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Questions and Answers
What is the bystander effect?
Which statement best describes the spiral of silence?
According to the trickle-down theory, how do lower-status groups respond to new descriptive norms?
Which statement is true regarding the dynamics of group distinction?
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What occurs when lower-status groups adopt the descriptive norms of higher-status groups?
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What distinguishes an injunctive norm from a social norm?
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Which component is critical for understanding compliance with social norms according to social control theory?
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What are perceived sanctions and expected approval considered in social control theory?
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How do internalized norms differ from social norms?
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Which of the following best describes a social sanction?
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Why might social approval be ineffective in encouraging adherence to group norms?
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What role does expected monitoring play in social control theory?
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What characterizes an internalized norm?
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What does internal sanction primarily result from?
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How do moral norms and values typically affect behavior?
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What is the dominant strategy in a cooperation problem?
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What characterizes a coordination problem?
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What is cultural inertia?
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What is an example of pluralistic ignorance?
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What defines a legal norm?
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Which of the following is NOT a reason for cultural maladaptation?
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Study Notes
What are Social Norms?
- Social norms are informal rules that guide behavior within a group.
- Injunctive norms specify what people should or should not do.
Social Control Theory
- Social control theory explains why people adhere to social norms. People are deterred from deviating because of potential social sanctions.
- Social sanctions are punishments for violating social norms. They are imposed by other members of the group (third parties).
- Monitoring is key. People are more likely to conform to social norms when their behavior is closely observed by others.
- Social approval is a reward for conforming to social norms and it can be just as powerful as social sanctions.
Internalized Norms
- Internalized norms are deeply ingrained moral values that become part of a person's personal preferences.
- Internal sanctions, like guilt and shame, result from violating internalized norms.
- Internalized norms often become part of an individual's habitus, which are behavioral dispositions based on their beliefs, values, and cultural scripts.
Legal norms
- Legal norms are formalized rules that specify what people should and should not do.
- Formal sanctions are punishments for violating legal norms.
- The likelihood of conforming to legal norms increases with the severity of expected legal sanctions.
Why Do Norms Emerge?
- Norms emerge to solve collective problems like:
- Cooperation problems, where individual self-interest can lead to negative consequences for the group
- Coordination problems, where individuals want to do the same thing but are uncertain about how others will act.
- Descriptive norms specify what people are typically expected to do.
Cultural Maladaptation and Norm Change
- Unpopular norms do not effectively address collective problems.
- Cultural maladaptation occurs when norms and beliefs no longer fit the social environment.
- Two key factors contributing to cultural maladaptation:
- Cultural inertia, which is the time lag between changing social conditions and the adoption of new norms
- Pluralistic ignorance, where a majority privately reject a norm but incorrectly believe others support it. Examples include the bystander effect, where people are less likely to help in a crisis when other bystanders are present and the spiral of silence, where people are less likely to express their views if they believe they are in the minority.
The Dynamics of Group Distinction
- Trickle-down theory explains how norms evolve within hierarchical social groups.
- Higher status groups establish new descriptive norms to differentiate themselves.
- Lower status groups imitate these norms as a way to associate themselves with higher status groups.
- This cycle perpetuates the creation of new norms within society.
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Description
Explore the concepts of social norms and the mechanisms of social control theory. Learn about injunctive norms, social sanctions, and the role of monitoring and internalized norms in guiding behavior. This quiz will test your understanding of how social groups influence individual actions.
