PSY 1.9 Social Interaction

status

a perceived position in society used to classify individuals.

ascribed status 

status the person is borned with

is involuntarily assigned to an individual based on race, ethnicity, gender, family background, and so on.

achieved status

gained

voluntarily earned by an individual

master status 

status by which an individual is primarily identified. 

role

 a set of beliefs, values, and norms that define the expectations of a certain status in a social situation. 

Role performance

refers to carrying out the behaviors of a given role.

can change depending on the social situation and context of the interaction

role partner

is a person with whom one is interacting who helps define the roles within the relationship.

eg nurses, NOK

role set

contains all of the different roles associated with a status.

role conflict

occurs when one has difficulty in satisfying the requirements of multiple roles simultaneously

role strain

occurs when one has difficulty satisfying multiple requirements of the same role simultaneously. 

role exit

dropping of one identity for another

groups

are made up of two or more individuals with similar characteristics that share a sense of unity

Common characteristics shared by social groups include values, interests, ethnicity, social background, family ties, and political representation.

dyad

2 people

triad

3 people

as group size increases, intimacy decreases, stability increases

peer group

is a self-selected group formed around similar interests, ages, or statuses.

family group

 is the group into which an individual is born, adopted, or married. 

in group

is a social group with which a person experiences a sense of belonging or identifies as a member.

out group

is a social group with which an individual does not identify. 

group conflict

occurs when an out-group competes with or opposes an in- group. 

reference group

is a group to which individuals compare themselves.

primary groups

are those that contain strong, emotional bonds.

secondary groups

are often temporary and contain fewer emotional bonds and weaker bonds overall. 

Gemeinschaft (community) 

is a group unified by feelings of togetherness due to shared beliefs, ancestry, or geography.

eg families and neighbourhoods

Gesellschaft (society)

is a group unified by mutual self-interests in achieving a goal. 

eg companies

interaction process analysis

technique for observing, classifying, and measuring the interactions within small groups.

later revised to SYMLOG

system for multiple level observation of groups (SYMLOG)

based on the belief that there are three fundamental dimensions of interaction:

• dominance vs. submission

• friendliness vs. unfriendliness

• instrumentally controlled vs. emotionally expressive.

group conformity

individuals are compliant with the group’s goals, even when the group’s goals may be in direct contrast to the individual’s goal. Individuals conform in an attempt to fit in and be accepted by the group.

Individuals will often participate in behaviors they normally would not.

groupthink

occurs when members begin to conform to one another’s views without critical evaluation.

network

is an observable pattern of social relationships between individuals or groups.

network redundancy

overlapping connections with the same individual

immediate networks

are dense with strong ties

eg friends

distant networks

are looser and contain weaker ties

eg aquintances

organisation

are bodies of people (complex secondary groups) with a structure and culture designed to achieve specific goals. 

formal organisation

developed during the Industrial Revolution as a way to maximize efficiency

derives from the explicit goals that guide the members and their activities.

these organizations are characterized by the hierarchical allotment of formal roles or duties to members.

characteristic institution

are mechanisms or patterns of social order focused on meeting social needs, such as government, economy, education, family, healthcare, and religion

bureaucracy

rational system of political organization, administration, discipline, and control.

iron law of oligarchy

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

Mcdonalisation

refer to a shift in focus toward efficiency, predictability, calculability, and control in societal practices

basic model of emotional expression

Charles Darwin

states that there are universal emotions, along with corresponding expressions that can be understood across cultures.

emotional expression involves a number of components: facial expressions, behaviors, postures, vocal changes, and physiological changes.

linkto univeral emotional by Paul Ekman

appraisal model

accepts that there are biologically predetermined expressions once an emotion is experienced, but that there is a cognitive antecedent to emotional expression.

social construction model

states that emotions are solely based on the situational context of social interactions. 

states that there are no biological basis for emotions

In this model, one must be familiar with social norms for a certain emotion to perform the corresponding emotional behaviors in a given social situation.

display rules

are unspoken rules that govern the expression of emotion.

govern which emotions can be expressed and to what degree. They may differ as a function of the culture, gender, or family background of an individual.

cultural syndrome

is a shared set of beliefs, norms, values, and behaviors organized around a central theme, as is found among people sharing the same language and geography.

influence the rules for expressing or suppressing emotions and can even influence the ways emotions are experienced

impression management

our attempts to influence how others perceive us.

include self presentation

authentic self

describes who the person actually is, including both positive and negative attributes.

ideal self

refers to who we would like to be under optimal circumstances.

tactical self

refers to who we market ourselves to be when we adhere to others’ expectations of us.

self disclosure

is sharing factual information.

managing appearances

refers to using props, appearance, emotional expression, or associations to create a positive image.

ingratiation

 is using flattery or conformity to win over someone else. 

aligning actions

the use of excuses to account for questionable behavior.

alter casting

is imposing an identity onto another person. 

dramaturgical approach

Erving Goffman

says that individuals create images of themselves in the same way that actors perform a role in front of an audience. 

front stage

is where individuals are seen by the audience and where they strive to preserve their desired image.

back stage

is where individuals are not in front of an audience and where they are free to act outside of their desired image. 

self

Herbet Mead

• me is the socialized self. It represents how we learn to behave based on societal expectations and the perspectives of others. It develops through interactions with people and learning what is considered appropriate

• generalised other refers to the collective expectations and norms of society. When we consider how others expect us to act, we are engaging with the generalized other, which helps shape our Me.

• I is the spontaneous, individual part of the self. It consists of personal impulses and actions that are not entirely dictated by society.

how does Me shape I ?

"Me" provides the structure and guidance that influence the "I." This means that even our most personal choices and actions are shaped by our awareness of societal expectations.

• A child may want to scream when frustrated (I), but over time, they learn that it’s not socially acceptable, so they regulate their response (Me shaping the I).

verbal communication

is the conveyance of information through spoken, written, or signed words.

non verbal communication

is the conveyance of information by means other than the use of words, such as body language, prosody, facial expressions, and gestures.

animal communication

 takes place not only between nonhuman animals, but between humans and other animals as well. Animals use body language, rudimentary facial expressions, visual displays, scents, and vocalizations to communicate.