Social Psychology Final

How can we reduce aggression?

-catharsis -venting anger -some expression of prejudice releases anger

How do violent video games impact the individuals who play them?

-increases arousal -increases aggressive thinking, -feelings, and behaviors decreases prosocial behaviors

How do violent video games impact the individuals who play them?

-increases arousal -increases aggressive thinking, feelings, and behaviors -decreases prosocial behaviors

Know specific current opinions about overweight people and muslims

-when seeking love and employment, overweight people slim prospects -marry less people, have less desirable jobs and make less money

How does our tendency to categorize individuals influence our perception of others? Why? Is it both a beneficial tendency and a tendency leading to prejudice/discrimination?

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Define and provide examples of 3 theories that explain prejudice and discrimination

1. Realistic group conflict theory: suggests that prejudice arises when groups compete for scarce resources -Ex: 2. Scapegoat theory: when you're life isn't going well, you want to blame it on somebody else as a scapegoat --> when you're scapegoating toward a group it forms prejudice against that group -Ex: Muslims during 9/11 3. Social identity theory: what you identify as -Ex: Obama

List, describe and give examples of 4 symptoms of groupthink

1. stereotypes of out-groups (stereotyping all Iraqis as terrorists) 2. self censorship (you know you should do something but you keep quiet) 3. illusion of unanimity (you think everyone is in agreement so you keep quiet) 4. self-appointed mind-guards (people who abide by authority even when they aren't needed to)

textbook example dealing with terrorists and 9/11

9/11 terrorists were polarized

What does displaced aggression mean? Scapegoat?

Displaced aggression: when the cause of our frustration is intimidating or unknown, we often direct our hostility Scapegoat: when you're life isn't going well, you want to blame it on somebody else as a scapegoat --> when you're scapegoating toward a group it forms prejudice against that group

How is the ABC model of attitudes reflected in prejudicial attitudes?

Explicit attitudes: you are right out there and honest Implicit attitudes: you are not aware that you hold these negative prejudgments towards a certain group

How did Freud explain aggression?

Freud speculated that human aggression springs from a self-destructive impulse --> it redirects toward others the energy of a primitive death urge

How does the frustration aggression hypothesis explain aggression?

Frustration creates a motive to aggress. Fear of punishment or disapproval for aggressing against the source of frustration may cause the aggressive drive to be displaced against some other target or even redirected against oneself

How was research on implicit attitudes been used to explain prejudice and discrimination?

In a Swedish study, a measure of implicit biases against Arab-Muslims predicted the likelihood of 193 corporate employers not interviewing applicants with Muslim names In a medical study of 287 physicians, those exhibiting the most implicit racial bias were the least likely to recommend clot-busting drugs for a Black patient described as complaining of chest pain In a study of 44 Australian drug and alcohol nurses, those displaying the most implicit bias against drug users were also the most likely, when facing job stress, to want a different job

What is prejudice? Discrimination? A stereotype?

Prejudice: a preconceived negative judgment of a group and its individual members Discrimination: unjustified negative behavior toward a group or its members Stereotype: a belief about the personal attributes of a group of people. Stereotypes are sometimes overgeneralized, inaccurate, and resistant to new information

Define and provide examples of prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination

Prejudice: a preconceived negative judgment of a group and its individual members -Ex: LIGHThouse = "cult" Discrimination: unjustified negative behavior toward a group or its members -Ex: not inviting certain people to sit at your lunch table based on the way they dress Stereotype: a belief about the personal attributes of a group of people. Stereotypes are sometimes overgeneralized, inaccurate, and resistant to new information -Ex: "all blondes are dumb"

What are the results of his famous Bobo doll study?

Those who observed the aggressive adult were many times more likely to pick up the mallet and lash out at the doll --> watching the adult's aggressive behavior lowered their inhibitions --> the children reproduced the model's specific acts and said her words --> observing aggressive behavior had both lowered their inhibitions and taught them ways to aggress

What is a stereotype threat?

a disruptive concern, when facing a negative stereotype, that one will be evaluated based on a negative stereotype. Unlike self-fulfilling prophecies that hammer one's reputation into one's self-concept, stereotype threat situations have immediate effects

What is out-group homogeneity effect?

a sense that "they" are all alike and different from "us" and "our" group

Definition of instrumental aggression?

aggression that is a means to some other end

What did Berkowitz find as it pertains to aggressive cues and its influence on aggression?

anger arises when someone who frustrates us could have chosen to act otherwise --> a frustrated person is especially likely to lash out when aggressive cues pull the cork, releasing bottled-up anger --> sometimes the cork will blow without cues --> cues associated with aggression amplify aggression

factors that reflect group think

cohesion isolation directive leader

what is group think? an example

going against your opinion even though you know better because the groups of the opinion are so strong example: being on a jury when all people are voting for one thing but you don't agree, but you go with it anyways

what is group polarization? an example

group discussion often strengthens members' initial inclinations group-produced enhancement of members' pre-existing tendencies; a strengthening of the members average tendency, not a split within the group you become stronger in your opinion example: go to a talk discussing the death penalty, and after hearing it, you feel even stronger towards the position you held beforehand

social conditions of group think

high cohesiveness, insulation of the group, lack of methodical procedures for search and appraisal, directive leadership, high stress with a low degree of hope for finding a better solution than the one favored by the leader or other influential persons

How do hormones influence aggression per the text book?

hormonal influences appear to be much stronger in lower animals than humans. But human aggressiveness does correlate with the male sex hormone, testosterone

symptoms of group think

illusion of invulnerability (we are the best, we can do no wrong), belief in morality of the group, collective rationalization (collectively telling each other why its a good thing), stereotypes of out-groups (stereotyping all Iraqis as terrorists), direct pressure on dissenters, self censorship (you know you should do something but you keep quiet), illusion of unanimity (you think everyone is in agreement so you keep quiet), self-appointed mind-guards (people who abide by authority even when they aren't needed to)

what was the Harvard Implicit Project and what is its purpose?

implicit behaviors and race prejudices

what is an in-group? Outgroup? What is in-group bias?

in-group: "us"-a group of people who share a sense of belonging, a feeling of common identity out-group: "them"-a group that people perceive as distinctively different from or apart from their in-group in-group bias: the tendency to favor one's own group

How does alcohol effect aggression?

increases aggression --> lowers your restraints

what is a mindguard?

members of the group that protect the group from information that would call into question the effectiveness or morality of its decisions -> protecting from disagreeable facts rather than physical harm

What is the impact of viewing sexually violent movies on men? On women?

men: increase men's aggression against women women: distort one's perception of how women respond to sexual coercion

According to Bandura, is there a difference on the impact of watching aggression live vs. on a screen?

no

Describe how normative and informational influence processes can help us understand group polarization

normative: social comparison --> we humans want to evaluate our opinions and abilities by comparing our view with others' (we are most persuaded by people in our reference groups) informational: we favor the dominant viewpoint --> when we hear relevant arguments without learning the specific stands other people assume, they still shift their positions

normative and informational influences on group polarization

normative: social comparison --> we humans want to evaluate our opinions and abilities by comparing our view with others' (we are most persuaded by people in our reference groups) informational: we favor the dominant viewpoint --> when we hear relevant arguments without learning the specific stands other people assume, they still shift their positions

Definition of aggression?

physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt someone

What is the role of the family on learning aggression?

physically aggressive children tend to have had physically punitive parents, who disciplined them by modeling aggression with screaming, slapping, and beating --> these parents often had parents who were themselves physically punitive --> such punitive behavior may escalate into abuse, and although most abused children don't become criminals or abusive parents, 30% do later abuse their own children --> violence begets violence

How does the realistic group conflict theory explain prejudice? Text example of lynchings in old south - why did it happen?

prejudice arises when groups compete for scarce resources

How prevalent is racism? sexism? "weightism"?

racism: not as openly discussed anymore sexism: women are not as powerful as men, the public attitude about women is changing --> as rapidly as people's attitudes are changing about black people weightism: becoming more prevalent

How did Bandura explain aggression?

social learning theory: we can learn aggression not only by experiencing its payoffs but also by observing others

What is ethnocentrism?

the belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic and cultural group, and having a corresponding disdain for all other groups

In the text, there was a study of white and black college students holding a gun or a stick...What were the results of this study?

the participants, both black and white, more often mistakenly shot black targets

What is displacement?

the redirection of aggression to a target other than the source of the frustration. Generally, the new target is a safer or more socially acceptable target

How is the just world hypothesis used to explain prejudice and discrimination?

want to believe that bad things don't happen to good people, so if there is something bad that happens, it is their fault and they deserved it --> as a result, you stereotype these people

Explain the social learning approach to controlling aggression

we can learn aggression not only by experiencing its payoffs but also by observing others (BOBO DOLL) you learn by seeing (learn by modeling)

How is the term 'catharsis' used in explaining that impact of watching aggressive acts?

we can purge emotions by experiencing them and that viewing the classic tragedies therefore enabled a catharsis of pity or fear

What is instinctive behavior?

what "controls" our behavior, such as neural influences, genetic influences, and blood chemistry (PAGES 283-285)

How do availability heuristics influence prejudice?

what is readily available/what we grew up with/what is on tv is in our mind

What is the relationship between heat and aggression?

when it is hot you are more likely to be aggressive

what is illusion of unanimity mean?

you think everyone is in agreement so you keep quiet