Questions and Answers
What is the study of how people influence others' behavior, beliefs, and attitudes called?
What is the natural tendency of humans in terms of interpersonal networks?
To form large interpersonal networks
Social influence processes are generally maladaptive.
False
What does social comparison theory involve?
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What phenomenon describes a contagious outbreak of irrational behavior?
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What is social facilitation?
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The concept of choking while performing due to fear of failure or pressure from others is called _____.
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The fundamental attribution error causes individuals to underestimate situational influences on others' behavior.
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What tendency involves people altering their behavior due to group pressure?
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What type of social influence drives people toward the average attitudes and behaviors of their group?
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What effect does wearing masks have on individuals in terms of behavior?
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What is groupthink?
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What is the tendency for group discussions to reinforce the dominant positions of members called?
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Cults discourage questioning of assumptions.
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The inoculation effect helps resist cult influences by presenting _____ and debunking them.
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Study Notes
Social Psychology Overview
- Social psychology studies how individuals impact and are influenced by the behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes of others.
- There is a common belief that others are more susceptible to social influence than oneself.
Humans as a Social Species
- Humans have a natural inclination to form large interpersonal networks, typically around 150 people.
- The need-to-belong theory emphasizes the biological necessity of interpersonal connections, making isolation or rejection emotionally painful.
- While social influence processes can be beneficial, they may become negative when unexamined or unquestioned.
Key Theories and Concepts
- Social comparison theory suggests individuals assess their abilities and beliefs by comparing them to others, enhancing self-esteem through social comparisons with peers.
- Social contagion can lead to mass hysteria, which involves the spread of irrational behavior, exemplified by phenomena like UFO outbreaks and urban legends.
Performance Dynamics
- Social facilitation indicates that the presence of others can improve performance (e.g., in competitive situations like cycling).
- Social disruption refers to the tendency to underperform due to anxiety or fear of failure, exacerbated by the presence of an audience.
Attribution and Behavior
- The fundamental attribution error describes the tendency to overemphasize personal characteristics while downplaying situational factors affecting others’ behaviors.
- Cultural differences exist in attribution styles; collectivist cultures, like those in Japan and China, often avoid this bias.
Mimicry and Behavioral Influence
- Humans naturally mimic others' behaviors (e.g., laughter, yawning), which can have both positive and negative repercussions, including the phenomenon of copycat actions.
Conformity and Social Norms
- Conformity is the adjustment of one's behavior to align with group norms, heavily influenced by factors such as group size and unanimity of opinion.
- Normative social influence drives individuals toward conforming to group attitudes and behaviors to avoid social rejection or conflict.
Group Dynamics
- Deindividuation occurs when individuals engage in atypical behaviors due to a loss of personal identity and reduced accountability, often leading to heightened conformity to group norms.
- Groupthink leads to poor decision-making in groups due to a focus on consensus over critical analysis, manifesting symptoms such as an illusion of invulnerability and pressure to conform.
Group Polarization and Cults
- Group polarization intensifies existing views through discussions, making individuals more entrenched in their beliefs (liberals reading liberal texts, conservatives reading conservative ones).
- Cults display extreme devotion to a cause, facilitating groupthink by employing persuasive leadership, isolation, discouragement of questioning, and gradual indoctrination.
- The inoculation effect can counter cult influence by initially exposing individuals to weak arguments against their beliefs, allowing them to strengthen their views against future challenges.
Myths and Misconceptions
- There are misconceptions about cult members, which often label them as emotionally disturbed, leading to stereotypes that can be untrue or overly simplistic.
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Description
Dive into the fundamentals of social psychology with these flashcards from Chapter 13. Explore how people's behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes are influenced by others around them. Understand key concepts such as the innate human need for social connections and the underlying theories that shape our social interactions.
