SOCIAL PSYCH FINAL EXAM

What is disidentification?

The process of disinvesting in any area in which one’s group traditionally has been underrepresented or negatively stereotyped

This also occurs due to repeated exposure to stereotype threat and social identity threat can eventually lead to it

What is social faciliation theory?

The theory that the presence of others increases a person’s dominant response, that is, the response that is most likely for that person for the task at hand.

There are TWO takes: When others improve performance or that others facilitate one’s dominant response

What is some information about aggression?

The role of intention: If a person intends to harm another person and fails this would be still be considered aggression, however, DELIBERATE FAILURE TO ACT also counts as aggression

The harm caused: In short, many acts of violence change the victim’s life forever. These negative feelings also can lead to aggressive acts of retaliation, resulting in a vicious cycle of violence. Acts of aggression that lead to serious harm or death also have wide-ranging effects on those who care about the victim. Finally, we should note that the collateral damage from aggression extends to those who witness it.

Affective and Instrumental Aggression:

Affective — A person intends to harm the other person simply for the sake of doing so; It is motivated by a strong affective, or emotional state and is often impulsive.

Instrumental — Occurs when someone intends to harm another person in order to serve some other goal. It’s not triggered by strong emotions, but it’s still intended to harm.

What is social loafing?

A tendency to exert less effort when performing as part of a collective or group than when performing as an individual.

What is social identity theory?

The theory that people define and evaluate themselves largely in terms of the social groups with which they identify.

What is social dominance theory?

The theory that large societies create hierarchies and that people tend to endorse beliefs that legitimatize hierarchy.

Who is more physically aggressive? Men or women?

Men; males secrete more testosterone and they commit more serious acts of physical aggression than females do

Superordinate goal?

A common problem or shared goal that groups work together to solve or achieve. Again, it is a goal that is beyond the ability of any one group to achieve on its own

What are some subcultures of violence?

Are specific groups holding norms where violence is an expected, legitimate response to perceived disrespect, threats, or disputes; Often emphasize toughness, honor, and reputation, particularly in lower-income, urban areas and the American South. Gangs along with the american south are two subcultures as well

Does playing pro-social video games increase or decrease prosocial behavior?

Increases prosocial behavior; Prosocial video games primed prosocial thoughts and behavioral scripts, which remained accessible in people’s minds and influenced their behavior when they interacted with others later on

What is group-think?

A tendency toward flawed group decision making when group members are so intent on preserving group harmony that they fail to analyze a problem completely.

What types of behavior are the results of playing pro-social videogames?

To get things for social rewards and to satisfy internal moral values

What is empathy? What is the difference between sympathy and empathy?

Empathy is the ability to understand and vicariously share the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of another person, often described as "feeling with" someone

While empathy connects and resonates, sympathy is feeling pity or sorrow for someone’s misfortune from a distance, or "feeling for" them

What is ethology?

Known as behavioral biology; It’s the study of animal behavior in its natural context

What is Scape-goating?

A phenomenon whereby people who feel inferior, guilty, anxious, or unsuccessful blame an outgroup for their troubles

What is it to se*u@lly objectify someone?

A form of dehumanization which consists of thinking about women in a narrow way, as if their physical appearance were all that matters

What is affective aggresion?

A person who intends to harm the other person simply for the sake of doing so; It is motivated by a strong affective, or emotional state and is often impulsive.

What are stereotypes?

Overgeneralized beliefs about the traits and attributes of members of a particular group

What are some things that decrease stereotyping?

Identifying with positive role models, Reappraising Anxiety, and Affirming Broader Values

What is tend and befriend?

In stressful situations it’s a suite of hormonal responses, including increases in oxytocin, which spur women to seek safety and comfort for both themselves and close others, especially their offspring, and to build social networks

Prejudice towards outgroups is fueled by what?

A preference for familiar others is probably something adaptive (Evolution) and that most of us demonstrate a self-serving bias/social identity theory

Diffusion of responsibility?

A situation in which the presence of others prevents any one person from taking responsibility

Deindividuation?

A tendency to lose one’s sense of individuality when in a group or crowd.

What does it mean to dehumanize someone?

The tendency to hold stereotypic views of outgroup members as animals rather than as humans.

Does exposure to aggression increase or decrease aggression?

Increases it by reinforcement, modeling, priming cognitions related to aggression, and through desensitization. However, if aggressive actions do not lead to rewarding experiences, or if they lead to unpleasant ones, the likelihood of aggression should be reduced

What is gratitude?

Is an emotion, mood, and trait focused on recognizing positive outcomes from external sources.

It serves as "social glue", strengthening relationships and increasing prosocial behaviors like kindness and generosity.

It acts as a moral, emotion, and coping mechanism that enhances well-being, reduces stress, and fosters empathy.

In-group bias?

To favor, trust, and act more prosocially toward members of one's own group over outsiders

Attribution error?

The tendency to attribute behavior to internal or dispositional qualities of the actor and consequently underestimate the causal role of situational factors.

What is Objectification theory?

A theory which proposes that the cultural value placed on women’s appearance leads people to view women more as objects than as full human beings.

What is the Empathy gap?

The underestimation of other people’s experience of physical pain as well as the pain of social rejection.

For personality, give some info about narcissism?

There are links between aggression and narcissism:

— Narcissists have a grandiose but fragile view of themselves

— Narcissists often exhibit low self-esteem when it is measured implicitly

— People high in narcissism or with unstable self-esteem respond to provocations with higher levels of aggressive behavior than those who are comparatively low in these traits

How does impulsivity relate to aggression?

— Individuals who are high in impulsivity tend to react to situations without thinking through the consequences of their actions

— High impulsivity is correlated with aggressive behaviors and has, in fact, been found to be one of the best predictors of criminal behavior

The definition of aggression?

Any physical or verbal behavior that is intended to harm another person or persons (or any other living thing).

Definition of pro-social behavior?

Action by an individual that is intended to benefit another individual or set of individuals.

Realistic group-conflict theory?

A theory which asserts that the initial negative feelings between groups are often based on a real conflict or competition regarding scarce resources.

What is guilt? Some information about it/Key Points

— Inducing people to feel guilty increases their tendency to help others

— Even when people do not feel personally responsible for harm done to another person or group, they can nevertheless feel collective guilt for the role their group might have played in past or present harms

— When people help out of guilt, over either personal or collective actions, they can be focused on trying to make themselves feel better

What are Free riders?

These are individuals who take more than their fair share from the common pool or refuse to contribute to the public good, even while enjoying the same benefits as those who do contribute

— Serve their own self-interest instead of cooperating for the larger social group

What is the Colorblind ideology?

A worldview in which group identities are ignored and people are judged solely on their individual merits, thereby avoiding any judgment based on group membership.

The Definition Stereotype threat?

The concern that one might do something to confirm a negative stereotype about one’s group either in one’s own eyes or the eyes of someone else.

What is system justification theory?

The theory that negative stereotypes get attached to groups partly because they help explain and justify why some individuals are more advantaged than others.