Stereotype threat is the fear that one will be reduced to a stereotype in the eyes of othersHow can stereotype threat hamper academic achievement?The reactions to the threat can directly interfere with performanceThe threat can cause individuals to dismiss the domain as no longer relevant to their self-esteem and identityStudy:1st condition- no gender different on testTest scores were no different, both did well2nd condition- said that men were betterMen did better in this situationStigmatizationBeing persistently stereotyped, perceived as deviant, and devalued in society because of membership in a particular social group or because of a particular characteristicAnyone can be a target of stigmatization but some individuals are major and relentless targets of these negative stereotypes and prejudice which can result in feeling devalued by society3 Types:Tribal- devalued by race, ethnicity, or religionAbominations of the BodyBlemishes of characterStigmas can be visible or concealableWhat is a collective?An assembly of people engaging in a common activity but having little direct interaction with each otherNot a real groupPresence of an Audience: Does it improve or impair performance?When you are engaging in individual efforts but along with others or in presence of others, social facilitation occursSocial facilitation enhances easy tasksTriplett’s data on cyclists and experiments with children winding up fishing line on a reelZajonc’s study with cockroachesSocial facilitation inhibits difficult tasksBetter alone than with other peopleZajonc’s study of cockroaches- part iiStudy of pool players in a college student unionZajonc’s solution- look in the book for chartAlternative Explanations for Social FacilitationThe Evaluation-Apprehension ExplanationArgues that arousal is only created when others are evaluatingThe Distraction-Conflict ExplanationArgues that others, as well as nonsocial stimuli, are distracting, which causes arousalDo better on the test if things were distractingSocial LoafingWhen you are with others but merge into the group, you should become more relaxedAs a result, you will not be as productive, particularly on simple tasksEvidence for Social LoafingRingelmann’s study of men pulling on a ropeLatane’s study of 6 shouting blindfolded studentsExplanation’s for Social LoafingRelaxation- no arousal that provides energyDiffusion of responsibilityFactors associated with the decreased likelihood of social loafingBeing femaleBeing from a collectivistic cultureThe outcome is personally importantBelief that one’s contribution mattersThe group is small and cohesiveUnifying facilitation and LoafingYou need to know two things to predict whether the presence of others will help or hinder your performanceWill your individual efforts be evaluated?Is the task simple or complex?Deindividuation and Loss of Individual IdentityBeing in a crowd (collective, nonsocial group) can also cause deindividuation which is the loosening of normal constraints on behavior, leading to an increase in impulsive and deviant actsDoing something more impulsive/deviant in the darkPossible Explanations’ of DeindividuationAccountability cues- feeling less accountable for one’s actionsAttentional cues- diminished self-awareness (and thus less attention on internal standards)Conformity to group norms specific to the situation (social identity increases, which in some cases could increase conformity)Social Identity Model of DeindividuationDeindividuation effects can sometimes lead people to act better, if there is a shift to social identity and the group norm advocates a positive behaviorDefinitions of GroupCollection of two or more people who interact with each other and are interdependent, in the sense that their needs and goals cause them to rely on each otherWhy do people join groups?An innate need, arising from evolutionary pressures to increase survival and reproductionAccomplish things they cannot accomplish aloneTo acquire the social status and identity and self-esteemTo acquire important information to reduce ambiguity about the social worldSOA 223 1st EditionExam # 3 Study Guide Lectures: 14 - 18Lecture 14 (10/13)Stereotypes, Prejudice & DiscriminationStereotypes- Generalization about group of people; belief that associates a group of people with certain traits2 processes in development of stereotypes1.) Social categorization: Sorting people into groups based on common attributes2.) “In group vs. Out group attitude”: contributes to in group bias and out group homogeneity effect- People with a social dominance orientation are more likely to see one’s own ingroups as dominant & promote self-interestInfluence of Stereotypes on Perceptions- Perceivers are likely to see members of stereotypes groups as more similar to the stereotype than they actually are- Perceivers remember stereotype-consistent information about othersInfluences of Stereotypes on interactions- Interactions can become awkward- Operation of meta-stereotypesStigmatization - Being persistently stereotyped, perceived as deviant & devalued in society because of membership in a particular social group or because of a particular characteristic- Anyone can be a target of stigmatization.- 3 major types of stigma: tribal, abominations of the body & blemishes of character- Stigmas can be visible or concealableWhy Do Stereotypes Endure?1.) Illusory Correlations- Distinctiveness of a minority group member gets connected with a distinctive behavior. Tendency to see relationships, or correlations, between events or traits that are actually unrelated to have only small associations 2.) Attributions- when an “out group” member behaves:…as we expected, we make dispositional (internal) attributions…inconsistent with our expectations, we may search for situational causes3.) Subtyping- When people encounter “expectations” to their stereotypes, they might create a newsubtype for this exception4.) Confirmation Biases- People interpret & seek info about person that confirms their stereotype. Can lead to self-fulfilling prophecyMedia- contributes to maintenance of stereotypes2 Step Process in Activation of stereotypesAutomatic Processing: Almost automatically, stereotypes are triggered by presence of stimulusControlled Processing: With awareness & control, you can choose to ignore stereotypeLecture 15 (10/15)Overcoming Stereotypes- Amount of personal information- Cognitive ability- Motivation level