Psychology Chapter 11 & 12: Aggression and Group Dynamics

Chapter Eleven: Aggression and Violence

• Aggression: Defining aggression, four types of aggressive behaviors (examples needed), relationship between aggression and testosterone, socioeconomic status' effect on this relationship, how females and males express aggression, and the Robber's Cave study (Sherif et al., 1961).
• Culture of honor: Relationship between aggression and the culture of honor. Effect of violent video games on behavior and perceptions of violence. Correlation between gun ownership rates and homicide rates.
• Kitty Genovese case: Understanding the Kitty Genovese case, the explanation for the inaction of bystanders, defining altruism, evolutionary basis of altruism, likelihood of helping in urban vs. rural areas.

Chapter Twelve: Group Dynamics

• Group dynamics: Understanding the evolutionary basis for group living, how group dynamics play out in computer simulations, how minority groups influence majority groups.
• Groupthink: Defining groupthink. Examples. Characteristics promoting groupthink. Strategies to reduce/prevent groupthink.
• Social facilitation: Defining social facilitation, including an example.
• Deindividuation: Defining deindividuation, including an example. Reasoning for poor decisions made by highly competent group members.
• Conformity: Defining conformity, compliance, and obedience. Understanding the differences between conformity and compliance, including the Asch study (line lengths)
• Social Networks: Understanding social networks, including concepts like cliques and bridges.

Chapter Thirteen: Prejudice, Stereotypes, and Discrimination

• Prejudice, Stereotypes, & Discrimination: Defining, providing examples, and differentiating between prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination.
• Personality traits & prejudice: Most commonly associated personality traits with prejudiced attitudes.
• Level of action descriptions: Explanation and examples of how prejudiced individuals might interpret behaviors.
• Stereotype threat: Define and provide examples.
• Stereotype-behavior confirmation: Define and provide examples.
• Subtyping: Define and provide examples.
• In-group/out-group dynamics: Defining out-group homogeneity, in-group heterogeneity, out-group derogation.
• Reducing bias: Definition of superordinate goals, their role in reducing bias (like the Robber's Cave study), cross-cutting identities, broaden-and-build hypothesis.

Chapter Fourteen: Social Dilemma Games

• Social dilemma games: Predictors of cooperation vs. defection, Ultimatum game, public goods game, impact of sanctions.
• Belief in a just world: Description and example of just world belief. Effect on perceptions of contributions & rewards in group settings.
• Moral dilemmas: Defining moral dilemmas, Kohlberg's approach to moral dilemmas, 5 fundamental values according to Haidt. Difference in value sensitivity between political groups in the US. Ego-defense mechanism discussion and possible causes.
• Moral hypocrisy: Definition and factors influencing greater instances of moral hypocrisy.

Chapter Fifteen: Justice System

• Justice System: Impact of capital punishment on homicide rates, influence of eyewitness testimony, own-race bias, false memory syndrome, interrogation processes and bias.
• Juror decision making: Factors important in jurors' decisions (guilty/not guilty).
• Authority figures & persuasion: Impact of authority figures on judgements and conclusions about guilt or innocence (e.g., Rodney King case).
• Subjective Well-Being: Stress impacting well-being, defining mindfulness and impact on well-being.
• Computer Simulations: Potential outcomes and patterns of norms/values from computer simulations of social change. Conditions under which minorities can influence majorities.