MCAT Behavioral Sciencese Chapter 9: Social Interaction

Statuses

positions in society that are used to classify individuals

• 3 key types

  • ascribed

  • achieved

  • master

Ascribed Status

a status that is given involuntaryily, due to such factors as race, ethnicity, gender, and familty background

Achieved Status

a status that is gained as a result of of one’s efforts or choices

Master Status

the status by which a person is most identified

Role

a set of beliefs, values, attitudes, and norms that define expectations for those who hold the status

role performance

the carrying out of behaviors associated with a given role

• individuals can vary in how succesful they are

role partner

the person with whom one is interacting

role set

the various roles associated with a status

role conflict

difficulty in satisfying multiple requirements of the same role

role exit

the dropping of one identiity for another

social group (group)

consists of two or more people who share similar characterisitcs and a sense of unity

• dyad (simplest form, two people)

• triad (three people)

peer group

one that is defined by assoication of self-selected equals around similar interests, ages, and statuses

• provide opportunity for friendships and feelings of belonging

family group

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

Out groups

groups with which an individual competes or is in opposition

in-groups

groups to which an individual belongs and can be contrsted with out-groups

primary group

group in which the intereactions are direct, with close bodns providig warm, personal and intimate relationships to members

• last a longer period of time

• may include a core circle

secondary group

the interactions are superficial, with few emotional bonds

• typically last for a short period of time

• may form or dissovle without any speical significance

Gremeinschaft and Gesellschaft

theory of community and society proposed by

• Gremeinschaft: refers to groups unified by feelings of togetherness due to shared beliefs, ancestry, or geography

• Grellschaft: refers to groups that are formed because of mutual self-interest working together toward the same goal

interaction process analysis

is a technique for observing, classifying, and measuring the interactios within small groups

System for Multiple Level Observation of Groups (SYMLOG)

based on the belief that there are three fundamental dimensions of interactoins,

• dominance vs. subsmisison

• friendliness vs unfriendliness

• instrumentally controlled vs. emotionally expressive

group conformity

individauls are compliant with the group’s goals, even when the group’s goals may be in direct contrast to the individual’s goal

• invididuals attempt to fit in and be accepted by the group

• will often participate in behaviors they normally wouldnt

network

used to describe the observable patterns of social realtions among individuals or gorups

• patterns of relationshipo can be determined by mapping the ineteractions be tween individual units

network redundancy

overlapping connectinos with the same individual network

Immediate networks

networks that are dense with strong ties

• friends

distant networks

networks that are looser and contain weaker ties

• acquaintances

Organizations

entities that are set up to achieve specific goals and are characterized by having a structure and a culture

formal organiations

organizations that continue despite the departure of an individual member

• have expressed goals

• enforcement procedures tthat seek to control the acitiviteis of their memebres

• characterized by hierarchical allotment of of formal roles or duteis

characterisitc instituion

basic orgnaization of society

• in modern times, contains a bureaucratic elemnt

bureacracy

a rational system of policitcal organization, administration, discipline. and control

Six characterisitscs

1. paid, nonelected officials w/ fixed salary

2. offcials who are privded rights and privileges as a result of holding office

3. regular salary increases

4. seniority rights

5. promotions upon passing exxams or milestones

6. officials who enter the orgnaization byholding an advanced degree or training

iron law of oligarchy

states that democratic or bureaucratic systems naturally shift to being ruled by an elite group

Mcdonaldization

commonly used to refer to a shift in focus toward efficieny, predictability, calcuability, and control in societies

self-presentation

the process of displaying oneself to sociy through culturally accepted behaviors

basic model of emotionial expression

stated that emotioal expression involves a number of components

• facial expressions

• behaviors

• postures

• vocal changes

• physiological disorders

Darwin believes expression is consistent with his theories of evolution

appraisal model

accepts that there are biologically predetermined expressions once an emoiton is experienced, but that there is a cognitive antecedent to emotional expressoin

social construction model

assumes that there is no biological basis for emotions

• emoitions are based on experiences and the sitiuational context alone

• certian emotions can only exist wihtin social encounters and that emoitions are expressed differently

display rules

cultural expectations of emotions

• govern which emotions can be expressed and to what degree

• differe as result of culture, gender etc.

cultural syndrome

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

• influence the rules for expressing or suppressing emotions

• can even influence the ways emotions are experienced

impression management

refers to our attempts to influence how others perceive us

• done through regulation or contorlling of information in social interactions

• 3 selves

  • ideal: who we would like to be

  • authentic: who we acutally are

  • tactical: who we market to be

dramaturgial approach

uses metaphor of theatrical performance to descibre how individuals create images of themselves in various situations

• front stage

• back stage

front stage

where the actor is in front of the audience and performs according to the role, script, and setting

back stage

where the actor is not being observed by an audience and is free to act in ways that may not be congruent with his desired public image

• do not have to worry about ruining the performance

communication

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

• is the foundation of socsial interaction and is often used to elicit changes, generate actoin, create understanding, share a point of view etc.

• verbal or nonverbal

verbal communication

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

• tied to nonverbal communication and is often dependent on nonverbal cues for the receiver to understand the sender’s full meaning

nonverbal communication

refers to how people communicate, intentionally or unintentionally, without words

animal communication

defined as any behavior of one animal that affects the behavior of another