Sociocultural Approach Flashcards
(97 cards)
Social Identity Theory
- Outline the general theory
Refers to the way someone thinks about themselves and evaluates themselves in relation to their ‘in-group’ and helps them gain a sense of identity through their membership
Social Categorisation
Categorising people into either in-groups or out-groups based on their characteristics and similarities to a certain group
Social Identification
Using characteristics of ‘in-group’ to define our individual characteristics and often identify only the positive qualities as we want to maintain a positive self-concept to increase self-esteem
Social Comparison
Identifying positive characteristics and seeing the ‘out-groups’ as having negative characteristics.
- Leads to intergroup discrimination in order for us to uphold a positive social identity by seeing your group as ‘better’
- The positives of in-group are overestimated and the negatives of out-groups are intensified increasing disparity
Tajfel (Aim)
To investigate if intergroup discrimination would take place without any prior prejudice
Method (Tajfel)
- 48 boys randomly divided into two group (14-15 years from UK)
- False dividing of groups as boys perceived they were grouped according to how they rated 12 painting but RANDOMLY allocated
- Groups were required to allocate points where they would be converted into cash
- – Condition 1: simple division of points
- – Condition 2: If group 1 chose highest no. of points, group 2 would get more than G1 (19-25) but if G1 chose the least no. of points, G2 would get less than G1 (7-1)
Results (Tajfel)
- Condition 1: favoured in-group > out-group allocating themselves more points
- Condition 2: Groups were willing to sacrifice a big win for a small loss as they maximised the point difference to disadvantage the out-group (goal changed from highest reward to beating out-group)
Conclusion (Tajfel)
- Even simplest conditions were enough to generate in-group favouritism and out-group discrimination despite minimal shared characteristics
Evaluation (Tajfel)
- High level of control: high internal validity to have confidence in cause-effect
- Artificiality of the task: points given no context, low ecological validity so can’t generalise the same will happen in real world
- Demand characteristics: boys perceived to think they have similarities, teenagers so might have thought goal was to win
- Sampling bias: same age and birthplace so increased chance of unaccounted similarities and cannot be generalised
Dunham (Aim)
Whether in-group effects are evident from a young age
Method (Dunham)
- 33 Ps (19F and 14M) with 79% European/American and average age 5.4 years
- Each child randomly allocated red or blue by choosing a coin and wore their corresponding coloured shirt
- Stimuli involved 8 head to shoulder photos of E/A children of similar attractiveness wearing either R/B
- Ps seated in front of computer and taken through tests:
- – Attitude: expressing like/dislike for children in photos
- – Coin allocation: stimuli and gender group memberships were manipulated to have even distribution of gender across R/B and Ps had to distribute coins between groups
- – Behavioural attribution: given behaviour either (+) or (-) Ps had to decide who had done it
Results (Dunham)
- In all 3 tasks, Ps showed significant preference for own gender
- – Attitude task: girls rate own gender 2.2 points > boys and boys rated 0.3 higher > girls
- In all 3 tasks, Ps preferred their ‘in-group’ R/B
- – Attitude task: mean in-group rating of 4.3 and out-group rating of 3.8
BUT gender was more statistically significant than in-group rating
Conclusion (Dunham)
In young children, minimal in-groups are weaker organisers than gender. This reinforces the importance of gender as an organiser of social relations.
- Also suggests that nature of in-group biases are pre-programmed in us as young children are not as exposed to prejudice or discrimination (gender played a larger role as it is a strong part of identity)
Evaluation (Dunham)
- European and American background gives sample bias
- Low ecological validity
- Potential external variables not accounted for since the girls rated themselves much higher against boys while boys only rated themselves slightly higher than girls suggesting the salience of gender as an identity is much stronger in girls
Critical Thinking of Social Identity Theory
- Context may play an important role in the extremity/existence of in-group preference (Ellemers et al argues that social context mitigates with research showing psychology student would compare themselves favourably with physics students but unfavourably with art students when comparing creativity. Thus, social context rather than group membership that instils positive/negative social identity.
- Self-Esteem Hypothesis: low self esteem should show even higher levels of in-group bias BUT has not been supported with research
Social Cognitive Theory
- Outline the theory
First developed by Bandura from his earlier theories of self-efficacy and social learning (both in SCT). SCT suggests behaviour influences and is influenced by the environment, which takes place through observational learning, and internal factors which is heavily affected by self-efficacy, the expectation of personal success in a task based on the view that one is in control of one’s abilities.
Reciprocal Determinism
How we act is interconnected to our thoughts, belief and actions and affect or are affected by our own environments and social systems (may influence performance)
Triangle diagram between behaviour, personal factors and external factors
Underlying Assumptions
- Social learning through observation and imitation of behaviour but generally depends on the consequences of behaviour. We learn through vicarious reinforcement (seeing if behaviour is rewarded or punished)
4 cognitive mediational processes
- come into play when behaviour is observed
- Attention: the extent to which we notice and attend to certain behaviour
- Retention: how well observed behaviour is remembered
- Reproduction: ability of observer to physically replicate behaviour
- Motivation: will to perform behaviour, determined by consequence (uses vicarious reinforcement to determine)
1&2 are learning and 3&4 are performance
Outline the process of modelling
- People (especially children) are much more likely to imitate behaviour by identified role models which also influences identification
Williams and Williams (Aim)
Get more direct evidence for idea of reciprocal determinism
Method (Williams and Williams)
- Collected a large dataset of mathematics self-efficacy and achievement in 15 year old children across 33 nations
- Applying complex techniques of statistical modelling
Results (Williams and Williams)
- Support of reciprocal determinism in 24 out a 33 nations as with self-efficacy that we can perform well we are motivated to perform well and thus when achieved further increases self-efficacy (cycle)
Conclusion (Williams and Williams)
Supports reciprocal determinism and the idea that self-efficacy can influence behaviour.
- Cross-cultural suggests it is universal with lack of culture bias