PSYC221 Test 3

what is a group?

a collection of people that can vary in structure, purpose, and connection, but often involves interaction, shared goals, or identity

What are the types of groups?

Intimacy groups (family, friends, romantic partners)

Task groups (committees, sports teams, bands, classes)

Social categories (high school cliques, religious groups, gender)

Loose associations (same neighborhood, same music taste)

what are intimacy groups?

close, personal relationships (family, friends, romantic partners)

what are task groups?

groups formed to accomplish a goal (teams, committees, classes)

what are social categories?

groups based on shared identity (gender, religion, cliques)

what are loose associations?

weak connections (same neighborhood, shared interests)

entitativity (What makes a group feel like a “group”?)

the extent to which a collective feels like a cohesive, unified group

common bond (What makes a group feel like a “group”?)

how much group members interact with and depend on each other

communal sharing vs. market pricing? (What makes a group feel like a “group”?)

communal sharing: a norm where resources are shared freely (e.g., “what’s mine is yours”)

market pricing: a norm based on reciprocal exchange (“I scratch your back, you scratch mine”)

Common identity

a shared sense of “we” through goals, synbols

Why do people join groups? (What do groups give us?)

• promoting survival

• achieving goals

• reducing uncertainty

• reinforce cultural worldviews

how do groups promote survival?

they help humans adapt and work together to survive challenges

how do groups achieve goals?

they allow cooperation on complex tasks

how do groups reduce uncertainty?

they provide clarity about ourselves and others

evolutionary function of groups (promoting survival)

evolutionary perspective explains adaptation to care about groups

groups helped humans survive threats and navigate complex environments

What did the Hogg et al (2007) study show?

we can turn to groups when we feel uncertain

social identity theory (throwback term)

group identities are important for self-concept and a key source of self-concept and self-esteem

basking in reflected glory (throwback term)

feeling good about oneself because one’s group is successful

terror management theory + groups

groups help manage mortality concerns by offering symbolic immortality

what do groups give you?

a sense that part of you will live on or have impact on (e.g., family line, religious group, part of national history, etc)

how are cooperation in & between groups?

it enables survival

essential for our global problems (e.g., nations getting along, addressing climate change, climate disasters, hunger, homelessness)

what are obstacles that prevent cooperation?

social dilemma

prisoner’s dilemma

commons dilemma

public good dilemma

free riders

social dilemma

conflict between self-interest and group benefit

prisoner’s dilemma

a situation where trust determines whether individuals cooperate or defect

tit-for-tat

a strategy of mirroring another’s behavior (cooperate if they cooperate)

commons dilemma

overuse of shared resources leads to depletion

“If everyone uses a little, we all benefit. If some of use a lot, resource goes away.”

public goods dilemma

resources only exist if everyone contributes

“If everybody gives, everyone benefits. If only some give, resource can’t survive for those who need or want it.”

free riders

people who benefit without contributing

ultimatum game

one proposes a split; the other can either accept or reject it (both get nothing if rejected)

dictator game

one person decides the split with no input from the other

what do ultimatum and dictator games reveal?

people tend to value fairness, even without punishment

what personality traits increase cooperation?

Agreeableness and honesty-humility

Agreeability = caring about people, warm, friendly, helpful

Honesty-humility = response more to fairness of others

How do situational factors affect cooperation?

framing

People cooperate more when prisoner’s dilemma games is called “community game” than when called “Wall St. game”