Social Psychology Flashcards
Socialisation
The process of how people learn the beliefs, customs and appropriate behaviours of society or a group.
Primary Socialisation
The process of learning the beliefs, customs and appropriate behaviours of a group during the early stages of life, typically from the parents and close family members.
Secondary Socialisation
The process of learning the beliefs, customs and appropriate behaviours of a group via teachers, extended family, friends and the media.
Agent
A person or group that facilitates the process of socialisation; could be parents, family, peers, school or the media.
Vicarious Learning
Witnesses a type of behaviour in another and establishing whether this is acceptable or not based on the observation.
Sex
Determined by the biological chromosome make-up expressed through an individual’s reproductive organs, genitals and other physical characteristics.
Gender
A socially and culturally constructed idea of what make and female are; this can include but not limited to, personality traits, social behaviours and physical appearance.
Biological Theories of Gender Role Formation
Overarching theory that an individual’s gender is predetermined by their biological sex: their genitals and reproductive organs.
Theories of Psychosexual Differentiation
A biological theory of gender role formation that focuses on the way testosterone affects the brain to determine masculinity.
Biosocial Theory
A biological theory that states that gender roles are developed as a result of interaction between biological sex and socialisation.
Intersex
An individual who is born with both male and female, or ambiguous, genitals and reproductive organs.
Gender Identity
Achieved around 2-3 years of age, where a child recognises and labels themselves as a boy or girl.
Gender Stability
Achieved around 3-4 years of age, where a child realises that their sex will not change over time.
Gender Constancy
Achieved at the age of 5, where children realise that sex is a fixed state that will not change; they also realise that if someone’s appearance or behaviour changes, this does not make them a member of the opposite sex.
gender Schema
A mental representation of what it is to be male or what is is to be female, typically based on stereotypes.
Gender Schema Theory
A theory of gender role formation that people build over time that provides information about how a male or female should behave.
Gender Scripts
Gender roles and behaviors that children come to consider as normal, based on their observations of everyday life.
Vicarious Reward
When a child observes a behaviour being rewarded.
Vicarious Punishment
When a child observes a behaviour being punished.
Social Influence Theory
Suggest peoples are more likely to change their attitudes, beliefs of behaviours because of compliance, identification or internalisation.
Compliance
A change in people’s attitudes publically, but not privately, so that they are more likeable in their group.
Identification
A change in people’s attitude and behaviour because they are influenced by someone and relate to the content of the attitude.
Internalisation
A change in people’s attitude and behaviour because they have taken on a new attitude and have taken this into their belief system.
