Social Identity Theory

Social Identity Theory

                “The social identity theory was developed by Tajfel and Turner in 1979; initially to understand the psychological basis of intergroup discrimination. They wanted to identify the minimal conditions that would lead members of one group to discriminate in favor of the ingroup to which they belonged and against another group.”

                Individuals in all cultures make distinctions amount the individuals with whom they interact. An example of this would be people who one interacts with at work.One type of meaningful social relationship that people of all societies make in ingroups and outgroups.

                Ingroup: Characterized by history of shared, also similar, experiences and anticipated future. An example of this would be having a similar connection with someone you work with maybe you are both from the same city or share interest in the same team. An ingroup also produces sense of intimacy, familiarity and trust.

                Cultures differ in formation and structure of self-ingroup and self-outgroup relationships. An example of such would be of a person being in an ingroup and starting to think about what the outgroup is thinking, the ingroup therefore, begins to stereotype about the outgroup.

The meaning of Ingroup/Outgroup Relationships

In Individualistic cultures, people                     

Have more ingroups

Are not attached to any single group

Survival of individual and society more dependent on individual

Make less distinctions between in- and outgroups

In Collectivistic cultures, people

Have fewer ingroups

Are very attached to the ingroups to which they belong

Survival of individual and society more dependent on individual

Make large distinctions between in-and outgroups.

                In reading about Social Identity I found that ingroups and outgroups still exists many times within different cultures and situations. I can see this occurring quite often with different cultures in schools. 

Five Factor Model (FFM) of Personality

                

             “The FFM is a conceptual model built around five distinct and basic personality dimensions that appear to be universal for all humans.” This model is important in understanding the relationship between personality and culture. The analysis came about by different questionnaires among various cultures by using both different traits in languages and personality dimensions.

             

            The Five Dimensions are:

1.       Openness

2.       Conscientiousness

3.       Extraversion

4.       Agreeableness

5.       Neuroticism

The Five Factor Model came about after several researchers found similar personality traits across their studies. Below are the five dimensions in further detail along with examples:

O	Openness - sometimes called Intellect - (inventive / curious vs. consistent / cautious).	Openness is a willingness to consider new or unusual ideas.Open people have a general appreciation for art, science, emotion and adventure. They display traits such as a strong imagination, curiosity. The characteristic distinguishes imaginative people from down-to-earth, conventional people. People who are open to experiences are intellectually curious, appreciative of art, and sensitive to beauty. They tend to be, compared to closed people, more creative and more aware of their own feelings. They are more likely to hold unconventional beliefs. People with low scores on openness tend to have more conventional, traditional interests. They prefer the plain, straightforward, and obvious over the complex, ambiguous, and subtle. They may regard the arts and sciences with suspicion or even view these endeavors as uninteresting.
C	Conscientiousness -   (efficient / organized vs. easy-going / careless)	Conscientiousness is a tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement. The trait shows a preference for planned rather than spontaneous behaviour. It influences the way in which we control, regulate, and direct our impulses. Conscientiousness includes the factor known as Need for Achievement (NAch).
E	Extraversion - (outgoing / energetic vs. shy / reserved).	Extraversion is characterized by positive emotions, surgency, and the tendency to seek out stimulation and the company of others. The trait is marked by pronounced engagement with the external world. Extraverts enjoy the stimulation of other people's ideas and opinions. They often like being with people, and are frequently perceived as full of energy. They tend to be enthusiastic, action-oriented individuals who are likely to say "Yes!" or "Let's go!" to opportunities for excitement. In groups they feel the need to express themselves - to talk, assert themselves, and draw attention to themselves. Introverts do not have the driving need for external stimulus. They therefore lack the social exuberance and activity levels of extraverts. They tend to seem quiet, low-key, deliberate, and less involved in the social world. Their lack of social involvement should not be interpreted as shyness or depression. Introverts simply need less stimulation than extraverts and more time alone. They may be very active and energetic in many ways, but just not socially.
A	Agreeableness - (friendly / compassionate vs. competitive / outspoken).	Agreeableness is a tendency to be compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic towards others. The trait reflects concern for social harmony. It is a measurement of the extent to which we put other people’s interests above our own. Some agreeable individuals value getting along with others so much that they are willing to cover up their true feelings in order not to offend someone else (that can be problematic). Agreeable people usually have an optimistic view of human nature - believing people are basically honest, decent, and trustworthy.They are generally viewed as considerate, friendly, generous, helpful, because they are willing to compromise their interests with others.They also are generally empathetic - able to understand how someone else is feeling, and this motivates them to make the other person feel 'better'. Outspoken, tactless individuals place the need to be honest about how they feel above compromising their views just in order to get along with other people. They are generally more concerned with 'being true to themselves' rather than making others feel comfortable. They are therefore unlikely to tell white lies in social situations to make things go smoothly. In fact they can often be blunt and tactless. They are not concerned with 'getting on with others' and making other people feel happy in whatever situation they find themselves in. This does not mean that they care less than the agreeable person - just that they feel being honest about their opinions is the best course of action. This can lead to friction in families and in the workplace, but such people feel that it is better to have problems out in the open rather than covered just up to smooth the path through life. They are less likely to extend themselves for other people as 'being liked and appreciated' is not important to them and so they can appear very selfish. If they do put themselves out for someone it is most likely that they will do so anonimously. Sometimes skepticism about others’ motives causes them to be suspicious, unfriendly, and uncooperative.
N	Neuroticism - sometimes referred to as emotional instability -  (sensitive / nervous vs. secure / confident).	Neuroticism is the tendency to experience negative emotions, such as anger, anxiety, or depression. It is sometimes called emotional instability. Those who score high in neuroticism are emotionally reactive and vulnerable to stress. They are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. Their negative emotional reactions tend to persist for unusually long periods of time, which means they are often in a bad mood. These problems in emotional regulation can diminish the ability of a person scoring high on neuroticism to think clearly, make decisions, and cope effectively with stress.At the other end of the scale, individuals who score low in neuroticism are less easily upset and are less emotionally reactive. They tend to be calm, emotionally stable, and free from persistent negative feelings. Freedom from negative feelings does not mean that low scorers experience a lot of positive feelings - it just means they don't get those extreme lows!

This model is a great example of how culture and personality can be seen now-a-days. Knowing someones personality type based on culture can assist many in future decisions, for example this FFM would be a great tool to use with the new DSM-IV in finding needed behavioral diagnosis based on a persons cultural background and personality type.

http://www.cybercomputing.co.uk/MBTI/Big_Five_Personality.htm

Mr. Urie Bronfenbrenner

Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory of Human Development

“Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory provides a useful framework for organizing the many dimensions of enculturation.”Bronfenbrenner’s theory consists of four different ecologies that vary in environments. Below is an image that further shows the information.

“Bronfenbrenner argues that it is only by examining the child in relation to his or her contexts, can we understand how a child develops. An important tenet of ecological systems theory is that children are not simply passive recipients of the enculturation and socialization process.” What he means by this is that children are learning and gathering their knowledge of culture from various places and areas in their life. Day to day activities and places where children spend time hold a huge influence in them learning the various cultures and their own development.

The theory is explained as such:

Microsystem: This is a child’s immediate surrounding, such as their family members, peer groups, school and social groups in which children hold direct interaction with.

            An example of this could be: A parent or a teacher

Mesosystem: This is the child’s links between the Microsystem.

            An example of this could be: How something occurring to a child’s teacher could affect the child. (The link between something like a teacher and family)

Exosystem: Is the context that indirectly affects children.

            An example of this could be: How media, neighbors, church influences and affects a child.

Macrosystem: This is the attitudes and ideologies of the culture.

            An example of this could be: Culture, religion and society and how they affect a child.

Chronosystem: This is the influence of time and history on the other systems.

            An example of this could be: An event in a child’s life that influences that said child. 


This theory can be still be used now to study child development especially when adopting children from different cultures and comparing to children in the culture in which they will be going into. 

Mission Statement - Where it all begins.........

Mission Statement:

          
This is the start of a blog where discussions of different and interesting information and thoughts from things that I’ve learned in my Psychology and Culture class. Some of the items that I will be discussing will include how psychology is defined, involved and influenced in different culture now-a-days.

          The first and most important thing that must be defined prior to moving forward with the blog is Matsumoto’s definition of “culture”. He defines it as follows:

“a unique meaning and information system, shared by a group and transmitted across generations, that allows the group to meet basic needs of survival, pursue happiness and well-being, and derive meaning from life”

I’m fairly sure that this definition will be something we continue to look back to in learning how Culture and Psychology interact. Altogether, this has been one of the most interesting and most informative class that I've taken in college. I've learned so much and I'm proud to say that's it's by far my favorite class so far. I highly recommend it. 

In this blog, I will be referencing to information found in the textbook: Culture and Psychology 5^th Edition – By David Matsumoto.