Group Behavior and Sociological Phenomena - MCAT Social and Behavioral Sciences
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Which of these answers is an example of cultural assimilation?
Which of these answers is an example of cultural assimilation?
Cultural assimilation is the process of adopting elements from another culture. Thus, the correct answer is a Native American changing his hairstyle to reflect the hairstyle of white people. It is the less powerful culture that most often adapts to the more powerful culture.
Cultural assimilation is the process of adopting elements from another culture. Thus, the correct answer is a Native American changing his hairstyle to reflect the hairstyle of white people. It is the less powerful culture that most often adapts to the more powerful culture.
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If a person is assaulted on the street of a large city in the middle of the day with many people around, the likelihood that someone will call for help will actually decrease in relation to the larger crowds. This phenomenon is known as which of the following?
If a person is assaulted on the street of a large city in the middle of the day with many people around, the likelihood that someone will call for help will actually decrease in relation to the larger crowds. This phenomenon is known as which of the following?
According to the bystander effect, there is diffusion of responsibility; thus, most people assume, often mistakenly, that “someone else” will take the necessary actions such as calling the police or ambulance. The likelihood of someone taking appropriate action is inversely correlated with the number of people at the scene.
While intriguing, the other choices are incorrect. A self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute successes to ourselves and failures to external causes. Conformity is where one adjusts one’s thinking or behavior because of that of others. Deviance is described as a violation of society’s standards of conduct or expectations. Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.
According to the bystander effect, there is diffusion of responsibility; thus, most people assume, often mistakenly, that “someone else” will take the necessary actions such as calling the police or ambulance. The likelihood of someone taking appropriate action is inversely correlated with the number of people at the scene.
While intriguing, the other choices are incorrect. A self-serving bias is the tendency to attribute successes to ourselves and failures to external causes. Conformity is where one adjusts one’s thinking or behavior because of that of others. Deviance is described as a violation of society’s standards of conduct or expectations. Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people, in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.
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Diana takes the subway to and from school every day. Her family’s apartment, situated in a low-income neighborhood of New York City, is a thirty-minute walk from the subway station. During her trips to the subway, Diana loves to watch people work, play, and socialize. She feels very safe in her community because she trusts the people around her.
Diana sees a large man yelling at a woman. He shoves the woman and she tries to run away, but the man grabs her. Even though she is yelling, none of the other pedestrians pay any attention. Which of the following social terms describes the scene that Diana is observing?
Diana takes the subway to and from school every day. Her family’s apartment, situated in a low-income neighborhood of New York City, is a thirty-minute walk from the subway station. During her trips to the subway, Diana loves to watch people work, play, and socialize. She feels very safe in her community because she trusts the people around her.
Diana sees a large man yelling at a woman. He shoves the woman and she tries to run away, but the man grabs her. Even though she is yelling, none of the other pedestrians pay any attention. Which of the following social terms describes the scene that Diana is observing?
Also called bystander apathy, the “bystander effect” describes cases where individuals do nothing to help someone in need when other people are around. Many think that if no one else is reacting, then it must mean that the problem is not worth solving. A landmark case occurred in New York when Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death in a public area. Although 38 people witnessed the murder, no one stepped in to help. This scenario is a classic example of the bystander effect. Although the people could be described as conforming to one another, bystander effect is a more specific description.
Also called bystander apathy, the “bystander effect” describes cases where individuals do nothing to help someone in need when other people are around. Many think that if no one else is reacting, then it must mean that the problem is not worth solving. A landmark case occurred in New York when Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death in a public area. Although 38 people witnessed the murder, no one stepped in to help. This scenario is a classic example of the bystander effect. Although the people could be described as conforming to one another, bystander effect is a more specific description.
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Which of the following represents a key source of social conflict as a result of culture lag?
Which of the following represents a key source of social conflict as a result of culture lag?
"Culture lag" is a term specifically addressing technological advancement and detailing the inherent delay between the innovation of new technology and its acceptance and integration into cultural norms. During a period of culture lag, a new element of material culture is presented and the non-material culture (often resistant to change) must take time to adapt.
"Culture lag" is a term specifically addressing technological advancement and detailing the inherent delay between the innovation of new technology and its acceptance and integration into cultural norms. During a period of culture lag, a new element of material culture is presented and the non-material culture (often resistant to change) must take time to adapt.
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Excerpt from "The Chicago Employment Agency and the Immigrant Worker," Grace Abbott, American Journal of Sociology 1908 14:3, 289-305
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, immigrants poured into the United States without knowledge of English or American customs. They were also usually unaware of the local cost of living or typical wage. These immigrants turned to employment agencies that would help them find work, for a fee. The extreme dependence of immigrants on the employment agencies coupled with their general ignorance of the American system brought about an ethical dilemma for the employment agent in which it became very easy to take advantage of people seeking a job. This resulted in an extreme prejudice directed at immigrants by the American employment system. A study was conducted in the early 1900s gauged the degree of corruption among employment agents and the results of this study have been provided (see Tables 1, 2, and 3)
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
An immigrant who becomes overwhelmed by the fast-paced American lifestyle would be experiencing which of the following?
Excerpt from "The Chicago Employment Agency and the Immigrant Worker," Grace Abbott, American Journal of Sociology 1908 14:3, 289-305
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, immigrants poured into the United States without knowledge of English or American customs. They were also usually unaware of the local cost of living or typical wage. These immigrants turned to employment agencies that would help them find work, for a fee. The extreme dependence of immigrants on the employment agencies coupled with their general ignorance of the American system brought about an ethical dilemma for the employment agent in which it became very easy to take advantage of people seeking a job. This resulted in an extreme prejudice directed at immigrants by the American employment system. A study was conducted in the early 1900s gauged the degree of corruption among employment agents and the results of this study have been provided (see Tables 1, 2, and 3)
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
An immigrant who becomes overwhelmed by the fast-paced American lifestyle would be experiencing which of the following?
Culture shock describes negative feelings that a person has when adjusting to a new culture. In contrast, cultural lag refers to the notion that a society takes time to adjust to technological or social changes. This scenario gives no indication of societies changing, only the effect of a new culture on one immigrant. A counterculture describes a rebellious or contradictory way of thinking or acting.
Culture shock describes negative feelings that a person has when adjusting to a new culture. In contrast, cultural lag refers to the notion that a society takes time to adjust to technological or social changes. This scenario gives no indication of societies changing, only the effect of a new culture on one immigrant. A counterculture describes a rebellious or contradictory way of thinking or acting.
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A protest that started peacefully eventually turned violent, leading to the arrest of several demonstrators. During an interview at the police station, a 24-year-old male gave the following statement: "Everyone sort of erupted and I got caught up in the moment. I stopped thinking and never really considered what I was doing. I guess I got carried away with the group."
The young man's statement best describes which phenomenon?
A protest that started peacefully eventually turned violent, leading to the arrest of several demonstrators. During an interview at the police station, a 24-year-old male gave the following statement: "Everyone sort of erupted and I got caught up in the moment. I stopped thinking and never really considered what I was doing. I guess I got carried away with the group."
The young man's statement best describes which phenomenon?
Deindividuation describes the phenomenon when an individual loses certain aspects of self-awareness within a group environment. Mostly commonly applied to situations of group violence or negative behaviors, deindividuation can arguably cause a group member to lose sense of his or her personal obligations, morals, and sense of responsibility. In this example, the young man describes getting "caught up" and "carried away" with the group while failing to consider his personal role in the events. Such a description would be considered characteristic of deindividuation.
The bystander effect refers to the inverse relationship between the number of people witnessing a negative event and the number of people that will assist in alleviating the negative outcome. As the young man described was a participant in the riot, rather than a bystander, we can eliminate this answer choice.
Social facilitation describes the likelihood for individuals to perform well on simple tasks when being watched by a group. Essentially, when one's talents are being evaluated by others, one tends to perform their existing talents better. This phenomenon is relatively unlinked to the situation described in the question.
Groupthink is a decision-making phenomenon driven by the desire for harmony within a group, and is used to justify irrational decisions and choices. A certain outcome may be reached solely to stabilize group loyalty and cohesion, rather than based on the consequences and effects of the outcome. While the situation described in the question outlines an instance of a group acting cohesively, the young man's response stems from a lack of cognitive awareness rather than a conscious desire to adhere to the group's actions.
Group polarization is another decision-making trend, and describes the tendency for group decisions to be more polarized toward given extremes than the viewpoints of the individual members. While the situation described certainly outlines a shift from moderate to extreme, there is again the issue of cognitive awareness and intention that allow us to eliminate this answer choice.
Deindividuation describes the phenomenon when an individual loses certain aspects of self-awareness within a group environment. Mostly commonly applied to situations of group violence or negative behaviors, deindividuation can arguably cause a group member to lose sense of his or her personal obligations, morals, and sense of responsibility. In this example, the young man describes getting "caught up" and "carried away" with the group while failing to consider his personal role in the events. Such a description would be considered characteristic of deindividuation.
The bystander effect refers to the inverse relationship between the number of people witnessing a negative event and the number of people that will assist in alleviating the negative outcome. As the young man described was a participant in the riot, rather than a bystander, we can eliminate this answer choice.
Social facilitation describes the likelihood for individuals to perform well on simple tasks when being watched by a group. Essentially, when one's talents are being evaluated by others, one tends to perform their existing talents better. This phenomenon is relatively unlinked to the situation described in the question.
Groupthink is a decision-making phenomenon driven by the desire for harmony within a group, and is used to justify irrational decisions and choices. A certain outcome may be reached solely to stabilize group loyalty and cohesion, rather than based on the consequences and effects of the outcome. While the situation described in the question outlines an instance of a group acting cohesively, the young man's response stems from a lack of cognitive awareness rather than a conscious desire to adhere to the group's actions.
Group polarization is another decision-making trend, and describes the tendency for group decisions to be more polarized toward given extremes than the viewpoints of the individual members. While the situation described certainly outlines a shift from moderate to extreme, there is again the issue of cognitive awareness and intention that allow us to eliminate this answer choice.
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Which of these groups would we be most likely to experience deindividuation?
Which of these groups would we be most likely to experience deindividuation?
Deindividuation occurs when people are in a situation with a high degree of arousal and low feelings of responsibilities. In other words, it is a situation where individuals experience a loss of restraint and individual identity that is replaced with mob mentality. It can be described as a lack of self-awareness and results from disconnection of behavior from attitudes. Several factors create ideal conditions for deindividuation: group size, physical anonymity, and arousing activities.
Aggregates are groups of people who frequently exist in the same space but have little interactions. A person would be likely to experience deindividuation in this setting because of concepts like the bystander effect- people assume less responsibility because they believe someone else will take care of whatever issue is at hand, that someone else will do the right thing.
On the other hand, the other choices are incorrect. “Primary groups” are those close to you that you bond and interact heavily with; they serve expressive functions (i.e. where emotional needs are being met). We are closer and feel more generally responsible with these people. “Secondary groups” are usually task-oriented, impersonal, temporary, business-like relationships with instrumental purposes. We would be less likely to experience deindividuation with these groups because we would have a high feeling of responsibility for the tasks the group has been formed to tackle. “Counter-cultures” are distinct subcultures focused on stopping some dominant aspect of mainstream culture (like "anti-vaxxers"). Like an “out-group,” they are not a group with which someone would generally find common values, so they would be unlikely to induce deindividuation.
Deindividuation occurs when people are in a situation with a high degree of arousal and low feelings of responsibilities. In other words, it is a situation where individuals experience a loss of restraint and individual identity that is replaced with mob mentality. It can be described as a lack of self-awareness and results from disconnection of behavior from attitudes. Several factors create ideal conditions for deindividuation: group size, physical anonymity, and arousing activities.
Aggregates are groups of people who frequently exist in the same space but have little interactions. A person would be likely to experience deindividuation in this setting because of concepts like the bystander effect- people assume less responsibility because they believe someone else will take care of whatever issue is at hand, that someone else will do the right thing.
On the other hand, the other choices are incorrect. “Primary groups” are those close to you that you bond and interact heavily with; they serve expressive functions (i.e. where emotional needs are being met). We are closer and feel more generally responsible with these people. “Secondary groups” are usually task-oriented, impersonal, temporary, business-like relationships with instrumental purposes. We would be less likely to experience deindividuation with these groups because we would have a high feeling of responsibility for the tasks the group has been formed to tackle. “Counter-cultures” are distinct subcultures focused on stopping some dominant aspect of mainstream culture (like "anti-vaxxers"). Like an “out-group,” they are not a group with which someone would generally find common values, so they would be unlikely to induce deindividuation.
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Excerpt from “Institutional Competition,” Edward A. Ross, American Journal of Sociology 1919 25:2, 171-184
The first impulse of any organization or institution on the appearance of a serious competitor is to destroy competition. The "trust" regularly cuts the prices of its products to a point below cost of production in localities in which an "independent" seeks to sell. A shipping combine will have "fighting ships" which are called into play when a new steamship line enters their trade. As soon as the competitor announces a sailing date the combine advertises a steamer to sail on or near this date and offers a freight rate below the actual cost of carriage. In this way the competitor is prevented from securing a cargo.
The highest social class hobbles by minute sumptuary regulations the classes, which aspire to come up abreast of it. In feudal Japan, for example, one might not use his money as he pleased. The farmer, craftsman, or shopkeeper could not build a house as he liked or procure himself such articles of luxury as his taste might incline him to buy. The richest commoner might not order certain things to be made for him, might not imitate the habits or assume the privileges of his betters. Although urged on economic grounds, sumptuary restrictions are doubtless intended to protect the monopoly of prestige by the higher social orders.
The spread of anti-slavery feeling among the producing people of the North during the generation before the American Civil War was due to their perception that slavery is a menace to the free-labor system. In accounting for the early abolition of slavery in Massachusetts John Adams remarks: "Argument might have had some weight ... but the real cause was the multiplication of laboring white people who would not longer suffer the rich to employ these sable rivals so much to their injury."
The whole history of religious persecution is the history of an organization trying to establish itself as a monopoly by ruthless destruction of the spokesmen of competing doctrines and movements. In Diocletian's time Roman religious beliefs were weak while the Christian beliefs were vigorous and spreading. In desperation the old system made a ferocious attempt to exterminate all Christians. A thousand years later the church stamped certain sects out of existence and strangled heresies in the cradle. Says Coulton:
…What Darwin took at first for a smooth unbroken grassland proved, on nearer examination, to be thick-set with tiny self-sown firs, which the cattle regularly cropped as they grew. Similarly, that which some love to picture as the harmonious growth of one great body through the Middle Ages is really a history of many divergent opinions violently strangled at birth; while hundreds more, too vigorous to be killed by the adverse surroundings, and elastic enough to take something of the outward color of their environment, grew in spite of the hierarchy into organisms which, in their turn, profoundly modified the whole constitution of the Church. If the mediaeval theory and practice of persecution had still been in full force in the eighteenth century in England, nearly all the best Wesleyans would have chosen to remain within the Church rather than to shed blood in revolt; and the rest would have been killed off like wild beasts. The present unity of Romanism so far as it exists, is due less to tact than to naked force.
Suppose that Joe grew up in a society in which slavery was very common. Lance was raised in a society outlawing slavery. Lance has a poor opinion of Joe because of Joe’s pro-slavery positions. Lance’s judgment best demonstrates which sociological phenomenon?
Excerpt from “Institutional Competition,” Edward A. Ross, American Journal of Sociology 1919 25:2, 171-184
The first impulse of any organization or institution on the appearance of a serious competitor is to destroy competition. The "trust" regularly cuts the prices of its products to a point below cost of production in localities in which an "independent" seeks to sell. A shipping combine will have "fighting ships" which are called into play when a new steamship line enters their trade. As soon as the competitor announces a sailing date the combine advertises a steamer to sail on or near this date and offers a freight rate below the actual cost of carriage. In this way the competitor is prevented from securing a cargo.
The highest social class hobbles by minute sumptuary regulations the classes, which aspire to come up abreast of it. In feudal Japan, for example, one might not use his money as he pleased. The farmer, craftsman, or shopkeeper could not build a house as he liked or procure himself such articles of luxury as his taste might incline him to buy. The richest commoner might not order certain things to be made for him, might not imitate the habits or assume the privileges of his betters. Although urged on economic grounds, sumptuary restrictions are doubtless intended to protect the monopoly of prestige by the higher social orders.
The spread of anti-slavery feeling among the producing people of the North during the generation before the American Civil War was due to their perception that slavery is a menace to the free-labor system. In accounting for the early abolition of slavery in Massachusetts John Adams remarks: "Argument might have had some weight ... but the real cause was the multiplication of laboring white people who would not longer suffer the rich to employ these sable rivals so much to their injury."
The whole history of religious persecution is the history of an organization trying to establish itself as a monopoly by ruthless destruction of the spokesmen of competing doctrines and movements. In Diocletian's time Roman religious beliefs were weak while the Christian beliefs were vigorous and spreading. In desperation the old system made a ferocious attempt to exterminate all Christians. A thousand years later the church stamped certain sects out of existence and strangled heresies in the cradle. Says Coulton:
…What Darwin took at first for a smooth unbroken grassland proved, on nearer examination, to be thick-set with tiny self-sown firs, which the cattle regularly cropped as they grew. Similarly, that which some love to picture as the harmonious growth of one great body through the Middle Ages is really a history of many divergent opinions violently strangled at birth; while hundreds more, too vigorous to be killed by the adverse surroundings, and elastic enough to take something of the outward color of their environment, grew in spite of the hierarchy into organisms which, in their turn, profoundly modified the whole constitution of the Church. If the mediaeval theory and practice of persecution had still been in full force in the eighteenth century in England, nearly all the best Wesleyans would have chosen to remain within the Church rather than to shed blood in revolt; and the rest would have been killed off like wild beasts. The present unity of Romanism so far as it exists, is due less to tact than to naked force.
Suppose that Joe grew up in a society in which slavery was very common. Lance was raised in a society outlawing slavery. Lance has a poor opinion of Joe because of Joe’s pro-slavery positions. Lance’s judgment best demonstrates which sociological phenomenon?
Lance views Joe’s beliefs through his own (Lance) cultural viewpoints. This is the definition of ethnocentrism. Had he put Joe’s beliefs in context of Joe’s culture, that would have been an example of cultural relativism. Jingoism is more extreme, often demonstrated by extreme or aggressive action. Although it could be argued that Lance is advocating for human rights, ethnocentrism is a more precise answer that accurately describes the whole scenario and is not subject to more information about how the slaves are treated.
Lance views Joe’s beliefs through his own (Lance) cultural viewpoints. This is the definition of ethnocentrism. Had he put Joe’s beliefs in context of Joe’s culture, that would have been an example of cultural relativism. Jingoism is more extreme, often demonstrated by extreme or aggressive action. Although it could be argued that Lance is advocating for human rights, ethnocentrism is a more precise answer that accurately describes the whole scenario and is not subject to more information about how the slaves are treated.
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Which of the following is NOT an example of discrimination?
Which of the following is NOT an example of discrimination?
All of these are examples of discrimination, except for the answer choice that involves screening all patients. The questions may be uncomfortable, but because they are applied broadly to everyone in the practice, they are not considered disciminatory.
Discrimination is the practice of treating some people differently from others based on non-influencing or non-causal factors, and it is usually based on prejudice.
Screening only poor people for a sexually transmitted infection assumes that poor people are more likely to spread the disease, and that is discriminatory. Assuming that people who are Chinese, or associated with any other group, are causing or carrying disease, is also discrimination. Some diseases spread within close-knit communities, but there was no evidence that the accused did not regularly interact with people outside of the community, who may also have the disease.
Refusing to see patients who require translation is a form of discrimination, since everyone has the right to access healthcare, and there are translators available. People in wheelchairs are different from people who are not in wheelchairs because in that they require a special ramp, but not with regards to their rights to access healthcare. To deny access to a group based on something they cannot control is discrimination.
All of these are examples of discrimination, except for the answer choice that involves screening all patients. The questions may be uncomfortable, but because they are applied broadly to everyone in the practice, they are not considered disciminatory.
Discrimination is the practice of treating some people differently from others based on non-influencing or non-causal factors, and it is usually based on prejudice.
Screening only poor people for a sexually transmitted infection assumes that poor people are more likely to spread the disease, and that is discriminatory. Assuming that people who are Chinese, or associated with any other group, are causing or carrying disease, is also discrimination. Some diseases spread within close-knit communities, but there was no evidence that the accused did not regularly interact with people outside of the community, who may also have the disease.
Refusing to see patients who require translation is a form of discrimination, since everyone has the right to access healthcare, and there are translators available. People in wheelchairs are different from people who are not in wheelchairs because in that they require a special ramp, but not with regards to their rights to access healthcare. To deny access to a group based on something they cannot control is discrimination.
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Excerpt from "The Chicago Employment Agency and the Immigrant Worker," Grace Abbott, American Journal of Sociology 1908 14:3, 289-305
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, immigrants poured into the United States without knowledge of English or American customs. They were also usually unaware of the local cost of living or typical wage. These immigrants turned to employment agencies that would help them find work, for a fee. The extreme dependence of immigrants on the employment agencies coupled with their general ignorance of the American system brought about an ethical dilemma for the employment agent in which it became very easy to take advantage of people seeking a job. This resulted in an extreme prejudice directed at immigrants by the American employment system. A study was conducted in the early 1900s gauged the degree of corruption among employment agents and the results of this study have been provided (see Tables 1, 2, and 3)
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Suppose that a Greek immigrant were denied services at an Italian employment agency, which has a policy that only Italians are allowed access to services. Which of the following terms best describes the situation?
Excerpt from "The Chicago Employment Agency and the Immigrant Worker," Grace Abbott, American Journal of Sociology 1908 14:3, 289-305
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, immigrants poured into the United States without knowledge of English or American customs. They were also usually unaware of the local cost of living or typical wage. These immigrants turned to employment agencies that would help them find work, for a fee. The extreme dependence of immigrants on the employment agencies coupled with their general ignorance of the American system brought about an ethical dilemma for the employment agent in which it became very easy to take advantage of people seeking a job. This resulted in an extreme prejudice directed at immigrants by the American employment system. A study was conducted in the early 1900s gauged the degree of corruption among employment agents and the results of this study have been provided (see Tables 1, 2, and 3)
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Suppose that a Greek immigrant were denied services at an Italian employment agency, which has a policy that only Italians are allowed access to services. Which of the following terms best describes the situation?
Discrimination is treatment that either favors or excludes people based on their belonging to a specific group or class. In this case, the Greek man is excluded because of his nationality. Institutional discrimination differs from personal discrimination when discriminatory practices are the policy of a group (in this case the employment agency), not just an action or policy of one person. Racial profiling is more accurately used to describe unfair suspicion for crimes based on racial identity. Deindividualization is an effect described by Milgram in which a person becomes less self-aware when with a group or authority figure.
Discrimination is treatment that either favors or excludes people based on their belonging to a specific group or class. In this case, the Greek man is excluded because of his nationality. Institutional discrimination differs from personal discrimination when discriminatory practices are the policy of a group (in this case the employment agency), not just an action or policy of one person. Racial profiling is more accurately used to describe unfair suspicion for crimes based on racial identity. Deindividualization is an effect described by Milgram in which a person becomes less self-aware when with a group or authority figure.
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Impression management is most closely associated with which of the following?
Impression management is most closely associated with which of the following?
Impression management is when we attempt to control what others think of us. Front stage is the role we play using impression management to craft the way we come across to people. Both of these are part of the sociological theory of dramaturgy, which includes back stage behavior, but they are directly linked through functional purpose.
Self-handicapping occurs when we create obstacles and excuses for why we fail at or can’t do something. This is correlated with impression management, but is not always part of it. Coercion is the practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats; it does not attempt to control the way people see us.
Impression management is when we attempt to control what others think of us. Front stage is the role we play using impression management to craft the way we come across to people. Both of these are part of the sociological theory of dramaturgy, which includes back stage behavior, but they are directly linked through functional purpose.
Self-handicapping occurs when we create obstacles and excuses for why we fail at or can’t do something. This is correlated with impression management, but is not always part of it. Coercion is the practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats; it does not attempt to control the way people see us.
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Behavior is motivated by social influence in three ways; which of the following is not one of them?
Behavior is motivated by social influence in three ways; which of the following is not one of them?
Behavior is motivated by social influence in three ways: compliance (i.e. motivated by desire for a reward or avoidance of a punishment), identification (i.e. desire to be like another person or group), and internalization (i.e. actions motivated by values and beliefs in someone’s own value system).
Conformity is a behavior, which may be affected by these three factors.
Behavior is motivated by social influence in three ways: compliance (i.e. motivated by desire for a reward or avoidance of a punishment), identification (i.e. desire to be like another person or group), and internalization (i.e. actions motivated by values and beliefs in someone’s own value system).
Conformity is a behavior, which may be affected by these three factors.
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Excerpt from “Institutional Competition,” Edward A. Ross, American Journal of Sociology 1919 25:2, 171-184
The first impulse of any organization or institution on the appearance of a serious competitor is to destroy competition. The "trust" regularly cuts the prices of its products to a point below cost of production in localities in which an "independent" seeks to sell. A shipping combine will have "fighting ships" which are called into play when a new steamship line enters their trade. As soon as the competitor announces a sailing date the combine advertises a steamer to sail on or near this date and offers a freight rate below the actual cost of carriage. In this way the competitor is prevented from securing a cargo.
The highest social class hobbles by minute sumptuary regulations the classes, which aspire to come up abreast of it. In feudal Japan, for example, one might not use his money as he pleased. The farmer, craftsman, or shopkeeper could not build a house as he liked or procure himself such articles of luxury as his taste might incline him to buy. The richest commoner might not order certain things to be made for him, might not imitate the habits or assume the privileges of his betters. Although urged on economic grounds, sumptuary restrictions are doubtless intended to protect the monopoly of prestige by the higher social orders.
The spread of anti-slavery feeling among the producing people of the North during the generation before the American Civil War was due to their perception that slavery is a menace to the free-labor system. In accounting for the early abolition of slavery in Massachusetts John Adams remarks: "Argument might have had some weight ... but the real cause was the multiplication of laboring white people who would not longer suffer the rich to employ these sable rivals so much to their injury."
The whole history of religious persecution is the history of an organization trying to establish itself as a monopoly by ruthless destruction of the spokesmen of competing doctrines and movements. In Diocletian's time Roman religious beliefs were weak while the Christian beliefs were vigorous and spreading. In desperation the old system made a ferocious attempt to exterminate all Christians. A thousand years later the church stamped certain sects out of existence and strangled heresies in the cradle. Says Coulton:
…What Darwin took at first for a smooth unbroken grassland proved, on nearer examination, to be thick-set with tiny self-sown firs, which the cattle regularly cropped as they grew. Similarly, that which some love to picture as the harmonious growth of one great body through the Middle Ages is really a history of many divergent opinions violently strangled at birth; while hundreds more, too vigorous to be killed by the adverse surroundings, and elastic enough to take something of the outward color of their environment, grew in spite of the hierarchy into organisms which, in their turn, profoundly modified the whole constitution of the Church. If the mediaeval theory and practice of persecution had still been in full force in the eighteenth century in England, nearly all the best Wesleyans would have chosen to remain within the Church rather than to shed blood in revolt; and the rest would have been killed off like wild beasts. The present unity of Romanism so far as it exists, is due less to tact than to naked force.
What can be inferred about the author's opinion of the underlying motivation for the Northern crusade against Southern slavery?
Excerpt from “Institutional Competition,” Edward A. Ross, American Journal of Sociology 1919 25:2, 171-184
The first impulse of any organization or institution on the appearance of a serious competitor is to destroy competition. The "trust" regularly cuts the prices of its products to a point below cost of production in localities in which an "independent" seeks to sell. A shipping combine will have "fighting ships" which are called into play when a new steamship line enters their trade. As soon as the competitor announces a sailing date the combine advertises a steamer to sail on or near this date and offers a freight rate below the actual cost of carriage. In this way the competitor is prevented from securing a cargo.
The highest social class hobbles by minute sumptuary regulations the classes, which aspire to come up abreast of it. In feudal Japan, for example, one might not use his money as he pleased. The farmer, craftsman, or shopkeeper could not build a house as he liked or procure himself such articles of luxury as his taste might incline him to buy. The richest commoner might not order certain things to be made for him, might not imitate the habits or assume the privileges of his betters. Although urged on economic grounds, sumptuary restrictions are doubtless intended to protect the monopoly of prestige by the higher social orders.
The spread of anti-slavery feeling among the producing people of the North during the generation before the American Civil War was due to their perception that slavery is a menace to the free-labor system. In accounting for the early abolition of slavery in Massachusetts John Adams remarks: "Argument might have had some weight ... but the real cause was the multiplication of laboring white people who would not longer suffer the rich to employ these sable rivals so much to their injury."
The whole history of religious persecution is the history of an organization trying to establish itself as a monopoly by ruthless destruction of the spokesmen of competing doctrines and movements. In Diocletian's time Roman religious beliefs were weak while the Christian beliefs were vigorous and spreading. In desperation the old system made a ferocious attempt to exterminate all Christians. A thousand years later the church stamped certain sects out of existence and strangled heresies in the cradle. Says Coulton:
…What Darwin took at first for a smooth unbroken grassland proved, on nearer examination, to be thick-set with tiny self-sown firs, which the cattle regularly cropped as they grew. Similarly, that which some love to picture as the harmonious growth of one great body through the Middle Ages is really a history of many divergent opinions violently strangled at birth; while hundreds more, too vigorous to be killed by the adverse surroundings, and elastic enough to take something of the outward color of their environment, grew in spite of the hierarchy into organisms which, in their turn, profoundly modified the whole constitution of the Church. If the mediaeval theory and practice of persecution had still been in full force in the eighteenth century in England, nearly all the best Wesleyans would have chosen to remain within the Church rather than to shed blood in revolt; and the rest would have been killed off like wild beasts. The present unity of Romanism so far as it exists, is due less to tact than to naked force.
What can be inferred about the author's opinion of the underlying motivation for the Northern crusade against Southern slavery?
The author claims that anti-slavery feeling was due to the “perception that slavery is a menace to the free-labor system.” This means that the North couldn’t compete with the South because the South didn’t have a free-labor market; they relied on slave labor, which was cheaper. Competition, not religious convictions or feelings of bitterness or jealousy, drove the anti-slave crusade (according to the author). The quote by John Adams supports this notion, but does not indicate that he felt the Southern states were becoming “too rich.”
The author claims that anti-slavery feeling was due to the “perception that slavery is a menace to the free-labor system.” This means that the North couldn’t compete with the South because the South didn’t have a free-labor market; they relied on slave labor, which was cheaper. Competition, not religious convictions or feelings of bitterness or jealousy, drove the anti-slave crusade (according to the author). The quote by John Adams supports this notion, but does not indicate that he felt the Southern states were becoming “too rich.”
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Which of the following terms appropriately describes a person assigned the male gender at birth who identifies and/or lives as a female?
Which of the following terms appropriately describes a person assigned the male gender at birth who identifies and/or lives as a female?
Respectful observation of gender identity requires recognition of an individual's personal identity as male or female, rather than the opinion of the outside observer. In these incidences, "man" or "woman" refers to the identity of the individual, rather than that individual's biological or genetic sex.
A common term for an individual who was assigned a male gender at birth (i.e. most frequently individuals with an XY genotype) who lives as and/or identifies as female is known as a "transwoman" or transgender woman. A transgender man or transman, on the other hand, would be an individual assigned a female gender at birth who lives and/or identifies as male, while a genderfluid individual may identify as male, female, neither, or both, or may have a gender identity that changes depending on time or circumstance (hence the use of the word "fluid").
Respectful observation of gender identity requires recognition of an individual's personal identity as male or female, rather than the opinion of the outside observer. In these incidences, "man" or "woman" refers to the identity of the individual, rather than that individual's biological or genetic sex.
A common term for an individual who was assigned a male gender at birth (i.e. most frequently individuals with an XY genotype) who lives as and/or identifies as female is known as a "transwoman" or transgender woman. A transgender man or transman, on the other hand, would be an individual assigned a female gender at birth who lives and/or identifies as male, while a genderfluid individual may identify as male, female, neither, or both, or may have a gender identity that changes depending on time or circumstance (hence the use of the word "fluid").
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Which of the following is a term used to describe an individual whose gender assigned at birth matches their gender identity?
Which of the following is a term used to describe an individual whose gender assigned at birth matches their gender identity?
"Cisgender" is a term used to describe an individual for whom the gender assigned to them at birth matches their gender identity. "Transgender" is a term for an individual who identifies as a gender other than the one assigned to them at birth. "Man" and "woman" are not correct responses in this case because they do not necessarily describe an individual's relationship to their assigned gender: while someone assigned male or female at birth may indeed identify as that gender, the majority of transgender individuals also identify as men or women. Thus one can identify as a cisgender man or woman or a transgender man or woman.
"Cisgender" is a term used to describe an individual for whom the gender assigned to them at birth matches their gender identity. "Transgender" is a term for an individual who identifies as a gender other than the one assigned to them at birth. "Man" and "woman" are not correct responses in this case because they do not necessarily describe an individual's relationship to their assigned gender: while someone assigned male or female at birth may indeed identify as that gender, the majority of transgender individuals also identify as men or women. Thus one can identify as a cisgender man or woman or a transgender man or woman.
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Which of the following terms may be used by an individual whose gender identity is neither male or female, both male and female, or as a gender outside the male/female binary all together?
Which of the following terms may be used by an individual whose gender identity is neither male or female, both male and female, or as a gender outside the male/female binary all together?
There are several terms for individuals who identify as both male and female, neither male or female, or as having a gender identity that falls entirely outside of the male/female binary. These include "genderqueer," "genderfluid," and "polygender."
There are several terms for individuals who identify as both male and female, neither male or female, or as having a gender identity that falls entirely outside of the male/female binary. These include "genderqueer," "genderfluid," and "polygender."
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Excerpt from "The Chicago Employment Agency and the Immigrant Worker," Grace Abbott, American Journal of Sociology 1908 14:3, 289-305
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, immigrants poured into the United States without knowledge of English or American customs. They were also usually unaware of the local cost of living or typical wage. These immigrants turned to employment agencies that would help them find work, for a fee. The extreme dependence of immigrants on the employment agencies coupled with their general ignorance of the American system brought about an ethical dilemma for the employment agent in which it became very easy to take advantage of people seeking a job. This resulted in an extreme prejudice directed at immigrants by the American employment system. A study was conducted in the early 1900s gauged the degree of corruption among employment agents and the results of this study have been provided (see Tables 1, 2, and 3)
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Table 1 shows the variety of fees charged by different employment agents. Supposing that a fair price for employment services was $1.50, which of the following is NOT a reasonable conclusion?
Excerpt from "The Chicago Employment Agency and the Immigrant Worker," Grace Abbott, American Journal of Sociology 1908 14:3, 289-305
In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, immigrants poured into the United States without knowledge of English or American customs. They were also usually unaware of the local cost of living or typical wage. These immigrants turned to employment agencies that would help them find work, for a fee. The extreme dependence of immigrants on the employment agencies coupled with their general ignorance of the American system brought about an ethical dilemma for the employment agent in which it became very easy to take advantage of people seeking a job. This resulted in an extreme prejudice directed at immigrants by the American employment system. A study was conducted in the early 1900s gauged the degree of corruption among employment agents and the results of this study have been provided (see Tables 1, 2, and 3)
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Table 1 shows the variety of fees charged by different employment agents. Supposing that a fair price for employment services was $1.50, which of the following is NOT a reasonable conclusion?
Of the 51 agencies polled for women, only 11 (22%) charged significantly more than the fair price. Of the 59 agencies polled for men, 38 (64%) charged significantly more than the fair price. It could reasonably be concluded that employment agents take advantage of more men than women, thus treating them differently. These data do not give reason to conclude that women are taken advantage of more often than men.
Of the 51 agencies polled for women, only 11 (22%) charged significantly more than the fair price. Of the 59 agencies polled for men, 38 (64%) charged significantly more than the fair price. It could reasonably be concluded that employment agents take advantage of more men than women, thus treating them differently. These data do not give reason to conclude that women are taken advantage of more often than men.
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Which of the following would not contribute to increasing globalization?
Which of the following would not contribute to increasing globalization?
Globalization refers to the spread of culture, both material and non-material, and the integration of these elements around the world. Increased international trade, investment, communication, and immigration facilitate the spread of ideas and cultural principles from one society to another. In contrast, decreasing the dependence of one nation on another restricts the flow of materials and information, thus decreasing the effect of globalization.
Globalization refers to the spread of culture, both material and non-material, and the integration of these elements around the world. Increased international trade, investment, communication, and immigration facilitate the spread of ideas and cultural principles from one society to another. In contrast, decreasing the dependence of one nation on another restricts the flow of materials and information, thus decreasing the effect of globalization.
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The facilitator said, "Any other ideas before we move on and make a decision?" As Laila raised her hand, she could see people sigh and roll their eyes. She was always suggesting something that went against the grain; moreover, the longer it takes to make a decision, the hungrier people will get. Laila puts her hand down, thinking that moving the group forward is more important than getting her idea on the table. Given that it was a significant departure from what everyone else was saying, they might miss both lunch and dinner!
The example above is best described as an illustration of what concept?
The facilitator said, "Any other ideas before we move on and make a decision?" As Laila raised her hand, she could see people sigh and roll their eyes. She was always suggesting something that went against the grain; moreover, the longer it takes to make a decision, the hungrier people will get. Laila puts her hand down, thinking that moving the group forward is more important than getting her idea on the table. Given that it was a significant departure from what everyone else was saying, they might miss both lunch and dinner!
The example above is best described as an illustration of what concept?
The correct answer is "groupthink," the concept that individuals stifle their ideas in the group to achieve concensus. Group polarization is not the correct answer, because it means that groups might select options that are more extreme than individual members of that group might select, and this is not illustrated in the example above. The other concepts are concepts of psychology, but are not related to group processes.
The correct answer is "groupthink," the concept that individuals stifle their ideas in the group to achieve concensus. Group polarization is not the correct answer, because it means that groups might select options that are more extreme than individual members of that group might select, and this is not illustrated in the example above. The other concepts are concepts of psychology, but are not related to group processes.
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As they embarked upon deliberations, nine jurors were leaning towards finding a defendant guilty while three jurors thought the defendant was not guilty. It was observed that during deliberations, the nine who believed the defendant was guilty tended to confer, while the three who believed he was innocent also discussed more with each other. This resulted in the jury members each becoming more entrenched in their initial positions than they had been before. This scenario exemplifies which of the following concepts in social psychology?
As they embarked upon deliberations, nine jurors were leaning towards finding a defendant guilty while three jurors thought the defendant was not guilty. It was observed that during deliberations, the nine who believed the defendant was guilty tended to confer, while the three who believed he was innocent also discussed more with each other. This resulted in the jury members each becoming more entrenched in their initial positions than they had been before. This scenario exemplifies which of the following concepts in social psychology?
Group polarization describes the phenomenon when individuals make more extreme decisions when acting together as a group than they would by themselves. In this scenario, as individuals—the jurors—believed in their respective points of view from the beginning; however, after they formed oppositional groups, they became even more entrenched in their points of view.
The other choices are incorrect due to various reasons. Cognitive appraisal is a process where a physiological arousal is assessed in the brain and processed for the appropriate physiological and psychological coping strategies. It has nothing to do with the juror situation. Informational influence is a group effect arising from a group’s desire to be correct and to understand how to act best in a given situation. While this may play a role here—because the jury may be trying to be correct and act in the interest of justice—it has split into two opposing camps and one group will not “act correctly." Social categorization is the process by which people sort themselves into categories. This may be happening in this situation when the jury broke into two camps—those who believe the defendant is guilty and those who believe the defendant is not guilty—but it is not the primary effect. The self-serving bias describes the attribution of positive experiences to our own character and actions but negative experiences to factors external to our own character and actions. While this may affect the jurors’ interpretations of their own opinions and actions, it does not explain why they are more entrenched in their beliefs after discussing the matter with others who believe the same thing they do.
Group polarization describes the phenomenon when individuals make more extreme decisions when acting together as a group than they would by themselves. In this scenario, as individuals—the jurors—believed in their respective points of view from the beginning; however, after they formed oppositional groups, they became even more entrenched in their points of view.
The other choices are incorrect due to various reasons. Cognitive appraisal is a process where a physiological arousal is assessed in the brain and processed for the appropriate physiological and psychological coping strategies. It has nothing to do with the juror situation. Informational influence is a group effect arising from a group’s desire to be correct and to understand how to act best in a given situation. While this may play a role here—because the jury may be trying to be correct and act in the interest of justice—it has split into two opposing camps and one group will not “act correctly." Social categorization is the process by which people sort themselves into categories. This may be happening in this situation when the jury broke into two camps—those who believe the defendant is guilty and those who believe the defendant is not guilty—but it is not the primary effect. The self-serving bias describes the attribution of positive experiences to our own character and actions but negative experiences to factors external to our own character and actions. While this may affect the jurors’ interpretations of their own opinions and actions, it does not explain why they are more entrenched in their beliefs after discussing the matter with others who believe the same thing they do.
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