Social Psychology Part 2 Quiz

Social Psychology Part 2

• Social psychology's part 2 covers social norms, social roles, social identity, in-groups and out-groups, the Robbers Cave Experiment, Stereotypes, Prejudice, Discrimination, the Stanford Prison Experiment, attributions, the fundamental attribution error, and cognitive dissonance.

Learning Outcomes

• Compare social norms and social roles
• Define stereotype, prejudice, and discrimination
• Explain in-groups and out-groups, their influence on thinking
• Discuss the fundamental attribution error and cognitive dissonance
• Outline and critique the Stanford Prison Experiment

Social Norms

• Social norms are rules about how to act
• Enforced by punishment or reward
• Accepted or ostracized
• Explicit norms: "please" and "thank you", don't ask age or weight
• Implicit norms: don't face backwards in an elevator, don't massage feet on a plane

Social Roles

• A given social position governed by rules for behavior
• Examples include parent, doctor, citizen, leader, gender roles
• Roles can vary by culture and can fluctuate (student vs. friend)

Social Identity

• Part of a person's self-concept based on groups they belong to (national, religious, cultural, ethnic)
• Identify with groups, attached emotionally to groups, influenced by the group's norms, values, and roles
• Having multiple social identities is possible

In-Groups and Out-Groups

• Social identity creates in-groups and out-groups
• In-group favoritism: being more generous with in-group members, taking credit for in-group successes, remembering more positive traits of in-group members, being less critical of in-group members

Robbers Cave Experiment

• Two groups (Eagles and Rattlers) were created at a boyscout camp
• Groups worked together on team-building projects
• Then, competed against each other, becoming very competitive and at times aggressive
• Cooperation activities (pulling a truck up a hill, watching a movie) were introduced.
• Cooperation led to positive interactions between the groups, reducing the "us vs. them" mentality, and even an increase in friendships between the groups

Stereotypes

• Can be positive or negative
• Used to predict behavior
• Can over-exaggerate group differences
• Promote confirmation bias (looking for and accepting information that agrees with existing beliefs)
• Underestimate within-group differences

Prejudice

• Generalized attitude toward a group
• Example: Dislike for New Yorkers

Discrimination

• Behaviors directed toward people based on group membership
• Example: Denying someone a job based on race or gender

Traditional vs. Modern Discrimination

• Traditional discrimination is institutionalized, like segregation or Jim Crow laws.
• Modern discrimination is covert and subtle.

Prejudice Reduction

• Contact hypothesis suggests that positive contact with out-group members reduces prejudice and stereotyping, with increased perception of out-group diversity
• Friendships with out-group members can promote empathy and perspective-taking

Stanford Prison Experiment

• Simulated prison environment in Stanford University basement
• Assigned 24 students randomly as guards or prisoners
• Prisoners wore uniforms, and numbers, while guards had specific outfits and were given power
• Guards became increasingly abusive and cruel towards prisoners over time
• Study ended early (after six days) because of the excessive mistreatment

Criticisms of the Prison Experiment

• Not ethical, because it was abusive, and not voluntary
• Selection bias - participants were likely to behave in the way that they were expected to
• Demand characteristics–participants tried to fulfill the role they were given
• Only a fraction of guards were cruel, so the experiment did not entirely show how a situation or role can influence behavior

Attributions

• We try to explain the behavior of ourselves and others
• Situational attribution: Cause attributed to the situation
• Dispositional attribution:Cause is attributed to the personality of the person

Fundamental Attribution Error

• Overestimate dispositional attributions for others and underestimate situational attributions for our self
• Self-serving bias: Choosing thoughts that make us feel good about ourselves to protect self-esteem

Cognitive Dissonance

• Occurs when attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors contradict each other
• People attempt to reduce the discomfort by changing attitudes, beliefs, or behavior, and/or rationalizing them

Confirmation Bias

• People tend to seek out and favor information that confirms their existing beliefs while dismissing information that challenges them. This bias is a means to reduce cognitive dissonance.