Psychology: Social Norms and Group Dynamics

Choose a study mode

Play Quiz
Study Flashcards
Spaced Repetition
Chat to Lesson

Podcast

Play an AI-generated podcast conversation about this lesson

Questions and Answers

Social loafing occurs when people in a group increase their individual effort.

False (B)

Which of the following is NOT a factor that reduces the likelihood of social loafing?

  • The group is composed of familiar people.
  • Individual contributions can be identified.
  • The group is working on a difficult task.
  • The task is perceived as unimportant. (correct)

The tendency to blindly follow the direction of a group is known as ______.

herd mentality

Explain the concept of 'process loss' in group settings.

<p>Process loss refers to the reduction of effort or effectiveness in groups due to factors like lack of motivation, coordination issues, or communication problems.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following social psychology concepts with their definitions:

<p>Social norms = Implicit rules about appropriate behavior within a group Mass psychogenic illness = A form of social contagion involving physical symptoms without a physical cause Minimal group paradigm = The demonstration that even minor differences between groups can lead to in-group favoritism Coordination loss = Reduced group effectiveness due to poor communication and cooperation</p> Signup and view all the answers

Gender stereotypes are always negative.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT a type of prosocial behavior?

<p>Complaining (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The ______ effect describes the situation where a person is less likely to help in an emergency when others are present.

<p>Bystander</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are two personal factors that can influence a person's likelihood of helping?

<p>Empathy, personality, mood</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following consequences of gender stereotypes to their categories:

<p>Different self-concept and presentation to others = Intra-personal Different treatment = Inter-personal Increased social pressure = Inter-personal Difficulties understanding gender roles = Intra-personal</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT a cultural factor that can influence helping behavior?

<p>Individual needs (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

When groups compete, members tend to overestimate their own group's abilities and underestimate the abilities of the opposing group.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are the two potential costs associated with helping?

<p>Time, resources, energy, or risk</p> Signup and view all the answers

People in a negative mood are always less likely to help.

<p>False (B)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Which of these factors does NOT increase conformity?

<p>Ensured privacy (C)</p> Signup and view all the answers

The phenomenon where members of a group tend to move towards more extreme opinions or decisions than their initial inclinations is called ______.

<p>group polarization</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is social categorization, and why is it a functional way to deal with the world?

<p>Social categorization is the natural cognitive process of grouping individuals based on shared characteristics. It simplifies our understanding of people by allowing us to apply general knowledge and expectations based on their group affiliation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Match the following terms with their definitions:

<p>Conformity = A tendency to follow group rules and behaviors Group Polarization = Moving towards more extreme opinions during group discussions Social Categorization = Placing individuals into groups based on shared characteristics Outgroup Homogeneity = Exaggerating similarities within a group and differences between groups</p> Signup and view all the answers

What are three common challenges associated with stereotypes?

<p>Overgeneralization, Inaccuracy, Persistence (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination?

<p>Prejudice is a preconceived judgment or evaluation based on a person's group membership, often fueled by emotions. Discrimination is the actual behavioral action taken against someone based on their perceived group affiliation.</p> Signup and view all the answers

Ingroup members are those who belong to a group you are a part of, while outgroup members belong to a group you are not a part of.

<p>True (A)</p> Signup and view all the answers

Flashcards

Social norms

Implicit social rules about how people should behave.

Herd mentality

The tendency to blindly follow the direction of your group.

Social loafing

Reduction of individual effort in group work.

Process loss

Reduction of effort due to lack of motivation in groups.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Minimal group paradigm

Minor distinctions can trigger favoritism towards one’s own group.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Conformity

The tendency of individuals to align their attitudes or behaviors with group norms.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Factors increasing conformity

Larger group size, task difficulty, and status of group members raise conformity levels.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Group polarization

When group discussion leads members to adopt more extreme opinions than their initial beliefs.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Social categorization

The cognitive process of classifying individuals into groups based on shared characteristics.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Ingroup vs Outgroup

Ingroup refers to groups we belong to, while outgroup refers to those we do not.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Prejudice

Emotional judgments about individuals based on group membership.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Discrimination

Behaviors directed at individuals due to their group membership.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Stereotypes

Overgeneralized beliefs about a group that may not reflect reality.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Gender stereotype

Simplistic beliefs about characteristics and behaviors of genders.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Positive stereotypes

Beliefs about desirable traits associated with a gender.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Negative stereotypes

Beliefs about undesirable traits associated with a gender.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Types of prosocial behavior

Acts like helping, sharing, volunteering, and donating to aid others.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Bystander Effect

People are less likely to help in emergencies when others are present.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Costs and benefits of helping

People weigh time, energy, and risk against social rewards when deciding to help.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Impact of positive mood on helping

Good mood increases likelihood of helping others for emotional enhancement.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Individual differences in prosocial behavior

Traits like empathy and agreeableness influence one's willingness to help.

Signup and view all the flashcards

Study Notes

Social Norms

  • Implicit rules guiding social behaviour
  • Herd mentality: blindly following group direction
  • Mass psychogenic illness: symptoms spread in a group without physical cause

Social Loafing

  • Reduced individual effort in group settings
  • Process loss: reduction in effort due to lack of motivation
  • Coordination loss: ineffective cooperation/communication
  • Less likely to occur when: task is challenging, individual contributions identifiable, working with known people

Minimal Group Paradigm

  • Henri Tajfel's concept
  • Even arbitrary distinctions create in-group bias
  • Favouring one's own group over others

Conformity

  • Tendency to follow group rules/behaviors
  • Factors increasing conformity: larger group size, task difficulty, higher status members in the group.
  • Conformity decreases with privacy.

Group Polarization

  • Group discussion intensifies existing opinions.
  • Extreme viewpoints develop in group decision making
  • Example: Moderately pro-feminist women become more strongly pro-feminist after discussion.

Social Categorization

  • Natural cognitive process sorting people into groups.
  • Places individuals into categories (e.g., based on appearance).
  • Influences how individuals process groups and individuals.
  • Overgeneralization occurs when characteristics of a few individuals are applied to an entire group.

Stereotyping

  • Inaccurate representation of group diversity
  • Often persists despite contrary evidence
  • Simplifies mental processing (easier)
  • Strengthens group identity (Ingroup/Outgroup)
  • Can lead to prejudice and discrimination

Prejudice

  • Emotional judgments based on group membership
  • Emotion-based evaluations about people based on group perceived membership

Discrimination

  • Actions based on perceived group membership
  • Behaviour targeted at a particular group

Gender Stereotypes

  • Beliefs about attributes, roles, and behaviours associated with each gender
  • Simplistic & inaccurate generalizations about individuals/groups
  • Influences how people perceive and treat members of each gender
  • Beliefs may relate to desirable traits for each sex

Prosocial Behavior

  • Helping, sharing, volunteering, donating
  • Influenced by situational and personal factors
  • Examples: situational factors = environment, personal factors= personality, cultural factors = cultural norms

Bystander Effect

  • Reduced likelihood of helping in emergencies when others are present
  • Diffusion of responsibility contributes to inaction

Cost-Benefit Analysis

  • Weighing costs and rewards before deciding to help.

Studying That Suits You

Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.

Quiz Team

Related Documents

More Like This

Social Psychology Study Notes
37 questions
Conformity and Social Approval
5 questions

Conformity and Social Approval

RealisticCarnelian5050 avatar
RealisticCarnelian5050
Use Quizgecko on...
Browser
Browser