Social processes, attitudes, behavior, interaction, and thinking (BS 8) Flashcards
social action
behaviors individuals are performing because others are around
social facilitation
the concept that people perform better on simple tasks when others are around
Yerkes-Dodson law of social facilitation
arousal is raised when others are around, which improves ability to perform tasks one is already good at but hinders performance of less familiar tasks
deindividuation
large groups provide anonymity and causes a loss of individual identity; may lead to antinormative behavior
bystander effect
occurs in social groups where individuals do not intervene to help victims when others are present
social loafing
the tendency of individuals to put in less effort when in a group setting
peer pressure
the social influence on an individual by others that may cause changes in behavior, attitudes, or beliefs
identity shift effect
individuals often conform to the norms of a group when there is a threat of social rejection; may lead to internal conflict
cognitive dissonance
the simultaneous presence of two opposing thoughts or opinions; may manifest as fear, anxiety, anger, or confusion
group polarization
the tendency for groups to make decision that are more extreme; may lead to riskier or more cautious decisions
groupthink
the tendency for a group of people to come to an incorrect or poor decision to minimize conflict; Janis postulated 8 factors
assimilation
the process by which an individual’s behavior begins to resemble that of another culture; may involve blending of two cultures
ethnic enclaves
locations with a high concentration of a specific ethnicity (ex. Chinatown) that may slow assimilation
multiculturalism
communities or societies containing multiple cultures; a celebration of coexisting cultures
subcultures
refers to groups of people within a culture that distinguish themselves from the primary culture they belong to
counterculture
the subculture group gravitates toward an identity that is at odds with the majority culture and opposes social mores
primary socializtion
occurs during childhood when we learn acceptable actions/attitudes through observation of parents
secondary socialization
the process of learning appropriate behavior outside of the home and is based on learning the rules of different environments
norms
societal rules that define the boundaries of acceptable behavior
mores
more widely observed social norms
taboo
socially unacceptable, disgusting, or reprehensible acts
folkways
norms that refer to behavior that is considered polite in particular social interactions (ex. shaking hands after sports)
deviance
any violation of norms, rules, or expectations in a society
stigma
extreme disapproval/dislike of a person or group based on perceived difference from the rest of society
labeling theory
labels given to people affect how others respond to them and their self image
differential association theory
deviance can be learned through interactions with others
strain theory
explains deviance as a natural reaction to the disconnect between social goals and social structure
conformity
matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to societal norms; internalization: changing behaviors to fit a group while also agreeing with the ideas; identification: only an outward acceptance of others ideas
compliance
a change in behavior based on a direct request
foot-in-the-door technique
a small request is made, after gaining compliance a large request is made
door-in-the-face technique
a large request is made at first, and if refused, a second smaller request is made
lowball technique
a compliance technique where the requestor gets an initial commitment from you, and then raises the cost of the commitment (ex. increases time needed)
thats-not-all technique
compliance technique where an individual is made an offer and before making a decision the deal is made better
obedience
obedience is changing behavior in response to a direct order from an authority figure (compliance does not involve a superior)
attitude
the expression of positive or negative feelings toward something; shaped by past experiences; includes affective, behavioral, and cognitive components
functional attitudes theory
attitudes serve four functions: knowledge, ego expression, adaptation, and ego defense
learning theory
attitudes are developed through different forms of learning like direct contact, direct instruction, and others’ attitudes as well as classical/operant conditioning
elaboration likelihood model
separates individuals on a continuum based on their processing of persuasive information; involves central route (deep thinking) processing and peripheral route (superficial) processing
social cognitive theory
people learn how to behave by observing the behaviors of others; behavior arises from direct observation and replication
