Principles that Define the Sociocultural level of analysis Principle 1: Humans are social animals and have a need to “belong”. Principle 2: Culture influences behavior. Principle 3: Humans have a social self Principle 4: People’s views of the world are resistant to change and developed by community and culture. Be Reflexive pg. 102

Research Methods at the Sociocultural level of analysis Quantitative or Qualitative? Naturalistic to preserve ecological validity Participant Observation Interviews Focus Groups

Participant Observation Overt Participants know Trust factor “see the world throught their eyes” O’Reilly (2000) British expatriates Covert Potential hostility Might not be open and honest Deceit is used (lack of consent) Difficulty taking notes Potential for Distortion (relying on memory) Festinger et al. (1956) End of World Cult Ethical considerations?

Attribution Theory Attribution: how people interpret and explain causal relationships in the social world. People want to know: Why do things happen? Explain how people have different ways of attributing causes to events. Actor-observer effect Situational factors (external) Dispositional factors (internal)

Errors in Attributions Fundamental attribution error Lee et al. (1977) Gameshow What does this study reveal? Overestimate dispositional factors Why do people do this? Self-serving bias Greenberg et al. (1982) Miller and Ross (1975) Modesty Bias Kashima and Triandis (1986) Bond, Leung, and Wan (1982) Why do Asians tend to exhibit modesty bias vs. SSB

Social Identity Theory Individuals strive to improve their self-image by enhancing self esteem Personal achievement Successful group affiliation Indicates the importance of social belonging\ Social Categorization Used to explain Ethno-centrism Stereotyping In-group conformity Inter-group competition

Discuss Tajfel’s arguments about belonging to a group? In-group Out-group Favoritism Social Comparison Influences self-esteem Can you think of real world examples where this happens? Research Findings Kadinsky vs. Klee The boys looked more favorably on members of their “in” group.

Limitations of Social Identity Theory Describes but does not accurately predict human behavior. Reductionist Doesn’t address the environment Cultural expectations Rewards and motivators Societal Contraints (poverty) Which plays a greater role?

Social Representations Shared beliefs and explanations held by the society in which we live or the group to which we belong. Cultural schemas Provide common understanding for communication within the group

Stereotyping Social perception of an individual in terms of group membership or physical attributes. Stereotype Threat Fear of being judged stereotypically or doing something to confirm a stereotype Spotlight Anxiety Pressure that undermines performance

Formation of Stereotypes Social categorization Natural cognitive process that forms stereotypes Campbell (1967) Two main sources Personal Experience Gatekeepers: Media, parents, and members of our culture Grain of Truth Hypothesis: Experiences become generalized Hamilton and Gifford (1976) Illusory correlation: people see correlation when there is none. Confirmation Bias: people tend to seek out or remember information that confirms the bias.