-danger?
More likely
Social loafing
Tendency of individuals to put in less effort when in a group setting than individually
Sociological definition of a peer
People who are equals within a social group
Is peer pressure always negative?
No
Cognitive dissonance definition and consequences
Simultaneous presence of two opposing thoughts or opinions - leads to an internal state of conflict that is resolved by changing, adding to, or minimizing one of the dissonant thoughts
Identity shift effect
Explains the mechanism behind peer pressure during which a social rejection disrupts an internal state of harmony and the individual conforms to the group and eventually adopts those views as their own so as to reduce internal conflict
Group polarization
Tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the individual ideas of the members within the group
Groupthink
Desire for harmony or conformity results in a group of people coming to an incorrect or poor decision
Illusion of invulnerability
Creation of optimism and encouragement of risk-taking
Illusion of invulnerability is related to what social phenomenon?
Groupthink
Collective rationalization
Ignoring warnings against the ideas of the group
Collective rationalization is related to what social phenomenon
Groupthink
Illusion of morality
Belief that the group’s decisions are morally correct
Illusion of morality is related to what social phenomenon
Groupthink
Excessive stereotyping is related to what social phenomenon
Groupthink
Pressure for conformity is related to what social phenomenon
Groupthink
Self-censorship is related to what social phenomenon
Groupthink
Excessive stereotyping
Construction of stereotypes against the ideas of the group
Pressure for conformity
Pressure on anyone in the group who expresses opinions against the group - viewing the opposition as disloyal
Illusion of unanimity is related to what social phenomenon
Groupthink
Mindguards are related to what social phenomenon
Groupthink
Self-censorship
Withholding of opposing views
Illusion of unanimity
False sense of agreement within the group
Mindguards
Appointment of members to the role of protecting against opposing groups
Does groupthink lead to good decision-making?
No
Mass hysteria
Shared, intense concern about the treats to society
Is culture universal or characteristic of the sophisticated?
Universal
What is defined as the beliefs, behaviors, actions, and characteristics of a group or society?
Culture
Cultural assimilation
Process by which an individual or group behavior begins to resemble that of another
Ethnic enclaves
Locations with high concentration of one specific ethnicity
Multiculturalism
Communities or societies containing multiple cultures - encourages and respects cultural differences
Subculture versus counterculture
Subculture - groups of people within a culture that distinguish themselves from the primary culture to which they belong but does not directly oppose the culture itself
Counterculture - subculture gravitates towards an identity that is at odds with the majority culture
Socialization
Process of developing, inheriting, and spreading norms, customs, and beliefs
Primary socialization
Occurs during childhood when one learns the acceptable actions and attitudes for society
How does primary socialization mainly occur?
Observation of parents and other adults in close proximity
During what timeperiod in development does primary socialization occur?
Childhood
Secondary socialization
Process of learning appropriate behavior within small sections of the larger society
How does secondary socialization mainly occur?
Outside the home - school, sports
What socialization mainly occurs at home?
Primary
During what timeperiod in development does secondary socialization occur?
Adolescence and adulthood
Anticipatory socialization
Process by which a person prepares for future changes in occupation, living situations, or relationships
Resocialization
Process by which one discards old behaviors in favor of new ones to make a life change
Folkways
Norms that refer to behavior that is considered polite in particular social interactions, such as shaking hands at the end of a game
Deviance
Violation of norms, rules, or expectations within a society
Is deviance negative or positive in sociological perspective?
Can be either - just a change from the norm
Social stigma
Extreme disapproval or dislike of a person or group based on perceived differences from the rest of society
Labeling theory
Labels given to people affect how others respond to that person and that person’s self-image
Differential association theory
People tend to adopt the deviant or norm-abiding behaviors of those they are most surrounded by
Strain theory
Attempts to explain deviance as a natural reaction to to the disconnect between social goals and social structure
Two distinct types of conformity
Internalization and identification
Internalization
Changing one’s behavior to fit with a group while also privately agreeing with the ideas of the group
Identification
Outward acceptance of others’ ideas without personally taking on these ideas
What is the difference between conformity and compliance?
Conformity involves matching behaviors and attitudes to social norms while compliance involves a change in behavior based on a direct request
Compliance
Change in behavior based on a direct request
Foot-in-the-door technique
Small request is made and once compliance is gained, asking a larger request
Door-in-the-face technique
Large request is made at first if refused, a smaller request is then made
Lowball technique
Requestor will get initial commitment from an individual and then raise the cost of the commitment when it is harder for them to back out of the commitment
That’s-not-all technique
An individual offer is made and then before a decision is made, more is added to the additional offer
What technique is displayed by an infomercial that offers one item for a set price and then adds an additional item at no additional cost?
That’s-not-all technique
What technique is displayed by a boss who asks an employee to head a committee requiring 5 hours a month of meetings, while the commitment also includes a meeting report
Lowball technique
What technique is displayed by someone asking for two weeks of vacation and when denied, asking for one week instead
Door-in-the-face technique
What technique is displayed by asking for help with an assignment and during help session, asking for a week of tutoring
Foot-in-the-door technique
What is the difference between compliance and obedience?
Compliance is a request made by someone without actual authority while obedience is a request made by someone with authority
Obedience
Changing behavior due to a direct request from an authority figure
Are people more likely to obey or comply?
Obey - threat of power
Social cognition
Ways in which people think about others and how these ideas impact behavior
Affective component of attitude
Emotion component of attitude
“I love my family” represents which component of attitude?
Affective
Behavioral component of attitude
Way in which a person acts towards something
Spending time with family represents which component of attitude?
Behavioral
Cognitive component of attitude
Way in which an individual thinks about something - usually justifies affect and behavior
Knowing snakes can be poisonous represents which component of attitude?
Cognitive
Functional attitudes theory
Four functional areas of attitude:
- Knowledge
- Ego expression
- Adaptability
- Ego defense
Knowledge portion of attitude
Knowing attitudes of others can help to predict their behavior
Ego expression of attitude
Allow us to communicate and solidify self identity
Adaptability of attitude
One will be accepted if acceptable attitudes are expressed
Ego defense of attitude
Attitudes protect self-esteem or justify actions
Central route processing
Deep thinking and scrutiny of an argument
Peripheral processing
Focus on superficial details of someone presenting an argument, catchphrases, logos
Learning theory
Attitudes are developed through forms of leaning
- Direct contact
- Direct interaction
- Direct instruction
- Conditioning
Elaboration likelihood model
Attitudes are formed and changes through different routes of information processing based on the degree of elaboration
Social cognitive theory
Attitudes are formed through observation of behavior, personality, and envionment
