Week 9: Social Psychology Flashcards
What is social psychology?
Social psychology is the scientific study of how people think; attitudes, influence and how to relate to one another.
What are attitudes?
Attitudes are feelings that are often influenced by our beliefs that impact our actions.
There are two types.
What are the two types of attitudes?
Explicit attitudes
Implicit attitudes
What are explicit attitudes?
Explicit attitudes are attitudes we are aware of and that shape our conscious decisions.
What are implicit attitudes?
Implicit attitudes are attitudes we are unaware of that influence our behaviour
What is cognitive dissonance?
Cognitive dissonance is when a misalignment happens and our attitudes are not reflective of our behaviours or when we think one thing but do something that is in contradiction.
What is attribution?
Attribution is an inference about the cause of our own or another’s behaviour.
There are two types.
What are the two types of attributions?
Dispositional attribution
Situational attribution
What is dispositional attribution?
Dispositional attribution is attributing the behaviour of other people to their enduring traits.
E.g. calling someone a bad person
What is situational attribution?
Situational attribution is attributing the behaviour of other people to the situation.
E.g. someone having a bad day
What is the fundamental attribution error?
The fundamental attribution error (FAE) is when we overestimate the influence of personality and underestimate the influence of situations when it comes to the behaviour of others.
What is systemic racism?
Systemic racism is the idea that even if racist individuals didn’t exist, there would still be unequal opportunity for certain groups because of discriminatory practices in society.
E.g. indigenous people and people of colour
Why are our attributions and first impressions often wrong?
Often below conscious awareness
Not intentional
Not controllable
There are three main types of errors.
What are the three main ways errors happen?
Prejudice
Discrimination
Stereotyping
What does prejudice mean?
Prejudice is a “prejudgment” that is an unjustified, negative, attitude toward an individual or group.
It can be a biased or preconceived opinion that can impact how we act towards someone.
What is a stereotype?
A stereotype is an overgeneralized belief about a particular group of people.
What is discrimination?
Discrimination is an action or a decision that treats a person or a group unfairly or negatively for reasons such as their race, age, or disability.
What is modern racism?
Modern racism is a more covert form that emerges when it is safe, socially acceptable and easy to rationalize.
It suggests that we try to “hide” our racism.
What is the dual-attitude system?
The dual-attitude system is possessed by some of us and it means that we want to see ourselves as “fair” but we still may have racialized feelings.
E.g. discomfort or distrust
If not addressed, theses feelings impact our actions.
What is considered a group?
A group is two or more individuals that are bonded together in some way that share perceptions of themselves as a unit.
What are the benefits to being apart of a group?
Psychological well-being
Sense of purpose
Self-esteem
Self-worth
Ability to cope with trauma
What are the drawbacks to being apart of a group?
Risky or unsafe behaviour (peer pressure)
Extreme or inaccurate cognitions
Bullying
What is in-group bias or group favoritism?
In-group bias or group favoritism is when we tend to see the groups that we belong to in a positive light and favour our own groups.
How can in-group bias manifest?
Liking for our own group
Disliking for our groups
What is social facilitation?
Social facilitation is when an individual or team’s performance may improve of worsenin the presence of others.
What is the audience effect?
The audience effect occurs in things we do well or that are easy for us ww often do better when people are watching.
E.g. hockey teams playing in front of their home crowd
OR tasks that are hard for us may seem impossible when people are watching or helping because our arousal and anxiety hinders our abilities.
What is social loafing?
Social loafing in the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort to achieve a goal. It is more common when individuals are anonymous, lack achievement motivation, and in individualistic societies.
E.g. working on group projects in school
How can social loafing be reduced?
Social loafing can be reduced by incorporating self and peer evaluations into group projects and assigning smaller groups or pairs to ensure that all members are accountable.
What is deindividuation?
Deindividuation is the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity. It is a hallmark of herd mentality.
E.g. riots related to sporting events
What is group polarization?
Group polarization is when people with the same opinion get together it can result in either overly cautious or risky extremes.
E.g. when highly prejudice people discuss racial issues, they become more prejudice
When does group polarization become dangerous?
Group polarization is especially dangerous in online settings where groups easily find and isolate themselves with like-minded people.
What is group think?
Group think is when everyone is the group agrees because there is a desire for harmony which overrides consideration of alternatives.
What is the bystander effect?
The bystander effect is the tendency to be less likely to give aid if other people are present.
When does research suggest you are more likely to receive help?
The person appears to need and deserve help
The person is in some way similar to us
The person needing help is a women
We have just observed someone else being helpful
We are not in a hurry
We are in a small town or rural area
We are feeling guilty
We are focused on others and not preoccupied
When we are in a good mood
What is conformity?
Conformity is defined as changing or adopting a behaviour or an attitude to be consistent with the social norms of a group or the expectations of other people.
E.g. the different roles we have in groups (gender roles, social roles, professional roles)
What is obedience?
Obedience is a form of social influence, whereby an individual follows a direct order from an authority figure. Without such an order the person would not have acted in this way.
Some obedience is necessary for a functional society to comply to rules and regulations.
What are the four factors that affect obedience?
Emotional distance
Authority proximity and legitimacy
Research context
Disobedience of others
What are social norms?
Social norms are defined as a set of spoken and unspoken group rules that can quickly change.
E.g. Lining up and waiting your turn for service
What is persuasion?
Persuasion is an intentional and deliberate attempt to influence the attitudes and behaviours of others.
There are two types.
What are the two types of persuasion?
Central route persuasion
Peripheral route persuasion
What is central route persuasion?
Central route persuasion occurs when people focus on the experts and facts and engage in careful thought.
What is peripheral route persuasion?
Peripheral route persuasion occurs when people are influenced by celebrities and incidental cues such as the attractiveness of the speaker.
What are are the three persuasion strategies?
Foot-in-the-door
Low-ball
Door-in-the-face
What is the foot-in-the-door strategy?
The foot-in-the-door persuasion strategy is when one gains agreement to a small request first to make a person more likely to agree to a larger request later. It is designed to secure a favourable response to a small request at first.
What is the low-ball strategy?
The low-ball technique persuasion strategy is when one makes an attractive initial offer to get a person to commit to an action, the making the terms less favourable moving forward. It is designed to gain compliance by making a very attractive initial offer.
What is the door-in-the-face strategy?
The door-in-the-face persuasion strategy is when one makes a large request with the exception that the person will refuse, and to make the person more likely to comply with a smaller request later.
