Unit 4, Topic 1 - Social psychology Flashcards
Primary socialisation
The learning of beliefs, customs and behaviour that are appropriate during the early stages of life. Facilitated by close family members.
Secondary socialisation
The learning of beliefs, customs and behaviour that are considered
appropriate from extended social networks. This can be facilitated by agents such as extended family and friends.
Gender
The psyhological meaning of being male or female, which is influenced by learning (i.e. influenced by the roles, behaviours, attributes and opportunities that a society considers appropriate for males and females)
Social learning theory of gender role formation
Children learn about gender roles form observing the behaviour and reinforcement of others. Because people are more likely to imitate those similar to them, they generally imitate models of the same sex.
Cognitive developmental theory of gender role formation
Gender develops in three stages during normal cognitive development:
1) Gender identity (2-3 years) - recognition of own sex and gender, and gender scheme begin to be built.
2) Gender stability (3-4 years) - understand their sex won’t change
3) Gender constancy (5 years) understand sex is fixed for everyone.
Biology-based theory of gender role formation
Biological sex determines gender, through hormones and genetics. Evolution explains differences in traits and roles between genders.
Group social influence
A person’s attitudes, beliefs, and subsequent behaviours are influenced by others in a group through:
- Compliance (complying with social norms they may internally disagree with)
- Identification (changing behabiour to establish a relationship with a group they identify with)
- Internalisation (changing behaviour because it’s intrinsically rewarding)
Status
The position of an individual within a group and its importance as perceived by group members.
Power
The ability to influence the thoughts and behaviours of others.
Haney, Banks & Zimbardo 1973
Stanford prison experiment
Obedience
When an individual acts in accordance with a direct order from another individual, who is usually an authority figure.
Conformity
When a person adjusts their thoughts or behaviours to agree with an individual or group, in response to real or imagined social pressure.
Social norms
An individual’s perception of how others expect them to behave, and their expectation of how others will behave in any given social situation.
Robert Cialdini et al. 2006
Experiment: ‘Managing social norms for persuasive impact’.
Tested effectiveness of positively and negatively worded injunctive and descriptive norms on stealing in the Petrified Forest National Park (USA).
Stanley Milgram 1963
Studied obedience to authority using fake electric shocks, and by using deception. Found that individuals consistently display obedience to authority even if it means harming others.
