Unit 2B: Social Psychology Flashcards
Go along with the group (behave in order to fit in to the group)
Conformity
When in a large group of people, people are less likely to respond or help.
- Ex. Someone is hurt, but hundreds of people walk by
Bystander Effect
Experiment on Obedience
- Researchers attempted to see if participants would continue to shock someone if authority figure said it was ok
- 70% of all participants were willing to lethally shock someone in order to obey
Milgram Experiment
Experiment on Conformity
- Researchers saw if people would go along with a group answer even if they knew it was wrong
- 5 people before the participant gave the wrong answer about the length of the lines
- Participants conformed to the group
- Things that weaken conformity:
- someone else who agrees with you
- private answers (writing instead of saying out loud)
Asch Experiment
Experiment on Cognitive Dissonance
- Participants did a boring task (turning wood blocks) after the experiment, Festinger asked them to lie to the next participant saying the activity was fun
- One group was paid $20, one group was paid $1
The group that was paid $1 actually BELIEVED the activity was fun in order to justify the low payment.
Festinger Experiment
Case Study on the Bystander Effect
- Set out to understand why 30+ people watched a woman get raped and murdered, but did not intervene
Latane & Darley Study
Experiment on Superordinate Goals
- Sherif took 2 groups of boys and made them compete for limited resources. The groups began to hate each other
- After 2 weeks, made them work together (superordinate goals) to benefit both groups. This reduced the tension between the groups
Sherif Experiment
Experiment on Social Norms/Roles
- Stanford Prison Experiment. Students were given the role of guard or prisoner.
- Experiment was shut down early because participants became too entrenched in their roles
Zimbardo Study
When 2 opposing groups work together on a common goal. Superordinate Goals reduce the tension between groups
Superordinate Goals
Social rules that people follow as a member of society
- ex. Walking on the right
Social Norms
The part a person plays in society along with all the responsibilities and obligations. For example, Teacher and student are distinct social roles.
Social Roles
Overgeneralized beliefs about a group of people
- Ex. White men can’t jump
Stereotypes
Negative attitude toward a group of people
Prejudice
Negative ACTION towards a group of people
-ex. preventing black people from voting
Discrimination
When in a group of people, a person does less work than if they were working alone
Social Loafing
When in a large group (or when a person cannot be recognized) people are willing to behave or act in ways they would not. They lose their individual identity and take on the identity of the group
- ex. Rioters
Deindividuation
When a person performs a simple task better in front of a crowd
Social Facilitation
When a person performs worse in front of a crowd (stage freight)
Social inhibition
When groups are separated, they grow further and further apart
Group Polarization
When making group decisions, a person cares more about harmony, rather than the best possible outcome (don’t rock the boat)
Groupthink
In a group, the idea that someone else will respond, so I won’t have to. Since there are other people around, we give them the responsibility (causes the bystander effect)
Diffusion of Responsibility
Blaming a persons actions on their disposition (personality) rather than the situation
-ex. Joey didn’t do his homework, teacher thinks, “Joey is such a bad student”
Fundamental Attribution Error
When good things happen we attribute them to our disposition (personality), when bad things happen we blame the situation
- ex. Football team wins a game, “We are the best players, no one can stop us!”
- Team loses a gam, “Man, the refs made such bad calls, it was their fault we lost!”
Self-Serving Bias
When you believe something is true about yourself and it becomes true
- ex. Johnny believed he would fail his test. He didn’t study and he failed.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
