Sociocultural Review: IB Psychology HL

Social Identity Theory

A theory suggesting that individuals derive part of their identity and self-esteem from the social groups they belong to.

In-Group

A group that an individual identifies with and feels a sense of belonging or loyalty toward.

Out-Group

A group that an individual does not identify with and may feel rivalry or opposition toward.

Socialization

The process by which individuals learn the norms, values, and behaviors appropriate to their society or social group.

Primary Socialization

Early childhood socialization primarily from caregivers and immediate family.

Secondary Socialization

Socialization from sources outside the family, such as peers, media, schools, and workplaces.

Gender Socialization

The process of learning the behaviors and roles considered appropriate for one's gender by society.

Cultural Socialization

Learning the cultural values, beliefs, and behaviors of one's ethnic, racial, or cultural group.

Group Socialization

The influence of peer groups on an individual's behaviors, beliefs, and values.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to attribute others' behaviors to internal characteristics rather than external factors.

Ultimate Attribution Error

An extension of the fundamental attribution error where negative behaviors of out-group members are attributed to their disposition, while in-group members' similar behaviors are attributed to the situation.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external ones to preserve self-esteem.

Social Cognitive Theory

A theory that emphasizes the role of observational learning, imitation, and modeling in behavior.

Reciprocal Determinism

The idea that behavior, personal factors, and the environment all influence each other.

Social Learning Theory

An earlier form of social cognitive theory, highlighting learning through observation and imitation of others.

Stereotypes

Widely held and oversimplified beliefs or generalizations about a group of people.

Schemas

Cognitive frameworks or concepts that help organize and interpret information.

Grain of Truth Hypothesis

The idea that stereotypes may originate from small amounts of truth, which are then generalized.

Illusory Correlations

Perceiving a relationship between two variables even when none exists, often contributing to stereotypes.

Gatekeeper

People or institutions (e.g., media, parents, teachers) who control access to information and influence cultural transmission.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

A belief or expectation that influences behavior in a way that causes the belief to come true.

Stereotype Threat

The risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one's group, which can impact performance.

Culture

The shared beliefs, behaviors, values, and norms of a group of people, passed down through generations.

Cultural Norms

Rules or expectations of behavior within a specific cultural group.

Deep Cultural Traits

Unobservable aspects of culture such as values, beliefs, and thought patterns.

Surface Cultural Traits

Visible elements of culture like food, language, clothing, and customs.

Acculturation

The process of adapting to a new culture while maintaining aspects of the original culture.

Cultural Dimensions

Frameworks for understanding cultural differences across societies, such as individualism vs. collectivism.

Individualism

A cultural value that emphasizes independence, personal achievement, and individual rights.

Collectivism

A cultural value that emphasizes group goals, social harmony, and interdependence.

Emic Research

Research that studies behavior from within a culture using culturally specific concepts.

Etic Research

Research that studies behavior across cultures using universal theories and concepts.

Power Distance Index

A measure of the extent to which less powerful members of a society accept unequal power distribution.

Enculturation

The process of learning one's own culture through experience, observation, and instruction.

Assimilation

A form of acculturation where individuals adopt the new culture and lose contact with their original culture.

Integration

A form of acculturation where individuals maintain their original culture while also participating in the new culture.

Separation

A form of acculturation where individuals reject the new culture and maintain their original culture.

Marginalization

A form of acculturation where individuals lose contact with both their original and new cultures.

Acculturative Stress

Stress experienced while adapting to a new culture, often due to conflict between cultural identities.

Globalization

The process by which cultures influence each other due to increased global interconnectedness.

Effect of the Interaction of Local and Global Influence on Behavior

How global cultural elements merge or clash with local traditions, influencing individual attitudes and behaviors.

Cross-Cultural Studies

Research that compares behaviors and cultural norms across different societies to identify universal vs. culture-specific phenomena.

Tajfel (1970)

Demonstrates Social Identity Theory; aimed to investigate how group categorization affects discrimination using minimal groups with British schoolboys, showing in-group favoritism even in arbitrary groupings. Keyword: Minimal groups

Steele & Aronson (1995)

Supports Social Identity Theory and Stereotype Threat; investigated how stereotype threat impacts performance by comparing Black and White students on diagnostic vs. non-diagnostic tests, revealing lower scores for Black students under stereotype threat. Keyword: Threat

Taylor & Jaggi (1974)

Illustrates Ultimate Attribution Error; studied how Indian participants explained in-group vs. out-group behaviors using attributions, finding bias in favor of the in-group (Hindus) and negative assumptions about the out-group (Muslims). Keyword: Attribution

Bandura (1961) - Bobo Doll

Supports Social Cognitive Theory; tested if children imitate aggression by observing adult behavior toward a Bobo doll, finding that observed aggression increased children's aggression. Keyword: Imitation

Williams & Williams (2010)

Expands Social Cognitive Theory through Reciprocal Determinism; used longitudinal data to examine how math self-efficacy, performance, and environment influenced each other, highlighting the cyclical interaction of personal, behavioral, and environmental factors. Keyword: Cycle

A Class Divided (1968)

Demonstrates stereotype formation and in-group/out-group effects; split students by eye color to assign privileges, revealing rapid internalization of discriminatory behaviors and social roles. Keyword: Blue eyes

Rosenthal & Jacobson (1968)

Shows Self-Fulfilling Prophecy; labeled students as "bloomers" and found improved academic performance, indicating that teacher expectations can shape outcomes. Keyword: Bloomers

Berry & Katz (1967)

Supports Cultural Dimensions and cultural cognition; compared conformity in Temne (collectivist) and Inuit (individualist) groups using a line-matching task, with collectivist participants showing more conformity. Keyword: Conformity

Meeuwesen et al. (2009)

Applies Power Distance Index to doctor-patient communication; surveyed 10 countries and found that higher PDI correlated with more hierarchical communication, reflecting cultural values in medical interactions. Keyword: Hierarchy

Demorest et al. (2008)

Explores cultural cognition via music enculturation; tested recognition and memory of music from familiar vs. unfamiliar cultures, showing better performance for culturally familiar music. Keyword: Music

Cohen et al. (1996)

Supports Cultural Norms and the Culture of Honor; tested Northern vs. Southern US males' responses to provocation, finding Southern males more aggressive due to honor-related values. Keyword: Honor

Berry (2008)

Explores Acculturation strategies; meta-analyzed research on immigrant adaptation and mental health, finding that integration produced the best outcomes while marginalization led to the worst. Keyword: Acculturation

Delvario et al. (2013)

Studies acculturation's effect on behavior; surveyed Latino immigrants and found that higher acculturation to Western culture was linked to increased obesity. Keyword: Obesity

Shah et al. (2015)

Connects Acculturation and Globalization to health risks; surveyed South Asian migrants in the UK and found that adopting Western diets increased risk of metabolic diseases. Keyword: Diet

Adams (2003)

Examines Globalization's effect on identity; compared Ghanaian participants' media exposure and self-construal, showing that global media increased individualism. Keyword: Media

Buchan et al. (2011)

Links Globalization to cooperation; participants from 6 countries played economic trust games, revealing that stronger global identity predicted higher cross-national cooperation. Keyword: Cooperation