Outline principles that define the sociocultural level of analysis

GLO1

Michael K, Erica B, Mary Z

1st Principle

Humans are social animals, and have the basic need to belong

Meaning that we want to be part of the society around us both on a large scale with being a member of a community and on a smaller scale with groups of friends.

Biological and cognitive systems that make up a person belong in an even larger system of interrelationships with other people.

The relationship between an individual and a group is bidirectional: as the individual is affected by being part of that group, the individual can also affect the behavior in that group.

Baumeister and Leary (1995)

Need To Belong

Baumeister and Leary (1995)

According to Baumeister and Leary (1995) humans need to feel like they belong to their society and environment.

Because of their need to belong their behavior is impacted.

Rejections and exclusions from groups cause changes in behavior in order to belong.

2nd Principle

Culture influences behavior Meaning groups we associate with, lifestyles we see or live

by, and other factors in the society we live in affect the way we will behave.

Culture can be defined as the norms and values that define a society.

There is a need to understand the effect culture has on a person’s behavior.

Smith and Bond (1993)

Reviewed 31 conformity studies

Compared different cultural conformity studies.

Smith and Bond (1993)

Smith and Bond noticed a difference in the level of conformity between countries of individualist cultures (North America, Europe) and countries of collectivist cultures (Africa, Asia, South America).

Individualism- idea that the individual should think and judge independently.

Collectivism- the group should be the fundamental unit for political, social, and economic concern.

Smith and Bond (1993)

In the studies they reviewed, on average Individualist countries conformed 25.3% of he time and Collectivist countries conformed 37.1% of the time.

Smith and Bond (1993) showed tenancies toward similar conformity percents with countries of similar cultural views, individualism and collectivism.

Pop Quiz!!

• How is the relationship between an individual and a group bidirectional? Can you give an example?

• How is culture defined in the sociocultural level of analysis?

3rd Principle

Because humans are social animals, they have a social self

Meaning an individual, which is a social animal, acts according to how is accepted by the group the individual is trying to belong to.

Behaviors are determined by memberships of groups such as family, friends, community, clubs or nationality.

Tajfel et al (1971) minimal group paradigm This study looked at an individual's behavior with in a

group.

Tajfel et al (1971)

First participants were told to estimate how many dot were clustered together on a screen.

Part of the participants were told that in situations like this people consistently over or underestimate but that it doesn't effect accuracy.

The other group was told that some people are consistently more accurate then others.

The second part split the participants into groups based on “most accurate and least accurate”. Though it was really done at random.

Tajfel et al (1971)

Groups were now set up, using numbers, where each member believed the others were similar in answers to the first test.

Each individual was told to complete an award and penalty booklet for everyone else (with real money given out).

Then they did this again but they knew which participant numbers were in their group.

Also one part gave option of given and take from one group to another.

Tajfel et al (1971)

The results showed that when given the choice of profit for their own group over others that they would pick their own group.

Also when given the opportunity to give profit to all group they would give only profit to their group still.

Social Identity Theory- predicts certain intergroup behaviors on the basis of the perceived status, legitimacy and permeability of the intergroup environment.

4th Principle

Peoples view of the world are resistant to change Meaning once we have a mindset it is difficult to change this mindset.

Through personal experience or influence from others experiences an individual forms stigmas about their environment

Once a stigma is formed it is hard to change because to the individual that is the truth.

The person see’s how the world is supposed to work in their own perspective: why it works the way it does, and what values are essential in the world community.

Culture helps to shape our world view.

Communities establish values that have been passed down from generation to generation.

Pop Quiz #2!!

• List some groups that our behaviors can be determined by.

• What two identities do people have?

• How does someone “understand the world”?

Sources

http://ibpsychologynotes.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/01-principles-of-the-socio-cultural-level-of-analysis.pdf

http://freedomkeys.com/collectivism.htm