Social Psychology Flashcards

Flashcards covering key vocabulary from the Social Psychology lecture notes.

Socialisation

The process of how people learn their beliefs, customs, and appropriate behavior of society/group.

Primary Socialisation

Process of learning beliefs, customs, attitudes and behaviors from the closest agents at an early age.

Secondary Socialisation

Continuation of the socialisation process into adulthood, where individuals begin to form a picture of how they fit into society and develop a new sense of self.

Biological sex

Determined by your biology (genetics), specifically by the X and Y chromosomes.

Gender identity

What sex does an individual feel like/associate with.

Sexuality

Who you are sexually attracted to.

Gender roles

Expectations on what the behavior, actions, looks and tasks a biological male or female should do/partake in.

Intersex Individuals

Individuals born with both male and female genitalia or ambiguous genitalia/ reproductive organs.

Theory of Psychosexual Differentiation

Focuses on differences in testosterone and how it impacts the brain's development of the brain to determine masculinity.

Biosocial Theory

People are born gender-neutral and that depending on whether they are assigned female or male at birth, it is their genitalia that will determine whom they choose to socialize with and whom they associate their gender identity and subsequent gender roles.

Schema

A cognitive framework or concept that helps us to organize and interpret information.

Gender schema

A mental representation of each gender and what we expect/associate with these genders.

Gender Scripts

Collections of information that fit within and help form the framework of the schema.

Vicarious reward

When a child observes a behaviour being rewarded and is more likely to replicate or expect that behaviour.

Vicarious punishment

When a child observes a behaviour being punished and is less likely to replicate or expect that behaviour.

Compliance

When a person changes their attitudes in public to fit in/be liked, but not privately or with those with which they are comfortable.

Identification

A change in a person’s attitude/ behavior because they identify with them, giving them greater influence.

Internalisation

A change in a person's attitude/behaviour, from a change/new attitude and have accepted this as part of their belief system.

Group

Communicate/interact with one another.

Power in groups

Hold power over one another if there is an expectation that an individual will behave in the way desired by another, even against their wishes.

Status

The position of a person within a group.

Leadership

Refers to directing and motivating others to achieve individual and team/group goals.

Deindividualization

Receive a sense of anonymity and loss of self when individuals cannot be identified.

Obedience

Where an individual or a group behaves in a particular way in response to the orders/ instructions/rules set down by an authority figure.

Authority

The power/right to order individuals to behave in a particular way or make decisions that will be accepted/upheld on behalf of others.

Conformity

Behaving or acting in a particular way or believing/pretending to believe something to fit into a larger group.

Normative influence

Agreeing with a group because a person wants to fit in.

Informational influence

Uncertain of their ability to provide a correct response.

Social Loafing

Individuals in a group will reduce their work effort in comparison to when working alone.