Social T8 Flashcards
How do aggression and self-esteem relate?
There is no clear causal relationship between low self-esteem and aggressive behaviour, a correlational relationship may exist.
How does narcisim relate to self-esteem?
high self-esteem (measured through positive self-reported evaluations) does not equate to a stable sense of self-worth, as measured through implicit association measures -> need for validation to maintain self-concept (Kernis & Paradise 2002) -> might lead to aggression when faced with criticism
In what ways has research in social psychology suggested that a person’s level of self-esteem influences how they think and act in life? (1)
Mood regulation, buffer against the inevitability of death, aggression, narcissism.
What is the interaction effect?
Different causes may interact with each other to produce changes in a dependent variable (e.g, contact between groups and equality of status between groups interact to predict reductions in prejudice) 💡 f1: contact between groups f2: equality of status between them interaction: f1+f2= outcome
What are common themes of prejudices and what do they result in
dirty, stupid, insensitive, repulsive, aggressive and psychologically unstable Dehumanisation because they’re not worthy of dignity and respect that can lead to aggression and violence exacerbated when people feel interconnected in a socially satisfactory way because they can then safely dehumanise outgroup members
What are the three branches of theories of aggression
psychodynamic, ethological and biosocial
What is stereotype lift
members of groups that attract favourable societal stereotypes
What is stereotype threat
Feeling that we will be judged and treated in terms of negative stereotypes of our group, and that we will inadvertently confirm these stereotypes through our behaviour Impairs performance and increases anxiety (Steele and Aronson)
What is the biosocial or evolutionary psychologist explanation of aggression
Tries to explain sociopsychological behaviour through Darwinian and evolutionary perspectives Aggression is important for survival of the species- potentially increases resources kin-selction and so on
What is the catharsis hypothesis
notion that acting aggressively, or even just viewing aggressive material, reduces feelings of anger and aggression
What is the ethnological explanation of aggression
a. Potential for Aggression, is instinctual but aggressive behaviour is elicited by the environmental stimuli = releasers
What is the psychodynamic explanation of aggression
Aggression, rooted in the death instinct Thanatos which is opposed to the life instinct Eros, Self-destructive Thanatos is externalised throughout life because of bodily tensions The neo-freudians: viewed aggres- sion as a more rational, but nonetheless innate, process, whereby people sought a healthy release for primitive survival instincts that are basic to all animal species
What’s the frustration-aggression hypothesis by Dollard?
simplistic and circular explanation of how aggression is caused by a frustrating event whereby frustration is loosely defined
Why is the concept of catharsis rejected Bushman, Baumeister and Stack (1999)
Bushman, Baumeister and Stack (1999) found that those who hit a punching bag, believing that it reduced stress, were more likely later to punish someone who had transgressed against them
How can the depersonalised effects of social identity theory that might cause identity fusion and aggressive behaviour be avoided with social mobility?
individual mobility, aka. assimilating into the high-status group
How can the depersonalised effects of social identity theory that might cause identity fusion and aggressive behaviour be avoided with social change when there are no present cognitive alternatives?
social creativity
What are three tactics specific to social creativity?
- Redefining value of existing dimensions
- Comparing to different outgroups
- Creating new dimension of intergroup comparison
How can the depersonalised effects of social identity theory that might cause identity fusion and aggressive behaviour be avoided with social change when there are present cognitive alternatives?
social competition
What are tactics used when someone is trying to improve social identity with social competition?
civil rights activity, political lobbying, terrorism, war
