General Learning Outcome #2

By: Samantha BenderCharla Johnson

Explain how principles that define the sociocultural level of analysis may be demonstrated in research (that is, theories and/or studies).

Give a detailed account including reasons or causes

Explain

Give the precise meaning of a word, phrase, concept or physical quantity

Define

Principle #1Human beings are social animals and we have a basic need to “belong”

An animal that exhibits in social behavior

Social Animals

To have the proper qualifications, especially social qualifications, to be a member of a group

Belong

People will adjust themselves to adapt to the group◦ Nada when she changed her music from rap to metal

in the skit People need to feel need and to fit in This can be a positive effect or a negative effect

◦ POSITIVE: if you are in a group of friends that have good grades, you would try harder to get good grades also

◦ NEGATIVE: if you hang out with a group of friends that skip school , you would skip and then your grades would fail

Human beings are social animals and we have a basic need to “belong”

STUDY

Asch Conformity Experiment (Asch Paradigm)

Aim: to see whether the real participant would change his answer and respond in the same way

Ways Principle #1 Can be Studied

A male participant was surrounded by 5-7 confederates.

One card had one line and the second had three different length lines.

24% did not conform at all 75% conformed at least once 5% conformed every time

Ways it can be studied

Principle #2Culture influences behavior

the behaviors and beliefs characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group

Culture

to move or impel (a person) to some action

Influence

The way people are raised and the people around them can affect the way they think and act

Morality, Christianity, chastity◦ If you have good morals, Christianity, chastity

can effect a persons relationship with others Drinking

◦ In America it’s a big deal when you’re 21 but in Europe its typical when you are in your early teens

Culture influences behavior

Milgrams Obedience Experiment

Aim: to investigate what level of obedience would be shown when participants were told by an authority figure to administer electric shocks to another person

All went to 300 volts 65% went to 450 volts 35% stopped before

Ways it is Studied

3 roles: teacher, participant, confederate

teacher had participant raise volts of electricity for confederate

When the participant said to not go one the teacher stated simple continuations

Teacher told participant that the confederate had a heart condition

Culture: taught to obey authority

Ways it was studied

Principle #3Humans are social animals, they have a social self

A person’s individual identity A group’s identity as a whole

Social Self

Because people are social they develop their own social behavior

Nada’s actions when she was by herself and with the group

Humans are social animals, they have a social self

Social Identity Theory (Henri Tajfel and John Turner)◦ Portion of an individuals self-concept derived from

perceived membership in a relevant social group Explains a person’s behavior to events Explains a person’s behavior in groups

A group starts to have similar aspects and then the group as a whole develops a social self

It is through observations of people and groups and how they socialize

Way it is studied

Principle #4People’s views of the world are resistant to change

An individual and personal perception, judgment, or interpretation; an opinion

Views

A process I which ego opposes the conscious recall of anxiety-producing experiences

Resistant

If people have a mind set of an idea they will refuse to change the way they think.◦ Some eventually do change the way they think

Black Civil Rights◦ People were against rights for blacks because it

was different and not what they were used to

People’s view of the world are resistant to change

Leon Festinger et al. “When Prophecy's Fails” (1956)

Research was done by Festinger and his team

They joined a cult to covertly observe a religious group that thought the world would end on December 21 and that aliens would save them once god started to destroy the world.

Way it was studied

Festinger and his team left the cult after December 21.

The members of the cult were in doubt that the aliens did not take them away and they refused to believe that it was not the end of the world or that the aliens were not coming

they eventually came to the decision that the aliens did not come because god decided not to destroy the world

Festinger

Pull out a piece of paper!!!!!

What are the principles

Name three to four studies/theories from the powerpoint and their aims

Define Culture

Define Social Self

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