Ch13 The Survival Game PDF

Preview

Summary

Ch13 The Survival Game...

Description

Sketch Notes – Spring 2019: Dr. McKelley

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Ch. 13 – The Survival Game ____________________________________________________________________________ What is ____Social_____ Psychology? Social psychology scientifically studies how we ____think about_____, __influence___ and __relate___ to one another. Book defines social psychology as: “The study of the causes and consequences of sociality” (p. 508).   

Lens – focus on the individual in ___in context_____ _Applied___ – study “real world problems” Empirical: study in laboratory or more naturalistic – often manipulate __variables____  Ex: conformity to masculine norms (e.g. Playboy and Risk-Taking) in my research

The Problem with Chimpanzees Humans share significant DNA with chimps (98.4%), and they have been used to help explain human behavior. The problem is that chimpanzees are:  ___Aggressive_______  Alpha male has rights to __mating_____  Keep very strict boundaries and viciously defend territory  Violent, __patriarchal______ societies But…we are equally related to bonobos, which are very different from chimpanzees, but closer to our prosocial behaviors. Bonobos are:  Only primate that doesn’t _kill____  _Sex___ is used for almost everything (avoid conflict, reduce stress, say hello, solidify social status)  Loose territories; welcome _out-group  Peaceful, matriarchal societies Aggression  Frustration-aggression hypothesis o Animals aggress when their goals are __frustrated___  Frustrated goals do NOT cause aggression—>they result in __ feeling bad___ (which sometimes leads to aggression)  NOTE FROM BOOK: Baseball pitchers were more likely to hit players when the _temperature_ was higher What influences aggression?  Gender o _Men__ responsible for 90% of murders, 80% of violent crimes in the U.S.  Socialization o Women more likely to use _relational__ aggression (AKA social harm)  Testosterone o BUT…aggression might INCREASE _testosterone_—not the other way around  Threats to _status_ or dominance  Culture



o Rates of aggression are _higher__ in _honor__ cultures (e.g., South vs North in U.S.) BUT…also higher in countries where there is greater wealth/income _ disparity_

Cooperation Defined  Behavior of two or more individuals that leads to mutual _benefit____ o People in all cultures value and reward _ cooperators_, and punish violations o _Trustworthiness_ is IMPORTANT  NOTE: The iClicker question about getting caught cheating is an example of the prisoner’s dilemma found in game theory Groups & Cooperation  Prejudice: An evaluation of a person based solely on their _ group membership_  Key study in prejudice o Sherif’s Robber’s Cave  Stage one: In-group formation (split onto equal and similar groups)  Stage two: _Competition_ (games for limited resources)  Results? (Think reality TV like Survivor)  In-group _favoritism_  _out-group_ competition  Stage three: Cooperative _problem solving_ exercises required to end prejudice Some Group Effects  Social _loafing_: Tendency to put forth less effort when part of a group  _Deindividuation_ o Loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations o Especially with _anonymous_ social media platforms  Ex: Hoss at MSU riots Bystander Effect  VIDEO DEMO: Case of Petru Barladeanu; ABC News report – man shot and left to die because no one would help his wife  Definition: The tendency for any given bystander to be _less likely_ to give aid if other bystanders are present  Why does it happen? – explanations o Diffusion of _responsibility_ - Observers assume someone else if going to intervene-feel less _responsible_ to do anything  Experience of LAX police officer at Festival Foods o Evaluation _apprehension_ : we care what other people think - don’t want to look stupid  What if I look stupid?  What if it’s not an emergency?  What if I don’t do it right?  Bystander Intervention o Reduce the ambiguity o Reduce _diffusion_ (assume you are the only one to intervene/help) Altruism  Altruism o Behavior that benefits another without _ benefitting oneself_

 

_Kin (family)_ selection o Process by which evolution selects for individuals who cooperate with their _relatives_ Reciprocal altruism o Behavior that benefits another with the expectation that those benefits will be _returned_ in the future o BUT…humans often help _strangers_...