Sociology: Social Processes, Attitudes, and Behavior

Question 1

Social Actions: Social Facilitation

Answer 1

Tendency to perform better on tasks when in presence of others.

Question 2

Social Actions: Deindividuation

Answer 2

Individual behavior dramatically different in social environments; loss of individual identity in large groups.

Question 3

Social Actions: Bystander Effect

Answer 3

Individuals do not intervene to help victims when others are present. Groups –> less likely to notice danger. Low degree of emergency/danger. Degree of responsibility due to in/competence. Tend to be [ignorant] of strangers.

Question 4

Social Actions: Social Loafing

Answer 4

Social influence placed on individual by a group of people or another individual.

People tend to put in less effort when placed into a group.

Question 5

Social Actions: Peer Pressure –> Identity Shift, Cognitive Dissonance

Answer 5

Identity shift effect: state of harmony disrupted by threat of social rejection –> conformity to norms of group –> internal conflict –> identity shift.

Cognitive Dissonance: simultaneous presence of 2 opposing thoughts or opinions.

Question 6

Group Processes: Group Polarization

Answer 6

Tendency for groups to make decisions more extreme than individual ideas and inclinations of group members. Policy-making, jury deliberation, violence, terrorism.

Choice shift has same idea but for a group instead of an individual.

Question 7

Group Processes: Groupthink

Answer 7

Desire for harmony or conformity results in a group of people coming to an incorrect or poor decision. Without much discussion or assessment.

Fad, mass hysteria.

Question 8

Culture: Culture Shock

Answer 8

Cultural differences may seem quite dramatic.

Question 9

Culture: Assimilation

Answer 9

An individual’s or group’s behavior and culture begin to resemble that of another. Immigrant assimilation: SES, geographic distribution, language attainment, intermarriage. Ethnic enclaves.

Question 10

Culture: Multiculturalism

Answer 10

Communities or societies containing multiple cultures. “Melting pot.”

Question 11

Culture: Subcultures; Counterculture

Answer 11

Groups of people w/in a culture that distinguish themselves from primary culture to which they belong.

Counterculture: subculture group gravitates toward an identity that is at odds with majority culture. Deliberately opposes prevailing social mores.

Question 12

Types of Socialization (4) (Primary, Secondary, Anticipatory, Re-)

Answer 12

Primary (childhood): initially learn acceptable actions and attitudes in society by observing adults in close proximity

Secondary (adolescence, adulthood): learn appropriate behavior in smaller sections of larger society

Anticipatory: prepare for future changes in occupation, living situations, or relationships.

Resocialization: discard old behavior in favor of new ones to make a life change.

Question 13

Forms of Socialization: Norms

Answer 13

Societal rules that define boundaries of acceptable behavior. Means of social control.

Folkways: norms that refer to “polite” behavior in specific social interactions

Mores: widely observed social norms

Question 14

Forms of Socialization: Deviance and Stigma

Answer 14

Deviance: violation of norms, rules, expectations w/in society
Stigma: extreme disapproval/dislike of a person/group based on perceived differences from the rest of society

Question 15

Forms of Socialization: Conformity (2) (Internalization, Identification)

Answer 15

Match attitudes, beliefs, behaviors to societal norms.

1. Internalization: change behavior to fit w/ group while privately agreeing w/ ideas of group.
2. Identification: outwardly accept others’ ideas w/o personally taking them on.

Question 16

Forms of Socialization: Compliance (4 techniques)

Answer 16

Change behavior based on a direct request.

1. Foot-in-the-door: small request –> yes –> big request.
2. Door-in-the-face: big request –> no –> small request.
3. Lowball: initial commitment –> raise cost of commitment.
4. That’s-not-all: offer –> no decision yet –> better deal.

Question 17

Forms of Socialization: Obedience

Answer 17

Change behavior in response to director order from authority figure.

Question 18

Forms of Socialization: 3 Theories of Deviance

Answer 18

1. Labeling –> affect person’s self-image and how others respond to them
2. Differential association: deviance learned through social interaction; degree to which one is surrounded by ideals that adhere to social norms vs. ideals that go against them.
3. Strain: deviance is a natural reaction to disconnect b/w social goals and structure.

Question 19

Theories of Attitude: Functional

Answer 19

4 functions:

1. Knowledge
2. Ego expression
3. Adaptation
4. Ego defense

Question 20

Theories of Attitude: Learning (4 methods)

Answer 20

1. Direct contact w/ object
2. Direct instruction from others
3. Others’ attitudes
4. Conditioning, observational learning

Question 21

Theories of Attitude: Elaboration likelihood model

Answer 21

Separates individuals on continuum based on processing of persuasive info (central to peripheral).

1. Central route: elaborate extensively, think deeply about info, scrutinize meaning/purpose, draw conclusions –> make decision based on those conclusions.
2. Peripheral route: do not elaborate, focus on superficial details.

Question 22

Theories of Attitude: Social Cognitive

Answer 22

People learn how to behave and shape attitudes by observing behaviors of others.

Bandura’s triadic reciprocal causation –> 3 types of factors: behavioral, personal, environmental.