MCAT-Behavioral Science Unit 8

What is the Michelangelo phenomenon?

Close partners "sculpt" each other's ideal selves, helping them grow toward their best potential by perceiving and supporting the qualities they admire.

How is Social action differ from Social interaction?

(1) Social action: Actions and behaviors that individuals are performing or modulating because others are around.

(2) Social interaction: Two or more individuals can both shape each other’s behavior.

Social facilitation

People tend to perform better on simple tasks when in the presence of others.

According to Yerkes-Dodson law, how is a person’s performance differ on familiar tasks (simple tasks) and less familiar tasks (complex tasks) when being watched by others?

The person will experience a significant increase in arousal when performing both tasks.

The performance on familiar/simple tasks increases, whereas the performance on less familiar/complex tasks decreases.

Social inhibition

An individual has a worse performance in front of an audience.

Deindividuation

Loss of one’s self-awareness in a group setting and the associated adoption of a more group oriented identity.

Antinormative behavior

Behaviors that are not socially acceptable in most social circumstances.

Diffusion of responsibility

When a task is performed by a group, it becomes less likely that an individual will take responsibility due to the belief that someone else in the group will take the action instead.

Bystander effect

Individuals do not intervene to assist those who are in perceived need when other people are present.

Social loafing

The tendency of individuals to reduce effort when in a group setting.

Identity shift effect

Changes in beliefs or behavior due to peer pressure.

Cognitive dissonance

The simultaneous presence of two opposing thoughts or opinions.

Group polarization

The tendency for groups to collaboratively make decisions that are more extreme than the individual ideas and inclinations of the members within the group.

Risky shift

Groups are more likely to make riskier decisions than individuals.

Choice shift

The change in a group's decision or attitude after discussion.

Groupthink

A social phenomenon in which the desire for harmony or conformity results in a group of people coming to an incorrect or poor decision.

Illusion of invulnerability

Members encourage risks, ignore possible pitfalls, and are too optimistic.

Collective rationalization

Members ignore expressed concerns about group-approved ideas.

Illusion of morality

Members believe ideas produced by the group are morally correct, disregarding evidence to the contrary.

Excessive stereotyping

Members construct stereotypes of those expressing outside opinions.

Pressure for conformity

Members feel pressured not to express opinions that disagree with group, and view opposition as disloyal.

Self-censorship

Members withhold ideas and opinions that disagree with the group.

Illusion of unanimity

Members believe the decisions and judgments of the group to be without disagreement, even if it does exist.

Mindguards

Some members may decide to take on a role protecting the group against opposing views.

Fad

A behavior that is transiently viewed as popular and desirable by a large community.

ex. Owning certain objects or engaging in certain behaviors.

Mass hysteria

A shared, intense concern about the threats to society.

How to define Culture?

The beliefs, behaviors, actions, and characteristics of a group or society of people.

Culture shock

The disorientation and anxiety people feel when immersed in an unfamiliar culture

Cultural assimilation

The process where a minority group adopts the cultural norms, values, and behaviors of a dominant culture.

What are the four primary factors used to assess the degree of assimilation in immigrant communities?

(1) Socioeconomic status

(2) Geographic distribution

(3) Language attainment

(4) Intermarriage

Ethnic enclaves

A geographic area with a high concentration of people from a specific cultural or ethnic group.

Multicultural socialization

The learning of norms and behaviors from multiple different cultures.

Subcultures

Groups of people within a culture that distinguish themselves from the primary culture to which they belong.

Countercultures

The subculture group gravitates toward an identity that is at odds with the majority culture and deliberately opposes the prevailing social mores.

What is the similarities and differences between group polarization and groupthink?

Group polarization and groupthink are both social processes that occur when groups make decisions.

Group polarization is the tendency toward extreme decisions in a group.

Groupthink is the tendency for groups to make decisions based on ideas and solutions that arise within the group without considering outside ideas.

Cultural transmission (Cultural learning)

Beliefs, customs, and cultural norms are often passed down from one generation to another within a society.

Cultural diffusion

Spread of norms, customs, and beliefs from one culture to another.

When did Primary socialization occur?

During childhood, when we initially learn acceptable actions and attitudes in our society.

Secondary socialization

The process of learning appropriate behavior within smaller sections of the larger society.

Anticipatory socialization

The process by which a person prepares for future changes in occupations, living situations, or relationships.

Resocialization

One discards old behaviors in favor of new ones.

What is the difference between Norms and Mores?

(1) Norms: Societal rules that define the boundaries of acceptable behavior.

(2) Mores: Widely observed social norms.

Social control

A mechanism for regulating the behavior of individuals and groups.

What is the difference between Positive and Negative sanctions?

(1) Positive sanctions: Reward behaviors that comply with norms.

(2) Negative sanctions: Punish behaviors that deviate from norms.

Formal sanctions

Sanctions that are enforced by formal social institutions. (ex. Positive → getting a promotion; Negative → jail)

Informal sanctions

Sanctions that are enforced by social groups. (ex. Sitting at a particular table in school’s cafeteria, or getting reject from a social group)

Taboo

Socially unacceptable, disgusting, or reprehensible behaviors.

Folkways

Norms that refer to behavior that is considered polite in particular social interactions.

Agent of socialization

Any part of society that is important when learning social norms and values (including environment).

Popular culture

Common trends and beliefs are prevalent at a given point in time.

Deviance

Any violation of norms, rules, or expectations within a society.

Social stigma

The extreme disapproval or dislike of a person or group based on perceived differences from the rest of society.

Labelling theory

The labels given to a person affect not only how others respond to that person, but also affect that person’s self-image.

Role engulfment

Internalizing a label and assuming the role implied by the label may lead to the assumed role taking over a person’s identity.

Differential association theory

Criminal behavior is learned through interactions and communication within intimate personal groups, not innate, where individuals absorb techniques for crime and justifications.

When associations with others engaging in deviant behavior are more numerous or intense than those engaging in normative behavior, individuals begins to gravitate toward deviant behavior.

Strain theory

Attempts to explain deviance as a natural reaction to the disconnect between social goals and social structure.

Conformity

Matching one’s attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group or societal norms.

Normative conformity

Changing your behavior, beliefs, or attitudes to fit in with a group, driven by the fundamental human need to be liked, accepted, and avoid rejection or punishment.

How is Internalization differ from Identification in terms of conformity?

(1) Internalization: The changes in one’s behaviors within a group while also privately agreeing with the ideas of the group.

(2) Identification: Publicly agreeing with a group’s idea but not internalizing it.

Compliance

A change in behavior based on a direct request.

Foot-in-the-door technique

Begins with a small request, and after gaining compliance, a larger request is made.

Door-in-the-face technique

A large request at first, but, once rejected, a smaller one is made instead.

Lowball technique

The requester will get an initial commitment from an individual, and then raise the cost of the commitment.

That’s-not-all technique

An individual is made an offer, but before making a decision, is told the deal is even better than expected.

Obedience

Changing one’s behavior in response to a direct order or expectation expressed by an authority figure.

Social cognition

The ways in which people think about others and how these ideas impact behavior.

What is the affective, behavioral, and cognitive component of a person’s attitude?

(1) Affective: The way a person feels toward something, and is the emotional component of attitude.

(2) Behavioral: The way a person acts with respect to something

(3) Cognitive: The way an individual thinks about something.

What is an Attitude?

The expression of positive or negative feeling toward a person, place, thing, or scenario.

What is the Knowledge Function of the functional attitudes theory?

Attitudes help provide organization to thoughts and experiences, and knowing the attitudes of others helps to predict their behavior. (to know the world around us)

What is the Ego Expression of the functional attitudes theory?

Attitudes allow us to communicate and solidify our identity. (to better self-express)

What is the Adaptation of the functional attitudes theory?

Expressing socially acceptable attitudes will lead to acceptance. (to adapt to the society)

What is the Ego Defense of the functional attitudes theory?

Attitudes protect our self-esteem or justify actions that we know are wrong.

Learning theory

Attitudes are developed through different forms of learning.

Elaboration likelihood model

A theory of attitude formation and attitude change that separates individuals on a continuum based on how they process persuasive information.

What is the difference between Central route processing and Peripheral route processing?

(1) Central route processing: scrutinizing and analyzing the content of persuasive information.

Uses central message characteristics (ex. logical soundness, clarity, and coherence)

Uses central route processing.

(2) Peripheral route processing: focusing on superficial details of persuasive information.

Use peripheral message characteristics (ex. appearances, catachphrases and slogans)

Uses peripheral route processing.

Social cognitive theory

People learn how to behave and shape attitudes by observing the behaviors of others.

What are the three factors in Bandura’s Triadic Reciprocal Causation

(1) Personal factors

(2) Behavioral factors

(3) Environmental factors