Social Psychology: Chapter 8-10 Review

Group

Two or more people who for longer than a few moments, interact with and influence each other and perceive one another as "we" or "us"

Reasons for Groups:

• Need to affiliate
• Need to achieve
• Need for social identity

Functions of Groups:

• Belonging
• Intimacy
• Generativity
• Support
• Influence
• Exploration

Belonging

To be included in an interpersonal network, providing members with sense of inclusion and security

Intimacy

To be in proximity, for warm, supportive, loving relationships with others

Generativity

To be more productive and efficient than as a member than as an individual, accomplishing tasks that could not be completed alone

Support

To be aided with minor/major life crisis by providing assistance, emotional and tangible resources

Influence

To exercise and apply social power and __, offering individuals the means to __ greater numbers of individuals

Exploration

To be provided with information, new ideas and new experiences, providing opportunities for learning

Social Facilitation

Strengthening of dominant responses in presence of others, boosting performance on easy tasks and well learned tasks

EX) Home Court Advantage

Social Loafing

People exerting less effort when they pool their efforts towards a common goal than when they're individually accountable

Causes of Social Loafing:

• Diffusion of responsibility
• Reduced evaluation apprehension

Deindividuation

Loss of self awareness; a self conscious state in which attention focuses on oneself and makes people more sensitive to their own attitudes and dispositions

Risky Shift Phenomena

AKA Group Polarization; enhancement of members' preexisting tendencies, a strengthening of member's average tendency

Explaining Polarization:

• Informational Influence
• Normative Influence
• Pluralistic Ignorance

GroupThink

Consensus in group decisions that suppresses dissent in the interest of group harmony

*CAUSES of GroupThink:

• Cohesion of the group
• Isolation of group from dissenting viewpoints
• Directive leader/Dictative leader
• Decision stress

*SYMPTOMS of GroupThink

• Illusion of invulnerability
• Strong belief in group's morality
• Rationalization
• Group has stereotyped view of opponent
• Conformity pressure
• Self censorship
• Illusion of unamity
• Mind guards

Difference between Self Censorship and Mind Guards:

Self Censorship is not saying your opinion because it doesn't align with the group. Mind Guards are people who knowingly withhold information that could add to or dissuade the argument.

Ways to prevent GroupThink:

• Appointing a Devil's Advocate
• Impartiality
• Encourage critical evaluation
• Occasionally divide the group, then reunite to air differences
• Welcome input from outside experts
• Call a second-chance meeting

Influences of the Minority are strongest when:

• Consistency in presentation of the message
• Self confidence in message
• Defections from the majority

Task Leaders

Organize work, set standards, focus on goals

Social Leaders

Delegate authority, encouraging input from the group

Transformational Leaders

Inspires followers at a deep personal level; charisma

Group Privilege

Unearned, favored, State acquired power by a group or groups in a society

Prejudice equals __

Attitude

Stereotypes equals __

Beliefs

Discrimination equals __

Behavior

Sexism

Social attitudes and discrimination towards people of a given sex

Racism

Social attitudes and discriminatory Behavior people of a given race

In-group Favoritism Phenomenon

Develops socially to where we have favoritism to the group you are assigned without any other connections

Social Dominance Orientation

Motivation to have one's group dominate other social groups

Socialization

Values and attitudes learned from family and culture

Scapegoat Theory (Displaced Aggression)

Taking anger and frustration out on the cause of the frustration if possible and if unsuccessful displacing that anger towards a less-threatening target, like minorities

Realistic Group Conflict Theory

Prejudice arises from groups competing for scarce resources

Social Identity Theory

Feeling superior to others

In-group Bias

Favor towards one's own group

Out-group Homogeneity Effect

View out-group members as more similar to one another than in group members

Just-world Phenomenon

Belief people get what they deserve and deserve what they get, contributes to victim-blaming

Stereotype Threat

Proposition that stigmatized group members are aware that they are stereotyped and when in achievement settings they fear confirming those stereotypes

Aggression

Physical and/or verbal behaviors intended to cause harm

Biological Theories of Aggression:

Genetic Factors
Instinct Theory
Neural Influences
Biochem Influences

Media Impact on Aggressive Behavior:

Distorts perceptions of sexual reality
Increases aggression against women
Desensitizes us to violence
Provides a social script
Alters perception of the world
Cognitive priming of aggression
Disinhibits viewers
Increased arousal
Decrease prosocial behavior
Decrease empathy/helping

Group Contexts Enabling Aggression:

Diffusion of responsibility
Polarization
Social Identity
Reduced inhibition
Less self awareness
Less evaluation apprehension

Predictors of Aggressive Behavior:

Male
Aggressive prone personality
Alcohol use
Violence viewing
Anonymity
Provocation
Presence of weapons
Group interaction

Weapons Effect

The mere presence of weapons increases aggressive thoughts and behaviors

Aggression Cues

Typically a physical object or context associated with aggressive acts that by existing increases violent thoughts/behaviors

Catharsis

Acting aggressively or even viewing aggression is an effective way to purge angry and aggressive feelings

Social Learning Approach

Suggests that social behavior is learned by observing and imitating the behavior of others