Social Influences on Behavior Social influences on behavior This paper will attempt to explore and explain basic concepts of human interactions regarding a perspective on psychology and examples given regarding how human behaviors change based on different social situations, including specific behaviors, environments in which the behaviors occurred, associated phenomenon associated with behaviors, and if the behavior exhibits any necessary therapeutic intervention. Social Influences on Behavior Social psychology and sociology are very similar and travel the same path. Conformity may make a new situation easier and combining the identity to a group is a social identity theory. An individual’s behavior often changes by changing the individual’s environment or group setting. Humans crave social interactions; to withhold social interaction is a squandered effort.
Macro Theories focus on major structural features and give us an understanding of how societies survive and change. The Micro Theories focus on how individuals interpret the social world. Explain one Micro Theory and discuss, using examples, four differences between the Macro and the Micro perspectives. Sociological Theory A sociological theory is a group of ideas that seek to explain the norms and behaviours of human society. In other words, they help us to relate the larger social picture to our own personal lives.
Written Assignment 1. Explain how variables such as social inter actions, cognitive processes, environmental variables, cultural context, and biological factors shape what social psychology is all about and how it is practiced. Social Psychology is based on many components such as social interactions, cognitive processes, environmental variables, cultural context, and biological factors. Social psychology explains the nature of one’s behavior and is the key element that influence the way an individual think, feel and behave. Social interactions is the process in which individuals act towards or respond to other in any given situation.
Outline principles that define the cognitive level of analysis. This essay will give a brief summary of the principles that define the cognitive level of analysis. The cognitive level of analysis (CLA) is based on how mental processes such as perception, attention, language, memory and thinking in the brain processes information. It concerns the way we take in information from the outside world, how we make sense of that information and what use we make of it. There are three underlying principles that define the CLA: Human beings are information processors and that mental representations guide behaviour, mental processes can and should be studied scientifically by developing theories and by using a variety of research methods, Social and cultural factors affect cognitive processes.
4) Discuss how the principles of Social Penetration Theory (SPT) and Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT) overlap. How can initial interactions (as discussed in URT) be compared to developing relationships (as discussed in SPT)? Further, delineate how self-disclosure functions in both theories. 5) Discuss the interpretation and the role of silence in Communication Privacy Management Theory and in Relational Dialectics Theory. 6) Decision-making is an essential component in both Structuration Theory and Groupthink.
The term group dynamics implies that individual behaviours may differ depending on individuals' current or prospective connections to a sociological group. Group dynamics is the field of study within the social sciences that focuses on the nature of groups. Urges to belong or to identify may make for distinctly different attitudes (recognized or unrecognized), and the influence of a group may rapidly become strong, influencing or overwhelming individual proclivities and actions. The group dynamics may also include changes in behaviour of a person when he is represented before a group, the behavioural pattern of a person vis-a-vis group. Group dynamics form a basis for group therapy.
How this will be accomplished will be by comparing and contrasting their assumptions. Then I will state my opinion on which of the two better fits my personal sociological views. Functionalism and the conflict theory are sociological perspectives that present different assertions of studying the society and how the resultant perspectives of the society are enhanced. The functionalist perspective perceives the society as a system and on a large scale. The functionalist perspective presents social moulding of an individual rather than use of force to the individual in order to carry out societal roles.
Sociological Perspectives There are three different perspectives to the way society works; these are structuralist perspective, conflict perspective and symbolic/interactionist perspective. Interpretative Perspective Interpretive sociology is a theoretical perspective based on the idea that a sociological understanding of behaviour must include the meaning that social actors give to what they and others do. When people interact, they interpret what is going on and this is what gives social life its patterned quality. Symbolic Internationalism This perspective relies on the symbolic meaning that people develop and rely upon in the process of social interaction. Interaction between individuals is negotiated through shared symbols, gestures and nonverbal communications.
The term was introduced into social science by Lippman (1992) who defined stereotypes as pictures in our heads. Social perception is what helps people to understand other people; it is defined as social cognition which is the ability of the brain to store and process information. It allows people to make impressions and judgments on other individuals being based on observation and also providing the necessary information about how people usually behave across situations. If an individual observes certain traits in another person, they tend to assume that their other personality traits are concurrent with the initial
Social Influences on Behavior Social psychology represents the branch of psychology that examines how a social phenomenon influences people’s interactions with those around them. Social psychology not only often times influences our decision making and actions but also affects how we view our selves and those around us. When applying social psychology the following concepts are examined self-concept, social cognition, attribution, social influence, group processes, prejudice and discrimination, interpersonal processes, aggression, attitudes and stereotypes. Most of us can think of at least one time where we choose our behavior based on the fact that we wanted to maintain status, attract social relationships, protect ourselves or to simply just feel fulfill a goal or need. The feeling to fulfill a need or goal is based on the concept that behavior is goal oriented and makes us feel obligated to conform to social standard.