Topic 10 - Select Topics in Social Psychology Flashcards
What is prejudice?
Prejudice is a hostile or negative attitude toward people in a distinguishable group based solely on their membership in that group
Who can be a target for prejudice?
Any group can be a target of prejudice - even those based on the most trivial of differences
What is intersectionality?
the ways that our identities and different groups can intersect
These interconnected social categories like race, class gender, etc. as they apply to a given individual or group, can create overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage.
What is intersectional prejudice?
prejudice as a result of being part of multiple groups or social categories
What are the bases of prejudice or descrimination?
When we look at an individual, we see that they are made up of multiple identities and group memberships, so they can experience stigma, discrimination, or even violence based on any of these aspects of self.
Describe how privilege and oppression relate to one another.
Whenever talking about oppression or discrimination, or stereotyping, we need to talk about how certain group identities give people certain privilege or benefits in society.
What are 3 common components of prejudice?
ABCs
- Cognitive: stereotypes
- Affective: emotions
- Behavioural: discrimination
What are stereotypes?
Generalizations about a group of people, making assumptions, product of making generalizations (grouping similar things together; efficient but not always accurate)
How do emotions relate to prejudice?
Negative emotions about a group are often engrained, can make them really difficult to dispel
What is discrimination?
unjustified, negative, or harmful actions towards members of the group simply because of their membership in that group
feelings, cognition, and behaviour are all wrapped up in this
What are possible effects of prejudice on the victim?
Self-fulfilling prophecy: people act in certain ways because of what others expect them to do
(living up or living down to other people’s expectations)
Social identity threat or stereotype threat:
- People feel evaluated as a member of a group, rather than as an individual
- Fear or anxiety of confirming a negative stereotype about one’s social group
- Fear or anxiety often leads to underperformance
What are 3 over-arching causes of prejudice?
conformity pressure
social identity (ethnocentrism, in-group bias, out-group homogeneity)
realistic conflict theory
What is ethnocentrism?
Belief that your own culture, nation, or religion is superior to all others
What is in-group bias?
Tendency to favour members of our own group and give them special preference over people who belong to other groups
Self-esteem function - want to feel good about our group
What is out-group homogeneity?
Where we start to perceive out-group members as more similar or homogenous than they really are
creates “us vs. them”
What is realistic conflict theory?
Limited resources leads to conflict among groups, which leads to prejudice and discrimination
Prejudice increases when times are tense and conflict exists over mutually exclusive goals
- Ex. economic recessions - in-group members feel more threatened by out-group members
Robber’s Cave experiment was based on what theory?
Realistic conflict theory
What were the 3 stages of the Robber’s Cave experiment?
bonding stage (developed names: Eagles, Rattlers
developed their own cultures and cultural norms)
competition stage (4-6 days); reducing friction period
What were the findings of the Robber’s Cave experiment?
Conflict for limited resources can lead to prejudiced attitudes and discriminatory behaviours
Simple coexistence did not eliminate these prejudices, but working together for something better for both groups did (to reach common goals)
What is the idea of the contact hypothesis?
What is the reality of this idea?
Contact hypothesis by Allport in 1954 was the idea that mere contact between groups would reduce prejudice.
Yes, that is part of it, we want people to be in regular contact
BUT just mere contact can actually create opportunities for conflict that would increase prejudice
How can prejudice and inter-group conflict be reduced?
Prejudice will decrease when people are also meeting in a state of mutual cooperation
- We want them to have shared goals, a sense of interdependence (rely on one another), have to be in an equal status position
- Needs to be supported by broader norms
What is aggression?
How is aggression different from assertiveness or violence?
intentional behaviour aimed at causing physical harm or psychological pain to another person
Different from assertiveness (no intent to harm, just self-advocacy) or violence (extreme form of aggression - ex. war, murder, assault)
What are the 2 types of aggression?
instrumental aggression
hostile aggression
What is instrumental aggression?
a means to some goal other than causal pain - an intermediary step toward a nonaggressive goal
What is hostile aggression?
stemming from feelings of anger and aimed at inflicting pain or injury
Is aggression innate, cultural, or learned?
There are evolutionary, cultural, and social learning explanations of aggression
How does the evolutionary approach view aggression?
Physical aggression as genetically programmed
near universality of aggression suggests that aggression has evolved and maintained because it has some survival value, even within a species that is overall defined by cooperation
complex relationship between testosterone and aggression
What is the cultural view of aggression?
Humans are born with the capacity for aggressive behaviour, but how, whether, when, and where we express it is learned and depends on our circumstances and culture
Suggests that if human aggression was natural or in-born, then humans in all cultures would be equally aggressive, but this is not the case
What type of culture often has lower levels of aggression or violence?
In close-knit cultures, in socio-centric, or collectivist cultures, individuals depend on cooperation for group’s survival and aggression is considered dangerous and disruptive.
collectivist - lower levels of aggression or violence
How does the learning theory view aggression?
Others provide cues about the acceptability of aggressive behaviour (norms) that shape our desires and actions
our culture’s rules about aggression vary, we learn what they are from what we see
What does the learning theory suggest in terms of the ability to unlearn aggression?
Exposing to non-aggressive models, restrained and pleasant manner - can help people to respond less when provoked
What is prosocial behaviour?
any act performed with the goal of benefitting another person
What is altruism?
prosocial behaviour that is motivated by the desire to help another person even if it involves a cost to the helper
What are the 3 primary theories that try to account for altruism and prosocial behaviour?
evolutionary theories:
- people help because of factors that have become ingrained in our genes
social exchange theory:
- people help when the personal benefits outweigh the costs
pure motive theories:
- people help when they feel empathy for others (out of goodness of their hearts; pure altruism)
What are the personal and situational determinants of helping?
gender
in-group vs. out-group
religion
mood
rural vs. urban
residential mobility
Who is more likely to engage in heroic acts of helping?
males
Who is more likely to be part of long-term helping relationships that involve greater commitment?
females
How does in-group impact helping behaviour?
People in all cultures are more likely to help anyone they define as a member of their in-group than those they perceive in out-groups
in-group when we feel empathy
When does out-group helping occur mostly?
when it furthers own self-interest, even if that means just to feel good about ourselves
What does religion have to do with helping behaviour?
religious people are more likely to help others who share their beliefs
no more helpful than non-religious people when it comes to helping strangers
How does mood impact helping behaviour?
People in a good mood are more likely to help
Are rural or urban residents more likely to help?
rural residents are more likely to help
About half in small towns stop to help, about only 15% in big cities
How does residential mobility impact helping behaviour?
Why?
People who have lived for a long time in one place are more likely to engage in prosocial behaviours
Living for a long time in one place leads to:
- Greater attachment
- More interdependence - relying on neighbours
- Greater concern with one’s reputation in the community
Take-away from course?
Take one thing away from course: recognition that in a world of social animals, what you do matters. Hope you are inspired to do some good.
