PSYCH 09 - Social Interaction

Social Statuses

perceived positions in society that are used to classify individuals

Ascribed status

a status into which one is born; involuntary status

Achieved status

A social position that a person attains largely through his or her own efforts

Master Status

one status within a set that stands out or overrides all others

Role performance

carrying out behaviors associated with a given a role

role partner

the person with whom one is interacting

role set

a number of roles attached to a single status

role conflict

difficulty in satisfying the requirements or expectations of multiple roles

role strain

difficulty in satisfying multiple requirements of the same role

role exit

dropping of one identity for another

social group

consists of two or more people who share any number of similar characteristics as well as a sense of unity

dyad

group of two, simplest of social group

As group size increases, the group is ___________ stable and __________ intimate.

more, less

in-group

social group with which a person experiences a sense of belonging or identifies as a member

out-group

social group toward which a person feels a sense of competition or opposition

group conflict

occurs when an out-group competes with or opposes an in-group

peer group

group of consists of self-selected equals associated by similar interests, ages, or statuses

family group

not self-selected but determined by birth, adoption, and marriage

reference group

group that an individual uses as a standard for evaluating themself

primary groups

interactions between members of the group are direct; close and personal relationships

secondary groups

larger and more impersonal groups that are task-focused and time limited

Gemeinschaft & Gesellschaft translates to

community (togetherness) & society (less personal, goal oriented)

Interaction process analysis

technique for observing, classifying, and measuring the interactions within small groups

system of multiple level observation of groups (SYMLOG)

revised version of interaction process analysis; based on belief that there are three fundamental dimensions of interaction

3 fundamental dimensions of interactions

dominance vs. submission, friendliness vs. unfriendliness, and instrumentally controlled vs emotionally expressive

group conformity

compliance with a group's goals, even when the group's goals may be in direct contrast to an individual's goals

groupthink

A situation in which group members seek unanimous agreement despite their individual doubts

network

observable pattern of social relationships among individuals or groups

network redundancy

overlapping connections with the same individual

immediate networks

dense with strong ties

distant networks

networks that are looser and composed of weaker ties

organizations

complex secondary groups that are set up to achieve specific goals and are characterized by having a structure and a culture

formal organization

a group designed for a special purpose and structured for maximum efficiency

characteristic institution

the social structure or institution about which societies are organized

bureaucracy

A large, complex organization composed of appointed officials

six characteristics of a bureaucracy

1) Paid, nonelected officials on fixed salary

2) Officials who are provided rights and privileges as a result of making their career out of holding office

3) Regular salary increases, seniority rights, and promotions upon passing exams or milestones

4) Officials who enter the organization by holding an advanced degree or training

5) Responsibilities, obligations, privileges, and work procedures rigidly defined by the organization

6) Responsibility for meeting the demands of one's position

iron law of oligarchy

democratic of bureaucratic systems naturally shift to being an elite group

McDonaldization

shift in focus toward efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control in societies

self-presentation

the act of expressing oneself and behaving in ways designed to create a favorable impression or an impression that corresponds to one's ideals

basic model of emotional expression

(Charles Darwin) emotional expression involves a number of components like facial expressions, behavior, postures, vocal changes, and physiological changes

appraisal model

there are biologically predetermined expressions once an emotion is experienced, but that there is a cognitive antecedent to emotional expression

social construction model

assumes there are no biologically wired emotions; rather, they are based on experiences and situational context alone.

display rules

culturally determined rules about which nonverbal behaviors are appropriate to display

cultural syndrome

shared set of beliefs, attitudes, norms, values, and behaviors among members of the same culture that are organized around a central theme

Impression management

the attempt by people to get others to see them as they want to be seen

authentic self

who someone actually is, including both positive and negative attributes

ideal self

one's perception of whom one should be or would like to be

dramaturgical approach

a view of social interaction in which people are seen as theatrical performers

front stage self

Component of the dramaturgical approach; Encompasses the behavior that a player performs in front of an audience

back stage self

Component of the dramaturgical approach; Encompasses the behavior that a player performs when with other players, but no audience is present

Me

the part of the self formed through socialization

generalized other

person's established perceptions of the expectations of society

communication

ability to convey information by speech, writing, signals, or behavior

verbal communication

the transmission of information via the use of words, whether spoken, written, or signed

nonverbal communication

communication using body movements, gestures, and facial expressions rather than speech

4 types of verbal communication

spoken, written, sign (ASL), tactile (Braille)

animal communication

any behavior of one animal that affects the behavior of another

which is more conserved between species— facial expressions or body language?

facial expressions