Social Psychology Lecture - Chapter 12 Summary

These flashcards cover key components from the Social Psychology lecture on Chapter 12, focusing on Milgram’s obedience research, social facilitation, social loafing, and social identity theory.

What motivated Stanley Milgram to conduct his obedience experiments?

The aftermath of WWII and the Holocaust, exploring how 'good people' can commit immoral acts under authority.

What was the main task in Milgram's obedience experiments?

Participants, acting as 'teachers', delivered electric shocks to 'learners' (confederates) for incorrect answers.

What percentage of participants continued to the maximum voltage in Milgram's study?

Approximately 65% of participants went all the way to the maximum voltage.

How did peer disobedience affect participants in Milgram's study?

Seeing another participant (confederate) refuse to continue increased resistance among genuine participants.

Define social facilitation. How does it affect performance?

The presence of others increases the likelihood of the dominant response, enhancing performance on well-practiced tasks but potentially decreasing performance on difficult tasks.

What is social loafing?

A decrease in individual effort when working collectively, making individual output hard to measure.

What factors influence social loafing?

More prevalent in individualistic cultures; less in collectivist cultures and among women.

Who developed the Social Identity Theory?

Henri Tajfel and John Turner.

What are the three levels of social identity according to Tajfel's theory?

Human level, group level, and personal level.

What is the difference between in-groups and out-groups in social identity theory?

In-groups are groups to which an individual belongs, while out-groups are those to which they do not belong.

What impact does self-esteem have on intergroup relations?

Threats to individual self-esteem can lead to hostility towards out-group members.