week 2 slides

Question 1

what is social psychology?

Answer 1

• social psychology bridges the interests of psycholgoy (emphasis on the individual) and sociology (emphasis on social structure)
• “the systematic study of the nature and causes of human social behaviour”
• interested in what people do and why they do it

Question 2

core concerns of soc psych

Answer 2

1. the impact one individual has on another
2. the impact that a group has on its individual members
3. the impact that individual members have on the groups they belong to
4. the impact that one group has on another group
5. the impact of social context and social structure on groups and individuals

Question 3

the impact one individual has on another

Answer 3

• people make a great impact on each other
• direct and explicit
• indirect and implicit

Question 4

the impact that a group has on its individual members

Answer 4

• establishment of rules and norms

- norms are the informal rules that govern our behaviour

Question 5

the impact that individual members have on the groups they belong to

Answer 5

-impact goes both ways (dynamic leaders can impact group)

Question 6

the impact that one group has on another group

Answer 6

• groups impact groups

- area of research is intergroup conflict

Question 7

the impact of social context and social structure on groups/individuals

Answer 7

-determines what is socially acceptable

Question 8

5 theoretical perspectives

Answer 8

1. symbolic interactionism
2. group processes
3. social structure and personality
4. cognitive perspectives
5. evolutionary theory

Question 9

1. symbolic interactionism

Answer 9

• developed by charles horton cooley and george herbert mead
• name coined by herbert blumer
• SI theorists understand the world as the product of the everyday interactions of people

Question 10

Blumer’s SI Premises

Answer 10

• people act towards things based on the meaning those things have for them
• these meanings are derived through social interaction and are NOT inherent
• meanings can be modified and changed through social interaction

Question 11

situated identity

Answer 11

• SI concept
• how we see ourselves in relation to others in a given social situation
• ex. I am a student she is a prof

Question 12

role-taking

Answer 12

• SI concept
• when we imagine ourselves in the role of the person we are interacting with
• ex. you forgot to hand in an assignment and predict how the prof will react to get the best outcome

Question 13

looking glass self

Answer 13

• SI concept
• how we percieve how others percieve us
• three elements:
  
  • imagine how we appear to others
  • imagine the other person’s reaction to our appearance
  • respond with some sort of feeling (shame, pride, guilt, happiness)

Question 14

2. group processes

Answer 14

• the “group” as a social psychological entity
• what is a group?
  
  • 2 or more people
  • become an “us”
  • dependence on one another
  • rules, norms, roles, power structures

Question 15

group process concepts (2)

Answer 15

1. social exchange
   - cost benefit ideology
   - subjective
2. status
   - the position that one holds in a society or group
   - situationally dependent

Question 16

3. social structure and personality

Answer 16

what are social structures?

• relationships between groups of individuals
• ex. social class, religion, family, school, mass media…

Question 17

4.cognitive perspectives

Answer 17

• emphasis placed on mental activities as determinants of social behaviour (problem solving, perception, judgement, memory)
• cognitive processes are an intervening factor between external stimuli and behavioural responses

Question 18

cognitions

Answer 18

• cognitive perspectives concept

- mental processes of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses

Question 19

cognitive structure

Answer 19

• cognitive perspectives concept
• cognitions as interrelated
• emphasis on how they are structured and the affect on behaviour and judgement

Question 20

schemas

Answer 20

• cognitive perspectives concept
• a blueprint of people and things
• ex. gender roles

Question 21

social identity theory

Answer 21

• cognitive perspectives concept
• tajfel and turner
• social structures guide our cognition
• must identify with the group
• ex. being a part of a hockey team

Question 22

5. evolutionary theory

Answer 22

• darwins theory of evolution

- social behaviour is linked to our genes