Sociology 1 (complete) Flashcards
Social facilitation
people perform better on SIMPLE tasks when being observed but worse on COMPLEX tasks when being observed
what three social phenomenon show that individual behavior can be significantly altered by the influence of social pressures?
deindividualism, bystander effect, and social loafing
deindividualism
loss of cues sense of self and personal responsibility when someone is part of a larger group (making yourself into something else in public)
Bystander effect
individuals are less likely to help a victim if there are other people around
social loafing
people will exert less effort in a group task when other people are completing the same task
what happened in the Ash Conformity Study
there were small groups of people, some people were in on the study. they were asked questions about comparing the length of lines. when some of the people started giving wrong answers, 1/3 of the people answered wrong even though the right answer was obvious
what does the Ash Conformity study show
the study proves that we may question our own beliefs/judgements in the face of disagreement with others
what are the three branches of conformity?
internalization, compliance and identification
what is internalization in terms of conformity?
means that the individual accepts a set of norms that are set by influential people or groups (influential for the individual) as his or her own
what is identification in terms of conformity?
process of incorporating the characteristics of a parent or influential person by adopting their appearance, attitudes, and behavior.
true or false: people tend to identify w/ persons to whom they are emotionally attached and whom they perceive to be most similar to themselves.
true
what is conformity?
change in BEHAVIORS OR ATTITUDES in order to fit in
what is conformity a result of
result of passive influence of others
what is compliance
change in BEHAVIOR from being asked to do so
what is compliance in response to?
response to active attempt to alter behavior
what is obedience
change in BEHAVIOR as function of a command from an authority figure
true or false: compliance and obedience are described as change in behavior or attitude by the individual
false: it is just the change of behavior, not attitude
what is social control
social or political mechanisms used to regulate the behavior of individuals to ensure conformity and compliance to the established rules of that group
formal social control
laws, sanctions, or regulations enforced by an authority figure, often the government
informal social control
socialization, or any means used to encourage adherence to societal norms and values for acceptable behavior.
what methods do informal social control include
verbal, nonverbal, or written expressions of disapproval (bc the informal social control is all about acceptable behavior)
true or false: groups think and behave the individuals do by themselves, just in a group setting
false: groups think and behave differently than the individuals within these groups
group polarization
tendency of groups to make decisions that are more extreme than they would be if the individuals of that group acting alone
groupthink
tendency of groups to make decisions that are incorrect or illogical based on a desire to maximize group agreement and minimize group conflict
when would individuals ignore information/evidence or dismiss it without consideration?
when they are attempting to groupthink
illusion of invulnerability is?
group setting leads to increased optimism that can lead to risky behaviors; the group is overconfident and willing to take big risks
illusion of morality is?
group setting leads to a belief that the groups actions are above moral reproach; group ignores ethical and moral consequences
rationalization is?
group members do not question assumptions that are being made and ignore warning signs; group makes excuses and discounts warnings
stereotyping is?
people in the group view those outside the group as biased, ignorant, and/or morally inferior; believing that opponents are too weak/stupid to make trouble
self-censorship is?
individuals who may doubt the group do not voice their concerns in the group setting; members doubt their own reservations and are unwilling to disagree
what is illusion of unanimity
group members believe that the view of the majority is held by everyone in the group; group believes that everyone agrees
pressure to conform/dissent is?
individuals in the group feel pressure not to voice disagreements with the group; members are pressured to agree
mindguards are?
group members shield the group from any disagreeing information
what are norms?
the rules and expectations of a culture. they represent the way we are expected to behave
folkways are?
rules for casual social interactions. examples are how to dress, how to say hello, and how close you stand to people
what are taboos
strongest negative norm; ex. rape and cannibalism; it results in extreme disgust
what is a more, in terms of social norms?
strong norms that are significant and tied to a culture’s beliefs and values; structures between right and wrong
what are sanctions
consequences, formal or informal, for violating normals
what is a law, in terms of norms
a norm that is formally inscribed at the state or federal level
right vs rude is which of the following
a. folkway
b. mores
c. taboos
d. laws
A. folkway
right vs wrong is which of the following
a. folkway
b. mores
c. taboos
d. laws
B. mores
right vs forbidden is which of the following
a. folkway
b. mores
c. taboos
d. laws
taboos
right vs is which of the following
a. folkway
b. mores
c. taboos
d. laws
laws
functional theory
deviance is not necessarily negative, and in fact is necessary for social order. deviance helps clarify the boundaries of social norms. it can also play a positive role in social change.
differential association theory
through interactions with others, individuals learn values, attitudes and techniques for deviant behavior, especially criminal behavior
ex. you surround yourself with people that do drugs and you start doing them too
labeling theory
this theory doesn’t care so much about the actual act of deviance as it does the label that a person receives caused by the deviance
primary vs secondary deviance
primary is some type of violation that has little influence on self concept; secondary is committed because it matches a persons self concept
strain theory
deviance comes when there is disconnect between socially acceptable goals of society and the socially acceptable means to accomplish those goals
stigma is?
extreme dislike or negativity towards a person or group based on perceived deviance from social norms
ex. “stigma of mental illness”
what is yerkes dodson law of social facilitation
optimal performance occurs when you have moderate stress. if there is no stress, there is no motivation to improve. if there is too much stress, you may be too anxious to perform to the best of your abilities
peer pressure
social influence exerted on an individual by their peers
what is socialization
process of learning about and adapting the social norms and values of society
what is the difference between primary and secondary socialization
primary: people or things responsible for a significant portion of socialization (ex. family)
secondary: formal socialization occurring outside of the home and after primary socialization has occurred (ex. peers, work, religion etc.)
hidden curriculum definition
lessons learned in school that are not explicitly taught
- social agendas
- behaviors (kid raises hand when he is ignored otherwise)
attribution
people naturally try to determine why people act the way they do
situational vs dispositional attribution
s: attributing someones behavior to a situation
ex. someone cut you off and you said “must be running late”
d: attributing someones behavior to their personality
ex. someone cut you off and you said “what a jerk”
fundamental attribution error
we attribute unfavorable attriubutes to disposition in others, but to the situation in ourselves
ex. bob is late, he is an irresponsible person. i am late, but its because traffic is bad
attribute substituion
individual may unconsciously substitute a complex/difficult judgement with an easier one; usually when the easier judgement is much more accessible/quick
what is the difference between the effects of western and non western cultures
western: individualistic cultures are more prone to dispositional attribution and the fundamental attribution error
non western: collectivistic cultures are more prone to situational attribution
what is social perception? are they usually correct?
different ways we perceive others, form impressions and make judgements of them. usually INCORRECT due to various forms of bias
conformation bias
tendency to see out and prefer information that supports pre existing beliefs
self serving bias
attributing our wins to our character but our failures to the situation
ex. winning a game bc “i am a great athlete”
losing a game bc “the referee was unfair”
how does the probability of remembering work for the position on a list
primacy effect & recency effect
you remember things more if they are at the beginning or end of a list
what is the halo effect
when one trait of a person or thing is used to make an overall judgement
think of the just world fallacy
how do a cognitive bias and victim blaming play a role in that
cognitive bias: ppl naturally want to believe that the world is fair; good things happen to good ppl and bad things happen to bad ppl
victim blaming: if the victim did something wrong, then the world can still look fair and people can believe they will be safe
who thinks in terms of world fallacy?
usually people that are conservative, religious, or authoritarian; or people that have negative views of underprivileged groups
stereotype
broad, often oversimplified, assumption made about all members of a particular group
- can be good or bad
- an idea about a group of people (COGNITIVE)
prejudice
a preconceived feeling about a group of people, generally not based on previous experience (FEELING)
discrimination
negative behavior towards a group of people (BEHAVIOR/ACTION)
ethnocentrism vs cultural relativism
ethno: looking at other cultures through the lens of YOUR culture
ex. going to india and saying “it’s weird”
relativism: looking at other cultures through the lens of THEIR culture
ex. going to india and trying to understand their ways
self-fulfilling prophecy
when a belief leads to actions that confirm the initial belief
ex. a person believes that they are too dumb to pass a test so they do not study and fail. when they fail, they think it’s because they are dumb but its bc they didn’t study
stereotype threat
when one allows a perceived stereotype to affect their performance on a task
achieved status vs ascribed status
achieved: status earned through achievement or work
ex. doctor, father, judge
ascribed: status assumed involuntarily or that is assigned
ex. caucasian, female
role strain
refers to the stress an individual faces when failing to meet the expectations of a specific social role
ex. a person who recently got a promotion feels imposter syndrome an in over his head
role conflict
refers to the stress an individual faces when facing conflict demands from multiple social roles
ex. a father feels conflict between a good employee and a good dad
what is the difference between a primary and secondary group
primary: long lasting bonds that are unlikely to dissolve; ex. family
secondary: weak bonds that dissolve more easily; ex. study groups, coworkers
what is the difference between in group and out group
in: ppl you associate with (political party, family, friends)
out: those ppl you dont affiliate with (cultural outsiders, political opponents)
how does the intimacy and stability of a group correlate?
the larger the group gets, the more stable it is but the less intimate it is
what is a network
an established pattern of social relationships
what is an organization
groups organized for and defined by a specific purpose
what are the 6 (possibly 7) characteristics of bureaucracy
- formal and hierarchical structure
- management occurs by formal rules
- organization occurs based on the speciality of the workers
- either has an up-focused (growth) or in-focused (specialized) mission
- impersonal by design
- people are employed based on technical qualifications
(7). number of management staff is always increasing
iron law of oligarchy
all large businesses will shift toward management by a few individuals
McDonaldization
large businesses will seek to streamline their functions in the name of speed and efficiency
basic model (darwinian)
emotions were developed because they are beneficial to survival. they are genetic and universal.
ex. we open our eyes wide when surprised so we can take in more light
appraisal model (lazarus)
cognitive appraisal occurs, followed by a physical response and emotion
impression management, in terms of self-presentation
what others see isn’t always the real us, because we attempt to shape, manipulate, and manage how others perceive us
front stage self vs back stage self
the person we present ourselves to the world is not what’s going on inside
ex. a person comes out and speaks confidently in front of a crowd but has anxiety before/during/after
verbal vs nonverbal communication
verbal: any type of language, spoken or unspoken
ex. braille, sign language, spoken word
non: any communication that doesn’t involve language
ex. grunting, gestures, body language
what is social behavior
the way we feel toward others is generally based on multiple factors, rather than just one or two
aggression
behavior intended to harm or intimidate others
is aggression more common in males or females? why?
males
positively correlated with testosterone
what is secure attachment
when parents come back they are greeted with positive emotions
ambivalent attachment
when the parents leave, the child is wary of strangers
avoidant attachment
the child may avoid parents when they come back
what is disordered attachment
the child is confusion when they come back
what are qualities of secure attachment
-healthy communication style
-able to ask for help when needed
-self-regulate emotions
what are qualities of ambivalent attachment
-clinginess
-constant reassurance
-fear of abandonment
what are qualities of avoidant attachment
-difficulty expressing emotions
-tends to emotionally withdraw from others
-unwilling to ask for help
what are qualities of disordered/disorganized attachment
-low self worth
-fear of rejection but difficulty with intimacy
-incorporates characters of anxious styles
what is altruism
actions benefiting others at personal cost
what is the game theory
perspective that views social behavior as a game with winners, losers, and prizes
what is the zero-sum game
when somebody wins and someone loses by the same amount
what is the non-zero sum game
when somebody wins and it does not result in a lose elsewhere
what is the simultaneous move game
‘players’ move simultaneously, unable to react to actions of others
what is a sequential move game
‘players’ move in an order, allowing them to react to the actions of others
what is a one-shot game
everything in the game depends on one move, but there is little external importance
what is monogamy?
one:one
what is polygamy?
one:many
polygyny vs polyandry
polygyny: 1 male, many females
polyandry: 1 female, many males
what is promiscuity
many:many
what is discrimination
action/behaviors targeting a particular group negatively
individual vs institutional discrimination
give examples
individual: discrimination by an individual
ex. hate crimes, dr not treating patient
institutional: discrimination by an organization/institution
ex. KKK, hospital refusing to treat a patient
what does the hawk-dove model illustrate?
costs and benefits of fighting over resources
in the prisoner’s dilemma, what is the prize, winner and loser
prize: freedom
winner: one who gets out
loser: one who stays
what is the prize, winner and loser in the hawk-dove model
prize: food
winner: one who gets food
loser: one who gets no food AND gets injured
what is an outgroup
ppl you dont identify with
what is a secondary group
formal, impersonal group
