psych sociocultural paper 1 sec b

Social Identity Theory (Pep Rallies)

ID:

• Tajfel et al (1971) argues that people derive part of their identity from the social groups to which they belong.

• People categorize themselves and others into in-groups and out-groups, often showing favoritism toward their own group in order to enhance self-esteem.

• In the context of pep rallies, students may develop a stronger sense of belonging and loyalty toward their school team while viewing rival teams more negatively.

EE 1:

• Strengthens identification with their school team through chants, school colors, and group activities.

• According to SIT, stronger identification with an in-group can increase feelings of belonging and self-esteem.

• As a result, students may become more emotionally connected and loyal to their team.

EE 2:

• Creates a distinction between the in-group and the rival out-group by encouraging students to mock or criticize opposing teams.

• SIT suggests that comparing one’s group favorably against another group can enhance positive feelings toward the in-group.

• This may make students feel more united and supportive of their own school.

EE 3:

• May also increase conformity and cooperation among students because individuals often adopt the norms and behaviors of their in-group.

• Students may feel pressure to support their team enthusiastically in order to fit in with the larger group.

• This can strengthen school unity and make the pep rally more effective in building team spirit.

Cognitive Dissonance (Denzel Driving)

ID:

• CDT Festinger (1957) states that people experience psychological discomfort when they hold conflicting beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors.

• Individuals are motivated to reduce this discomfort by changing their attitudes, behaviors, or by rationalizing the inconsistency.

• In Denzel’s case, his environmental values may conflict with his desire to drive a car.

EE 1:

• Denzel strongly values environmental protection because of his involvement in the Eco Club and his CAS project.

• However, driving a car contributes to pollution and may conflict with his pro-environmental attitudes.

• This contradiction may create cognitive dissonance and psychological discomfort.

EE 2:

• To reduce dissonance, Denzel may change his thinking about driving by justifying his behavior.

• For example, he may tell himself that buying a used car is more environmentally friendly than buying a new one.

• He may also argue that he needs a car for independence or convenience.

EE 3:

• Over time, Denzel may reduce cognitive dissonance by changing either his attitudes or behaviors to make them more consistent.

• For example, he may become less critical of driving or focus more on the practical benefits of owning a car.

• Alternatively, he may try to reduce dissonance by limiting how often he drives or choosing a more environmentally friendly vehicle.

Compliance Technique (Recycling)

ID

• A strategy used to increase the likelihood that a person will agree to a request.

• One example is the foot-in-the-door technique, where a person first agrees to a small request before being asked to comply with a larger one.

• This technique works because people often want to appear consistent in their attitudes and behaviors.

EE 1:

• The school could first ask students to complete a small action, such as signing a pledge to support recycling.

• Because this request is simple and easy to agree to, many students would likely comply.

• This creates an initial commitment to environmentally friendly behavior.

EE 2:

• After students agree to the smaller request, the school could ask them to regularly sort their trash into recycling bins.

• According to the foot-in-the-door technique, students may feel motivated to behave consistently with their earlier commitment.

• As a result, they may be more likely to recycle at school.

EE 3:

• Using the foot-in-the-door technique may gradually change students’ attitudes toward recycling over time.

• Once students repeatedly engage in recycling behaviors, they may begin to see themselves as environmentally responsible individuals.

• This could increase long-term participation in recycling programs at school.

Emic Approach (Spain to Japan)

ID

• Research method in cross-cultural psychology that studies behavior from within a specific culture.

• Researchers attempt to understand how people in that culture interpret their own experiences, values, and behaviors.

• This approach aims to avoid cultural bias by allowing concepts and meanings to emerge from the participants themselves.

EE1

• Sophia’s hypothesis could be tested by interviewing Japanese participants about their understanding of morality and ethical behavior.

• Researchers could ask open-ended questions about what participants consider right or wrong in different situations.

• This would allow culturally specific views of morality to emerge naturally from the participants.

EE2

• Researchers could also use semi-structured interviews to explore how cultural traditions, education, and family influence moral reasoning in Japan.

• Because the emic approach focuses on insider perspectives, researchers would avoid imposing Western ideas of morality onto participants.

• This may lead to a more accurate understanding of Japanese moral values.

EE3

• Observing participants in Japanese schools or communities.

• By observing how people interact in situations involving authority, cooperation, or conflict, researchers could examine how cultural values influence moral behavior in everyday life.

• This would allow Sofie to understand morality from the perspective of the culture being studied rather than applying outside assumptions.

Etic Approach (Parenting)

ID

• Research method in cross-cultural psychology that studies behavior using the same concepts and methods across different cultures.

• Researchers apply standardized measurements so they can compare behaviors between cultural groups.

• The aim of the etic approach is often to identify universal patterns of human behavior.

EE1

• Researchers in the study use the same questionnaires and behavioral categories in every culture they investigate.

• This standardization allows them to directly compare parenting practices across different countries.

• As a result, researchers may identify similarities and differences between cultures more easily.

EE2

• The etic approach can help psychologists identify behaviors that may be universal across cultures.

• For example, researchers may discover parenting behaviors that are common in many societies despite cultural differences.

• This can contribute to the development of broader psychological theories about human behavior.

EE3

• However, some psychologists argue that the etic approach may overlook important cultural meanings and values.

• Behaviors that appear similar across cultures may actually have very different interpretations within each society.

• As a result, researchers may oversimplify complex cultural behaviors when using standardized methods.

Conformity (Smoke Experiment)

ID

• Occurs when individuals change their behavior or beliefs in order to match the behavior of a group.

• People may conform because they want to fit in with others or because they believe the group knows the correct way to behave.

• Conformity is often influenced by social pressure and group norms.

EE1

• In the experiment, the participant observed that none of the confederates reacted to the smoke or fire alarm.

• Because everyone else remained calm, the participant may have assumed that the situation was not dangerous.

• This demonstrates informational social influence, where people look to others for guidance in uncertain situations.

EE2

• The participant may also have conformed because they did not want to appear foolish or overreact in front of the group.

• Since the confederates continued filling out the survey calmly, the participant may have felt pressure to behave similarly.

• This reflects normative social influence, where individuals conform to gain social acceptance or avoid embarrassment.

EE3

• The presence of the confederates created a group norm that ignoring the smoke was acceptable behavior.

• As a result, the participant may have suppressed their own concerns in order to align with the group’s actions.

• This shows how conformity can influence decision-making even in potentially dangerous situations.

Accultration (Immigrant Students)

ID

• Refers to the process of cultural and psychological change that occurs when individuals come into contact with a new culture.

• Berry proposed a model of acculturation that includes integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization.

• The model explains how individuals balance maintaining their heritage culture with adapting to the host culture.

EE1

• The immigrant students in the scenario maintain strong connections to their heritage culture and adopt very few norms from Canadian culture.

• According to Berry’s model, this pattern is known as separation.

• Separation occurs when individuals preserve their original culture while limiting interaction with the host culture.

EE2

• Because the students are not strongly engaging with the host culture, they may struggle to participate in school activities and social relationships.

• This lack of interaction may increase feelings of isolation and acculturative stress.

• As a result, integration into the school community may become more difficult.

EE3

• Berry’s model suggests that integration is usually associated with the most positive psychological outcomes because individuals maintain their heritage culture while also participating in the host culture.

• However, the students in this scenario appear less likely to integrate due to their limited adoption of Canadian cultural norms.

• This may negatively affect both their well-being and adjustment at school.

Social Learning Theory (Empathy)

ID

• SLT proposed by Bandura, states that people learn behavior through observing and imitating others.

• The theory emphasizes the importance of role models, observation, imitation, and reinforcement in the learning process.

• According to the theory, children are more likely to copy behaviors that they see being rewarded.

EE1

• Teachers and older students could model empathetic and prosocial behaviors within the school environment.

• For example, they could demonstrate helping behaviors, kindness, and respectful communication during everyday interactions.

• Children observing these behaviors may learn to imitate them.

EE2

• The school could also reinforce prosocial behavior by rewarding students who demonstrate empathy and cooperation.

• Positive reinforcement, such as praise or recognition, may increase the likelihood that students repeat these behaviors.

• Over time, empathy may become a stronger social norm within the school.

EE3

• The school could create peer mentoring programs where older students regularly demonstrate supportive and empathetic behavior toward younger students.

• By observing these positive interactions, younger students may imitate the same prosocial behaviors in their own relationships.

• This shows how observational learning can be used to encourage empathy within the school environment.