Sociocultural approach Flashcards
What principle states that our behaviour is affected by others?
Situational factors play a more significant role in our behaviour than dispositional factors.
How does culture influence behaviour?
Culture is a set of rules established by groups involving attitudes, values, beliefs, norms, and behaviour, passed down from generation to generation.
What is the evolutionary argument regarding humans as social animals?
The human species has evolved because of its cooperation within the species, leading to survival and development.
Define conformity in a social context.
Change of behaviour due to real or imagined group pressure or norms.
What is social comparison?
Our tendency to compare ourselves to others around us to validate our own behaviour and opinions.
What is informational social influence?
Conforming because we look to others to figure out how we are supposed to behave.
What is normative social influence?
Conforming due to the need to belong to the group and to be accepted.
What does salient social identity refer to?
The aspect of identity that becomes prominent in determining behaviour in a social context.
What is socialisation?
The process of becoming a member of a social group.
Explain the gatekeeper theory.
Gatekeepers are those who decide what information is shared with groups and individuals.
What are the two stages of socialisation?
- Primary: initial stage involving family, school, peers
- Secondary: larger community, extended family, media
What does Social Identity Theory (SIT) emphasize?
The need to belong to groups and the existence of multiple social selves.
List the three psychological mechanisms of SIT.
- Social categorization
- Social comparison
- Group identity as source of self-esteem
What is the minimum group paradigm?
A concept used to study intergroup discrimination based on arbitrary group assignments.
What was the aim of Tajfel’s experiment?
To investigate if intergroup discrimination would occur based on group categorization.
Define stereotypes.
A social schema of an individual based on group membership or physical attributes.
What are the two ways stereotypes develop?
- Indirectly: as a product of culture
- Directly: as a result of personal experience
What is an illusory correlation?
The perception that two variables are related when they are not.
What is confirmation bias?
The tendency to seek out or remember information that supports existing beliefs.
How do stereotypes affect behaviour?
- Self-fulfilling prophecy
- Stereotype threat
- Memory distortion
What is self-fulfilling prophecy?
When people’s perceptions about others lead them to treat those others differently.
What does stereotype threat refer to?
The fear of being judged or treated according to a stereotype.
What is Social Cognitive Theory?
A theory that posits behaviour is learned from the environment through modelling and vicarious reinforcement.
What is the difference between the behaviourist model and the cognitive model?
- Behaviourist Model: Stimulus — Black Box — Response Behaviour
- Cognitive Model: Input — Mental Event — Output Behaviour
