Psych 4.3-5

society’s understood rules for accepted and expected behavior, prescribes “proper” behavior in individual and social situations

norms

spontaneous spread of behaviors

social contagion/chameleon effect

social contagion effect on emotion

take on emotional tones of those around us, enables empathy

sharing of moods

mood linkage

social networks serve as contagious pathways for…

moods, drug use, and behaviors that contribute to obesity and sleep loss

suggestibility and mimicry can also lead to

tragedy

suggestibility and mimicry as subtle types of conformity because…

we adjust our behavior and thinking to coincide with a group standard

we are more likely to conform when

we feel incompetent/insecure, in a group, admire the group’s status and attractiveness, not prior commit to any response, from a culture that encourages respects for social standards

why do we conform

avoid rejection, gain social approval

influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

normative social influence

how norms are changing, such as toward eating less meat, consuming fewer sugary drinks, or supporting gay rights

dynamic norms

influence resulting from a person’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality

informational social influence

complying with an order or a command

obedience

question asked by the Asch and Milgram experiments

do I adhere to my own standards even when they conflict with the expectations of others?

what have social psychologists learned about the power of the individual?

social control and personal control interact

power of one or two individuals to sway majorities

minority influence

in the presence of others, improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks, and worsened performance on difficult tasks

social facilitation

tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

social loafing

causes of social loafing

feeling less accountable, view individual contributions as dispensable, free ride on others’ efforts, overestimate their own contributions

loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

deindividuation

enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group

group polarization

our biases may lead us to welcome and share misinformation that supports our beliefs, which strengthens our biases, and leads to even more polarization

outrage machine

mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives

groupthink (group rule)

causes of groupthink

overconfidence, conformity, self-justification, group polarization

prevention of groupthink

leader welcome’s various opinions and critiques

enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

culture

place with clearly defined and reliably imposed norms

tight culture

place with flexible and informal norms

loose culture

any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone, whether done out of hostility or as a calculated means to an end

aggression

genetic markers of aggression

Y chromosome, MAOA gene

stimuli that causes discomfort or pain can evoke hostility (ex. Hot temps, physical pain, insults)

aversive stimuli

principle that frustration creates anger which can generate aggression

frustration-aggression principle

culturally provided mental files for how to act in certain situations

social scripts

biological influences of aggressive behavior

heredity, biochemical factors, neural factors

psychological influences of aggressive behavior

dominating behavior, believing alcohol has been ingested, frustration, aggressive role models

social-cultural influences of aggressive behavior

deindividuation, challenging environmental factors, parental models of aggression, rejection from a group, exposure to violent media

3 parts of liking for one another

proximity, attractiveness, similarity

proximity is friendship’s most powerful _______.

predictor

findings from speed dating

people who fear rejection often elicit rejection, with more options people make more superficial choices, women tend to be choosier, compatibility is difficult to predict

what most affects first impressions?

physical appearance

3 other findings about attractiveness

unrelated to self-esteem and happiness, attractive people are suspicious that praise may be a reaction to looks, looks matter less for couples who were friends before lovers

beauty depends on _____

culture

friends and couples are more likely to share…

attitudes, beliefs, interests

we will like those whose behavior is rewarding to us, including those who are both able and willing to help us achieve our goals

reward theory of attraction

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a romantic relationship

passionate love

emotions have physical arousal plus cognitive appraisal, arousal from any source can enhance one emotion or another

two factor theory of emotion

deep, affectionate attachment

companionate love

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

altruism

we will only help if the citation us enables us to first notice the incident, interpret it as an emergency, and to assume responsibility for helping, at each step, the presence of others can turn us away from the path that leads to helping

bystander intervention

tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

bystander effect

people are more likely to help others when…

person appears to need/deserve help, similar to us, observed someone being helpful, not in a hurry, focused on others, in a good mood

happy people are helpful people

good mood result

theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs

social exchange theory

expectation that we should return help, not harm, to those who have helped us, “social debt”

reciprocity norm

one should assist those in need when possible, “do the right thing”

social-responsibility norm

perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas

conflict

situation in which two parties, by each pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior

social traps

mutual views often held by conflicting parties, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive

mirror-image perceptions

ways to promote peace

contact, cooperation, communicational, conciliation

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

superordinate goals

one side announces recognition of mutual interests and intent to reduce tensions, then initiates small, conciliatory acts, doesn’t weaken retaliatory capability, opens the door for reciprocity by the other party

Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction (GRIT)

unique and persistent patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving

personality

views human behavior as dynamic interaction between conscious and unconscious mind, includes associated motives and conflicts

psychodynamic theories

reservoir of mostly inaccessible thoughts, wishes, feelings, and memories, information processing of which we are unaware

unconscious

method of exploring the unconscious in which the person relaxes and says whatever comes to mind, no matter how trivial or embarrassing

free association

projective test in which people express their inner feelings and interests through the stories they make up about ambiguous scenes

thematic apperception test (TAT)

personality test that provides ambiguous images designed to trigger projection of one’s inner dynamics and explore the preconscious and unconscious mind

projective test

projective test designed by Hermann Rorschach, seeks to identify people’s inner feelings by analyzing how they interpret 10 inkblots

rorschach inkblot test

adjusting opinions, judgements, or actions so that they are more consistent with other’s or social norms

conformity

factors that strengthen obedience

perceived legitimacy of authority, diffusion of responsibility, social norms, personality traits

Are you aware of the event? -> Do you view the situation as an emergency? -> Do you assume responsibility? -> Now, you help.

Latane and Harley Decision tree

emotional exhaustion from one’s job that can lead to quitting or other emotional issues

burnout

big five personality traits

openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neroticism

enduring characteristics

traits

our behaviors, cognitions, and environment interacting in our personality

reciprocal determinism

three parts of personality

id, ego, superego