Social Processes, Attitudes, and Behaviour Flashcards
Michelangelo effect
Concept of the self is made from the intrapersonal self (ideas the individual has about themselves) and the interpersonal self (manner in which others influence the creation of the ideal self)
Social action
Defined by Max Weber as actions and behaviours that individuals are conscious of and are performing because others are around
Social facilitation
The observed phenomenon where people perform better on simpler tasks when in the presence of others
Yerkes-Dodson law of social facilitation
Being in the presence of others raises arousal significantly, which enhances the ability to perform tasks one is already good at (simple tasks) but hinders one’s ability to perform less familiar (complex) tasks
Deindividualization
Individual behaviour can be dramatically different in social environments
- presence of the group provides anonymity and causes a loss of individual identity
- can lead to antinormative behaviour
Antinormative behaviour
Behaviour that is against the norm for an individual
-explains why violent behaviour is seen in crowds and riots
Bystander effect
Phenomenon observed in social groups where individuals are less likely to intervene and help a victim if other people are present
- in a group people are less likely to notice something is wrong
- people also take cues from other people
- in low danger scenarios people are less likely to intervene than in high danger scenarios
- if the people in the group know each other they are more likely to act
Social loafing
Tendency for individuals to put in less effort when a group setting than individually
Peer pressure
Social influence place on an individual by a group of people or another person
Peers
sociologically they are considered individuals who are equals within a social group
Identity shift effect
When an individuals state of harmony is disrupted by a threat of social rejection, the individual will often conform to the norms of the group
- causes internal conflict
- the individual then adopts the norm of the group as their own to eliminate the sense of conflict
Cognitive dissonance
Simultaneous presence of two opposing thought or opinions
-usually leads to an internal state of discomfort
Social interaction
explores the way in which two or more individuals can both shape each other’s behaviour
Group polarization
Tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the individual ideas of the group members
- either more risky or more cautious
- initial ideas tend not to be extreme but they become so by discussion within the group
also called choice shift
Groupthink
Social phenomenon in which desire for harmony or conformity results in a group of people coming to an incorrect or poor decision
- consensus is reached without alternate ideas being considered
- loss of independent critical thinking
8 factors that are indicative of groupthink
- Illusion of invulnerability - encouragement of risk taking
- Collective rationalization - ignoring warnings that oppose the ideas of the group
- Illusion of morality - belief that the ideas are morally correct
- Excessive stereotyping
- Pressure for conformity - opposition is disloyalty
- Self-censorship - withholding of opposite views
- Illusion of unanimity
- Mindguards - appointment of members to the role of protecting against opposing views
Fad
Behaviour that is transiently viewed as popular/desirable by a large community
Mass hysteria
shared, intense concern about the threats to society
-shows many features of groupthink
Cultural assimilation
Process by which an individual’s or group’s behaviour and culture begin to resemble that of another group
-generally one group hold more power and influence
-4 primary factors that determine level of assimilation:
•language attainment
•intermarriage
•socioeconomic status
•geographic distribution
ethnic enclaves
locations (neighbourhoods) with a high concentration of one specific ethnicity \
- helps slow the progress of assimilation
- more common in urban areas
Multiculturalism
Communities or societies containing multiple cultures
-encourages, respects, and celebrates cultural differences
Subcultures
Groups of people within a culture that distinguish themselves from the primary culture to which they belong
-can be perceived as negative when they subvert the majority culture’s definition of normalcy (counterculture)
Socialization
process of developing, inheriting, and spreading norms, customs, and beliefs
Cultural transmission/cultural learning
The way in which a society socializes its members
Cultural diffusion
The spread of norms, customs, and beliefs (especially new ones) throughout a culture
Primary socialization
Initial learning of acceptable actions and attitudes during childhood
-usually from observing parents and other adults
Secondary socialization
Process of learning acceptable behaviours within smaller sections of the larger society
- happens outside the home
- typically adolescents and adults
- smaller changes and refinements to existing behaviour
Anticipatory socialization
when a person prepares for future changes in occupation, habitation, or relationships
-ex: a couple living together in preparation for married life
Resocialization
Where one discards old behaviours in favour of new ones to a make a life change
-can be positive or negative
Norms
societal rules that define the boundaries of acceptable behaviour
-provide a mechanism for regulating behaviour
Mores
widely observed social norms
Sanctions
Penalties for misconduct used to maintain social control
- incarceration or fines
- corporal punishment (bodily harm or infliction of pain)
- capital punishment
Taboo
things that are considered socially unacceptable or gross
Folkways
Norms that refer to behaviour that is considered polite in particular social interactions
Deviance
any violation of norms, rules, or expectations within a society
-also any action that meets with disapproval from the larger society
Social stigma
extreme disproval or dislike of a person or group based on perceived differences from the rest of society
Labelling theory
Labels given to people affect not only how others respond to that person buy also the person’s self image
-can result in the person’s behaviour conforming or becoming more deviant
Differential association theory
Deviance van be learned through interactions with others
differential association: the degree to which one is surrounded by ideal that adhere to norms or ideals that go against them
Someone will favour deviant behaviour if associations with deviant people outnumber non deviant people
Strain theory
Explains deviance as the natural reaction to the disconnect between social goals and social structures
Conformity
matching one’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviours to societal norms
also known as majority influence
Internalization
changing one’s behaviour to fit with a group while also privately agreeing with the ideals of the group
Ex: Stanford prison experiment
Identification
outward acceptance of other’s ideas without personally takin on these ideas
Compliance
change of behaviour in response to a direct request
-person asking typically has no or little authority
Foot in the door technique
Technique to gain compliance where a small request is made and, after gaining compliance, a larger request is made
Door in the face technique
Opposite of the foot in the door compliance technique
A large request is made and then, if denied, a smaller more reasonable request is made
Lowball technique
Requestor gets an initial commitment from an individual but then he raises the cost of the commitment
That’s not all technique
Compliance technique where an individual is made an offer but before deciding, is told that the offer is even better than she expected
Obedience
Changing one’s behaviour in response to a direct order from an authority figure
ex: Stanley Milgram and the shock experiment
Social cognition
Focuses on the ways in which people think about others and how these ideas impact behaviour
Attitude - 3 components and definition
expression of positive or negative feelings towards a person, place, or scenario
3 components of attitude
•Affective: the way a person feels towards something
•Behavioural: the way a person acts towards something
•Cognitive: the way a people thinks about something
Functional attitudes theory
Attitudes serve 4 functions
- Knowledge: attitudes help provide organization to thoughts and experiences
- Ego-expressive: help communicate our self-identity
- Adaptive: help to be socially accepted
- Ego-defensive: help to protect self-esteem (especially if we are bad at something)
Learning theory
Says that attitudes are developed though different forms of learning
-either direct or indirect learning (doing vs being told)
Elaboration likelihood model
Separates individuals on a continuum based on their processing of persuasive information
-either central or peripheral route processing
Central route processing
Thinking deeply about information, scrutinizing, and drawing conclusions
Peripheral route processing
Focusing of superficial details of persuasive information
Social cognitive theory
People learn how to behave and shape their attitudes by observing the behaviour of others
-direct observation and replication, not trial and error
Bandura’s triadic reciprocal causation model
3 factors: behaviour, personal factors, and environment influence each other
