Social Psychology Part II (Test 3/25/25) Flashcards
Race
Humans who share certain inherited physical traits.
Entirely genetic, even more so than personality and intelligence. It doesn’t lock you into a psychological mindset either.
Culture
Behaviors, values, traditions, etc., are shared by a group and passed down from generation to generation.
Ethnic group
People who share culture, race, and national origin.
The four races
- Caucasoid- (caucasion, white, etc.) Includes Arab, Indian, British, etc.
- Mongaliod- Asian, Amerindian (Native Americans), etc.
- Negroid- Black (can be from Africa), etc.
- Australoids/Papuans- Australians, New Zealand, Pacific Islanders, etc.
Multiculturalism
The coexistence of different cultures within a single society.
Ethnocentrism
The opposite of multiculturalism, believing that your culture is superior.
Social Darwinism
Has to do with racial “inferiority-superiority”. Natural selection but applied to humans. Some say that it is wrong to interfere with the process.
Phrenology
Has to do with racial “inferiority-superiority”. Evaluation of physical aspects, particularly the head, to weed out undesirable traits.
Eugenics
Has to do with racial “inferiority-superiority”. Limiting human breeding so only desirable traits are passed on.
Stereotypes
Can be placed on gender, race, socioeconomic status, nationality, religion, etc. A preconceived notion, usually about a group of people. It’s an instinct and survival technique that isn’t always negative.
Ingroup bias
What we consider “us” and give preferential treatment to.
Outgroup homogeneity bias
Our tendency to believe that people in other groups are all alike.
Stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination
Stereotype- A belief or preconceived notion about something.
Prejudice- A judgment based on belief.
Discrimination- Action based on that judgment.
Confirmation bias
Tendency to overvalue evidence you already believe in.
Scapegoating
Hostile blaming of a different group for misfortune.
Just-world phenomenon
The belief that people get what they deserve. If we literally can’t help, we are more likely to dehumanize someone and assume they “deserve” that treatment.
Self-fulfilling prophecy
Pygmalion effect. Actions create the circumstances that reinforce our beliefs.
Belief perseverance
Tendency to hold onto a belief despite evidence that proves otherwise.
Cognitive dissonance
The discomfort we feel when our beliefs and actions contradict each other. It must be solved either by changing or justifying ourselves (easier and more common).
Societal pressures
Conformity- Following social norms of society, go along to get along.
Obedience- Following orders of an authority figure.
Subconscious conforming examples-
Laughter, yawning, directional viewing, game rules on the playground, etc.
Reasons for conforming
Informational influence- Belief that others have accurate information.
Normative influence- Conforming because we want people to like and accept us.
Solomon Asch and the Line Experiment
Solomon Asch, 1951.
A group of subjects were asked to pick which line matched another, but only one was actually guessing. The rest were purposefully picking the wrong answer. 1/3 of the subjects changed their answers to conform with the crowd.
Stanley Milgram
He studied social norms, why people follow them even if they aren’t the law, and how willing people are to violate them. The Shock Experiment.
The Milgram Shock Experiment
Stanley Milgram, 1963.
Not actually an experiment. This was to see if participants would follow orders even when requested to do something against moral beliefs and good judgment.
40 teachers were asked to deliver progressively stronger shocks to someone they couldn’t see (an actor) each time they answered a question wrong, even if it was lethal. It didn’t take into account deindividuation.
Stanford Prison Experiment
Philip Zambardo, 1971.
-Not actually an experiment. 24 college students were paid to participate, 1/2 prison guards, the others prisoners. It was contrived (participants knew they were in an experiment).
-Both groups almost immediately started acting the way they would in real life, the guards dehumanizing the prisoners by giving them numbers, etc. Enclothed cognition contributed to this.
-There was a prison riot on the second day, and it ended early at 6 days rather than going 2 weeks. Previous personality tests didn’t predict these results.
Hofling Nurse Experiment
Charles Hofling, 1966.
Not actually an experiment and was naturalistic (subjects didn’t know it was an experiment).
One nurse working alone at midnight was called by a “doctor” to inject illegal drugs into a patient. 21 out of 22 nurses had to be stopped because of their blind obedience to authority.
Milgram’s conclusions-
Human nature can’t go against authority and norms. The majority of people will do as they’re told as long as it’s perceived to come from authority and won’t be their fault.
Circumstances that create obedience/conformity
- Proximity to authority figure
- Prestige of authority figure; even just wearing a lab coat or going to a better school.
- Lack of knowledge; Dumb/ignorant people are easier to control.
- Deindividuation- Groups of 4 or more increase obedience/conformity because individuals feed off of the group and are more anonymous.
- Minority influence- If no one else is rebelling, no one acts, but it only takes one.
GRIT
Peacemaking strategy. Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-reduction. Both sides take turns giving small compromises. Contributes to reciprocity norms and the foot-in-the-door phenomenon.
Mere exposure effect
Peacemaking strategy. Robert Zajonc. Doesn’t always solve problems, but can help because you might like someone more after getting to know them and what they want.
Superordinate goals
Peacemaking strategy. Goals both sides want and can work towards together, something that everyone needs.
Robbers Cave Experiment
Muxafer Sherif, 1954.
Not actually an experiment. 22 white 11-year old boys were divided and taught to hate the opposite group at their summer camp. Over several days, they became enemies, so the testers tried to bring them back together, starting with parties and fun stuff (mere exposure effect).
Eventually, they cut off the water supply and the two groups had to work together to get it back (superordinate goal). This finally worked and created cooperation, one group even letting the other without canteens drink first.
Social trap
Obstacle to cooperation. A situation when individuals act in their self-interest even though it will cost them long-term. Ex. Eating junk food now even though you’ll gain weight later. Can be avoided with a superordinate goal.
False consensus effect
Obstacle to cooperation. A cognitive bias where individuals overestimate that others share our beliefs, etc. Thinking we all think the same.
Groupthink
Obstacle to cooperation. Phenomenon where people tend to conform to group decisions even if the group is wrong and they’re right because they don’t want to say no and make others upset. Causes too much conformity.
Deindividuation
Obstacle to cooperation. The presence of others/ group’s behavior norms causes us to act in ways we may not typically. Collective mind takes away individuality.
Group Polarization
Obstacle to cooperation. When one shifts to an extreme opinion because of an idea bouncing around a group until it’s far worse than it started. Ex. At first, you hated someone, but now the group riles each other up into wanting to kill that person.
Social Facilitation
Obstacle to cooperation. Stronger performance in the presence of others. If you’re good at something, you do better, and if you’re bad, it makes you worse. Exentuates extreams.
Proximity effect
Obstacle to cooperation. Ex. In sports a supportive home crowd makes the team play better, especially when the crowd is closer like in basketball. Creates social facilitation (presence of others creates extreames in performance).
Distraction-conflict theory
Obstacle to cooperation. Ex. Spectators demand the same attention as playing the sport does for the players, creating more competition for attention.
Social loafing
Obstacle to cooperation. Related to the bystander effect. The tendency in a group to give less effort than if you were by yourself by assuming “someone else will do it.” Can be combated by accountability (holding each individual accountable for their performance).
Norms
Unspoken societal rules
grit
A personality trait characterized by perseverance for a long-term goal.
