The individual and the group

Question 1

Explain SIT

Answer 1

Sense of self is developped based on group membership, identity therefore based on the sense of belonging that we express to a certain social group.

As a consequence, the culture contained within these groups often serves as a reference in the evaluation of self worth/self-esteem

There is social comparison
Social identification—> co-pting for the norms and attitudes of other members

Positive distinctiveness is an individual’s motivation in showing that our in-group is better.

Question 2

Explain Taijfel 1970

Answer 2

Aim: investigate the minimal conditions under which discrimination between social groups could occur.

48 schoolboys were asked which painting they prefered between Klee and Klandinsky and were then attributed randomly to one or the other. Then asked to allocate points (worth money) to either group. A matrix was used that allowed them to vary how the points were allocated.

Results: when the boys had the choice between maximising profit for all or only for their own group they chose the later creating as large a difference as possible between each groups

Conclusion: evidence of blatant discrimination associated with the categorisation of the boys into apparently meaninless social groups—> bases of Tajfel’s minimal group paradigm

Question 3

Explain SCT

Answer 3

behaviour and social norms are learned through observation of others, these behaviours are aquired, maintained and changed in social context.

To learn we need to identify with another social being

we model the behaviour of people we admire

we expect an outcome/reward as a concequence of imitating this behaviour.

We are motivated (self-efficacy) to learn this behaviour

Question 4

Explain Dobbs and Crano (2001)

Answer 4

Aim: Investigate factors that affect Tajfel’s minimal group paradigm in discrimination

Method: people were asked to justify their in-group favoritism

Showed that out-groups decreased in discrimination was especially evident when the allocator was of majority status.
More discrimination from people of minority status.

Conclusion: the status of a group as a majority or minority affects discrimination
—> asking people to justify in group favoritism changed prejudice
for minority groups in-group favoritism increased wereas decreased for majority groups.

Question 5

Explain Bandura (1961)

Answer 5

whether agression can be learned through observation and imitation

36 boys, 36 girls between ages 3 to 6 from stanford university nursery school.

test and measurement of the everyday agression of the Children on a 5 point scale

Then kids were grouped depending on their agression level

Each group was given 10 minutes to play in a room

Group 1: 24 children watched someone behaving agressively towards a doll

Group two: 24 watched non-aggressive model playing quietly with the Tinkertoys

Group 3: 24 control, was not shown any model.

All three groups are then led into another room and observed for agression levels

Results: group 1 was more agressive once in 3rd room. It appeared that they reproduced the behaviour they had seen

Conclusion: social learning had taken place and similarity to a role model was a factor—> SCT