Social Cognition
Define social cognition
how people store and interpret social information and apply that information in social settings
Explain bystander effect
The tendency where people are more likely to help a person out when no one is present, but less likely to help when there are more people around.
define social influence
the process in which others shape our thoughts attitudes and behaviors
What are social cues? name at least 3
social cues are signals people send and receive in social situations. ex. facial expressions, body language, physical attractiveness, personal space, vocal tone
Finish this hamilton lyric: Yo, he'd have you all unravel at the sound of screams but the
Revolution is comin' the have-nots are gonna win this It's hard to listen to you with a straight face
Explain stereotypes and what they lead to
Stereotypes are generalizations about a group's characteristics that does not consider individuality and is often inaccurate and misleading. This can lead to halo effect, halo effect, self fulfilling prophecies
Explain aggression, what are the two types of aggression? give examples of each type
social behavior with the intention to harm, intimidate or distress others.
physical - beating, hitting, inflicting pain on others
verbal! name-calling, mocking, yelling, spreading rumors
What is deindividuation? How does it arise? Give an example
deindividuation is when individuals act differently in a group than they would alone. It arises when anonymity reduces personal accountability leading individuals to adopt a group’s mentality as their own even if it could go against their own morals.
Squinkalysquarf, kinfa, chilka, mishdae, fooshi
What is fundamental attribution error?
a cognitive bias where the observer overemphasizes internal traits while underestimating external traits.
Define stereotype threat, give examples
Stereotype threat is when individuals fear their actions or behaviors will confirm negative stereotypes of the group that they belong to.
What is prosocial behavior? Name and explain the three motives behind prosocial behaviors.
prosocial behaviors are actions or behaviors that help or benefit another person
altruism - selfless motives, helping others to benefit others interests and not your own.
egoism - the act of helping others driven by self interest or welfare.
reciprocity - the act of helping others out to receive something in return
Explain the difference between conformity, compliance and obedience
conformity - follow the group to fit in
obedience - follow authoritative figures out of fear of punishment
compliance - follow requests out of your own volitionExplain self objectification
when individuals view themselves as objects to be evaluated based on their physical appearance rather than a whole person with thoughts, feelings and intrinsic value.
Define heuristics, give an example
heuristics are mental shortcuts that allow us to make decisions and solve problems efficiently and rapidly based on information that is readily available in our memory
Name two persuasion techniques and use them to convince me to give you points.
Foot in the door - small request to bigger requests
Door in the face - larger request to smaller requestsWhat elements play crucial roles in prosocial behaviors?
mood - doing something positive can be a great mood booster
empathy - able to understand other people’s feelings, act out of genuine concern about other people’s well being
gender - stereotypes on gender
social media - can promote aggressive behavior
bystander effect - people are less likely to help a person when other people are present and more likely to help when there is no one around.
why do we conform?
informational social influence - we have a desire to be right, we look to experts to gain more information, we tend to assume the majority is right
normative social influence - we want other people to like and accept us
What factors influence aggression?
biological factors - hormones
neurobiological factors - damage/abnormalities in the frontal lobe
environmental factors - childhood, how you were raised
aversive circumstances - physical pain, uncomfortable situations
media influence - violence in media
cultural variation- violence may be considered a positive trait in some cultures
How do you resist persuasion? explain.
Attitude inoculation which is when you expose yourselves to weaker arguments to build up resistance to persuasion and to practice counter arguments.
Chris and his team are assigned a project. Chris is in charge of marketing this project to the masses. Once the project is published, it doesn't gain much traction but manages to win a prize for innovation. Chris blames the failure of the project on the rain and Amy, who was in charge of graphic design and claims that they won the prize due to his innovative marketing strategies. Amy thinks the project failed because Chris was lazy and didn't work hard enough. Which two biases were shown in this stuation? If internal and external attribution is at play, describe each type of attribution and the role in which they play in this scenario.
Action-Observer bias - Chris (actor) blames external factors (the rain) while Amy (observer) blames internal factors ( Chris being lazy )
Self serving bias - Chris takes credit for winning the prize but puts blames their failures on Amy and other uncontrollable factors
How does altruism correspond with aggression?
Altruism within groups can lead to aggression against another. Similar to in war, when a person side sacrifices and harms people from the other group to protect those n their own.
Explain the three concepts in group decision making
Risky shift - the tendency to make riskier decisions when in a group due to decreased personal accountability.
Group polarization - the tendency for individuals in a group to adopt a more extreme position after discussing a topic
Groupthink - when the desire for harmony in a group leads to poor decision makingwhat is social contagion?
the tendency people have to mimic the behaviors, feelings and thoughts of those around them. These behaviors often spread unconsciously through observation rather than direct communication.
social facilitation - the improvement of an individual’s performance due to the presence of others
social loafing - the tendency where individuals put less effort into a task when they are in a group