Psych Notes: Social Relations

Social Relations
How do we deal with others?

Prejudice
-unjustifiable attitude towards a group of people
-Usually involves stereotyped beliefs (a generalized belief about a group of people)

Social Inequalities
-Ingroup: "us"͵ people with whom one shares a common identity
-Outgroup: "them", those perceived as different than one's ingroup
-Ingroup Bias: the tendency to favor one's own group

Scapegoat Theory
-the theory that prejudice provides an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame

Aggression
-any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy
-in the US we are much more likely to be murdered compared to most other developed nations
·Frustration-Aggression Principle: the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal, creates anger which generates aggression

Conflict
-a perceived incompability of actions, goals, or ideals
-Social trap or prisoner's dilemma

Just World Phenomenon
"Those who suffer deserve what they get"

Reciprocity Norm
-the expectation that people will help those who have helped them

Social Responsibility
-expectation that people help those who depend on them

5 Factors of Attraction

1. Proximity
• geographic nearness
• Mere-Exposure Effect: repeated exposure to something breeds liking
• Mirror-Image Concept: Individuals express similar characteristics
2. Reciprocal Liking 
• you are more likely to like someone who likes you
3. Similarity
• "Birds of the same feather flock together."
• similarity breeds content
4. Physical Attractiveness
• "The Hottie Factor"
• some people believe beauty is physical symmetry
5. Love
• Passionate Love: an aroused state on intense positive absorption of another
• Compassionate Love: the deep affectionate attachment we feel for people we care about
• What makes compassionate love work?
• Equity: the condition which there is mutual giving and receiving between the partners in a relationship
• Self-Disclosure: sharing intimate feelings with another, revealing secrets

Altruism
-Unselfish regard for the welfare of others
-Bystander Effect: the more there are people around, the less likely people are going to help someone in trouble 

-ex: the Kitty Genovese case

Social Exchange Theory
-The idea that our social behavior is an exchange process, which we maximize benefits and minimize costs

Peacemaking
-Give people superordinate (shared) goals that can only be achieved through cooperation
-GRIT (Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension Reduction): A strategy of conflict resolution based on the defusing effect that conciliatory gestures can have on parties in conflict.