Sociocultural Approach Flashcards
Social Identity Theory
A - investigate effects of social categorization on intergroup behaviour in a minimal group paradigm
S - 64 boys from a school in England, ages 14-15. 8 participants across 8 groups
P - at stage 1 (categorization) participants were shown 40 slides each for less than 1 second with clusters of dots on a screen & requested to estimate the number to dots.
Social cognitive theory
Bandura, Ross & Ross: Bobo doll experiment
A - investigate whether aggression from an adult model towards an inflatable doll influences children’s subsequent aggressive behaviour
S - 72 children (36 boys & 36 girls) aged 3-6
T - laboratory experiment
P - randomly split in a no. of grps. first they were allocated into one of 3 grps: aggressive rold model (in this grp, adult model behaved aggressively towards doll by following a script), non-aggressive adult model (adult model followed a similar script but aggressive acts were switched out for non-aggressive) and control (no model). in stage 1, a child was seated in one corner of a room, they were given prints & stickers. the model was given a toy set. the aggressive role model was then told to be verbally & physically aggressive towards the doll. the non-aggressive model was told to continue playing. in stage 2, the child was taken to another room and a frustrating situation was created to instigate aggression. the child was given attractive toys and when the interest sparked, they were taken to another room. in stage 3, observation of the child occured through a one-way mirror for 20 minutes. the set-up was identical but with a smaller bobo doll.
R - exposure of children to aggressive model increased frequency of aggressive behaviour among kids. imitation in same-sex role model conditions was more likely. boys were more likely to be aggressive & imitate physical aggression, while girls were more likely to imitate verbal aggression.
C - idea of observational learning supported. learning can be indirect & new behaviours can be learnt by observing others.
Formation of stereotypes
Hamilton & Gifford
A - investigate illusory correlations based on co-occurence of infrequent events
S - 104 undergrads
P - read a series of sentences describing desirable & undesirable behaviours performed by groups A & B. Based on the info, group B was the minority. Undesirable behaviours in the sentence just as in real life were less frequent. Ratio of desirable to undesirable in group A & B were the same. Participants read statements one by one. After that, they were asked to estimate how many members of each group performed desirable & undesirable behaviours.
R - overestimated frequency w which members of minority group performed negative behaviours
C - perceived association between undesirable behaviour & group membership. illusory correlation caused by event distinctiveness: encountering a member of the minority group is a distancet event and so is encountering an instance of undesirable behaviour. co-occurence of 2 distinct events is overestimated
Effect of stereotypes
Steele and Aronson
A - investigate test performance as a function of stereotype in white & black participants
S - 114 male & female Stanford undergraduates
P - all students were given a 30-min difficult verbal test. in the experimental (stereotype-threat) condition, participants were told that the test diagnosed intellectual ability. in the control condition, participants were told that the purpose of the research had nothing to do with intellectual ability. the assumption was that linking the test to ability would activate the existing racial stereotypes, so black participants faced the threat of fulfilling the stereotype.
R - white participants performed equally in diagnostic & non-diagnostic condition. black participants performed as well as white in non-diagnostic condition, but worse in diagnostic.
C - linking test to diagnosing ability depresses the performance of black students through stereotype threat. when test is presented as less reflective of ability, black participants performance improves.
Culture & cognition
Chiu
A - carry out a cross-cultural comparison in cognitive styles in chinese & american students
S - 221 Chinese students in grade 4-5 from rural communities (all from middle class families). 316 American students from rural districts of Indiana.
P - 28 item cognitive style test was used. each item consisted of 3 pics. task was to select any two out of 3 alike objects that went together.
R - US students scored significantly higher than chinese in analytic style: grouped objects more often on basis of separate components. Scored higher in categorical style too. Chinese students demonstrated a much higher prevalence of contextual style.
C - chinese students process stimuli holistically than analytically. prefer to categorzie objects on basis of interdependence or relationships. US students focus on components of stimuli & categorize based on membership in abstract groups.
Enculturation
Trainor et al
A - test the idea that musical enculturation occurs through active learning
S - 38 western infants (6 months old)
P - 2 conditions: six months of active participatory music class OR passively while playing with toys. DV 1 was sensitivity to western tonality. Meaured by examining infants preferences to 2 versions of a sonatina (tonal & atonal version). tonal was original, atonal had additional accidentals added.
