Showing papers on "Social psychology (sociology) published in 2006"

Psychological perspectives on legitimacy and legitimation.

Abstract: Legitimacy is a psychological property of an authority, institution, or social arrangement that leads those connected to it to believe that it is appropriate, proper, and just. Because of legitimacy, people feel that they ought to defer to decisions and rules, following them voluntarily out of obligation rather than out of fear of punishment or anticipation of reward. Being legitimate is important to the success of authorities, institutions, and institutional arrangements since it is difficult to exert influence over others based solely upon the possession and use of power. Being able to gain voluntary acquiescence from most people, most of the time, due to their sense of obligation increases effectiveness during periods of scarcity, crisis, and conflict. The concept of legitimacy has a long history within social thought and social psychology, and it has emerged as increasingly important within recent research on the dynamics of political, legal, and social systems.

The grammar of society

Abstract: In The Grammar of Society, first published in 2006, Cristina Bicchieri examines social norms, such as fairness, cooperation, and reciprocity, in an effort to understand their nature and dynamics, the expectations that they generate, and how they evolve and change. Drawing on several intellectual traditions and methods, including those of social psychology, experimental economics and evolutionary game theory, Bicchieri provides an integrated account of how social norms emerge, why and when we follow them, and the situations where we are most likely to focus on relevant norms. Examining the existence and survival of inefficient norms, she demonstrates how norms evolve in ways that depend upon the psychological dispositions of the individual and how such dispositions may impair social efficiency. By contrast, she also shows how certain psychological propensities may naturally lead individuals to evolve fairness norms that closely resemble those we follow in most modern societies.

The Cambridge handbook of acculturation psychology.

Abstract: If unable to reach Dr. Allen, you can call the Psychology Department direct. Contact Cambridge Handbook of Acculturation Psychology. ( pp. 198-217). The Cambridge Handbook of Acculturation Psychology. Sam, David L. Berry, John W. Published: Not yet published available from May 2016 van de Vijver, Fons J. R., Department of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Tilburg Sam J. Berry (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of acculturation psychology (pp.

Legitimacy as a Social Process

Abstract: To gain an in-depth understanding of legitimacy as a general social process, we review contemporary approaches to legitimacy within two areas of sociology: social psychology and organizations. A comparison of these distinct approaches allows us to explain the process, both in implicit and explicit ways at different levels of analysis, through which a social object is construed as legitimate. This comparison also suggests four stages in the process by which new social objects, both individual (worthy/unworthy individuals) and collective (organizational forms), gain legitimation: innovation, local validation, diffusion, and general validation. We then show how legitimation of the status quo—that is, the acceptance of widespread consensual schemas/beliefs in the larger society—often fosters the stability of nonoptimal actions and practices that are created as a result of these new individual and collective social objects. Finally, we discuss how consensual beliefs such as status beliefs and cultural capital ...

Finding "meaning" in psychology: a lay theories approach to self-regulation, social perception, and social development.

Abstract: Much of psychology focuses on universal principles of thought and action. Although an extremely productive pursuit, this approach, by describing only the "average person," risks describing no one in particular. This article discusses an alternate approach that complements interests in universal principles with analyses of the unique psychological meaning that individuals find in their experiences and interactions. Rooted in research on social cognition, this approach examines how people's lay theories about the stability or malleability of human attributes alter the meaning they give to basic psychological processes such as self-regulation and social perception. Following a review of research on this lay theories perspective in the field of social psychology, the implications of analyzing psychological meaning for other fields such as developmental, cultural, and personality psychology are discussed.

Expectation states theory.

Abstract: Expectation states theory is, in many ways, a textbook example of a theoretical research program. It is deductive, programmatic, formalized mathematically, cumulative, precise, and predictive; and its propositions have been subjected to rigorous evaluation. More importantly, however, it is a theory that illuminates core issues in social psychology and sociology more broadly. It is fundamentally a “macro-micro-macro” explanation about one way that categorical inequality is reproduced in society. Cultural beliefs about social categories at the macro level impact behavior and evaluation at the individual level, which acts to reproduce status structures that are consistent with pre-existing macro-level beliefs. Status structures in groups can be thought of as the building blocks of more macro-level structural inequalities in society. For example, to the extent that status processes make it less likely for women in work groups to emerge or be accepted as leaders, in the aggregate we will observe that more men than women hold leadership positions in organizations, a stratification pattern that is reproduced at least partially by the way macro-level beliefs impact individual behaviors and evaluations.

The Mark of Shame: Stigma of Mental Illness and an Agenda for Change

Abstract: Introduction 1. What is Mental Disorder and What is Stigma? 2. Perspectives from Social Psychology, Sociology, and Evolutionary Psychology 3. Historical Perspectives on Mental Illness and Stigma 4. Modern Conceptions of Mental Disorder 5. Evidence from Scientific Investigations 6. Indicators of Stigma from Everyday Life 7. Stigma of Mental Illness: An Integration 9. Overcoming Stigma I: Legislation, Policy, and Community Efforts 10. Overcoming Stigma II: Media and Mental Health Professionals 11. Overcoming Stigma III: Families and Individuals 12. Concluding Issues

Rumor Psychology: Social and Organizational Approaches

Abstract: In "Rumor Psychology: Social and Organizational Approaches", expert rumor researchers Nicholas DiFonzo and Prashant Bordia investigate how rumors start and spread, the accuracy of different types of rumor, and how rumors can be controlled, particularly given their propagation across media outlets and within organizations. Rumors are an enduring feature of our social and organizational landscapes. They attract attention, evoke emotion, incite involvement, affect attitudes and actions - and they are ubiquitous. Rumor transmission is motivated by three broad psychological motivations - fact-finding, relationship-enhancement, and self-enhancement - all of which help individuals and groups make sense in the face of uncertainty. Rumor is closely entwined with a host of social and organizational phenomena, including social cognition, attitude formation and maintenance, prejudice and stereotyping, group dynamics, interpersonal and intergroup relations, social influence, and organizational trust and communication. Organizational rumors, in contrast with natural disaster rumors, tend to be highly accurate, with accuracy being affected by cognitive, motivational, situational, group, and network factors. DiFonzo and Bordia describe how managers can most effectively manage and refute rumors and infer that employee trust in management inhibits rumor activity.

Social identity in industrial and organizational psychology: concepts, controversies and contributions

Abstract: It is now 25 years since the publication of Tajfel and Turner’s (1979) seminal statement on social identity theory and 15 years since Ashforth and Mael (1989) published their classic Academy of Management Review article pointing to the potential value of using this theory to enhance researchers’ understanding of organizational life. Whatever else the latter article may have achieved, it is clear that it was highly prophetic, as, over the intervening period, industrial and organizational psychologists’ interest in social identity and related concepts has increased at a phenomenal rate. On top of nearly 300 citations of the Ashforth and Mael paper, this is indicated, among other developments, by the publication of several key books and journal special issues devoted to research in this area (e.g., Albert, Ashforth, & Dutton, 2000; Haslam, 2001, 2004; Haslam, van Knippenberg, Platow, & Ellemers, 2003; Hogg & Terry, 2001; Tyler & Blader, 2000; van Knippenberg & Hogg, 2001) and the exponential rise in articles that make reference to the terms ‘social’ and/or ‘organizational’ identity (for details see Haslam, 2004, p. xxv; Haslam, Postmes, & Ellemers, 2003). As the range of journals listed in Table 2.1 indicates, it is also apparent that this research has had a broad as well as a deep impact on the field. These trends indicate that a thoroughgoing review of the status of social identity in industrial and organizational fields is very timely (see also

Behavioral Economics and Marketing in Aid of Decision Making Among the Poor

Abstract: This article considers several aspects of the economic decision making of the poor from the perspective of behavioral economics, and it focuses on potential contributions from marketing. Among other things, the authors consider some relevant facets of the social and institutional environments in which the poor interact, and they review some behavioral patterns that are likely to arise in these contexts. A behaviorally more informed perspective can help make sense of what might otherwise be considered “puzzles” in the economic comportment of the poor. A behavioral analysis suggests that substantial welfare changes could result from relatively minor policy interventions, and insightful marketing may provide much needed help in the design of such interventions.

Beyond the 'new cross-cultural psychiatry': cultural biology, discursive psychology and the ironies of globalization.

Abstract: The ‘new cross-cultural psychiatry’ heralded by Kleinman in 1977 promised a revitalized tradition that gave due respect to cultural difference and did not export psychiatric theories that were themselves culture bound. In the ensuing years, the view of culture within anthropology has continued to change, along with our understanding of the relationship of biological processes to cultural diversity, and the global political economic contexts in which mental health care is delivered. This article considers the implications of these new notions of culture, biology and the context of practice for theory in cultural psychiatry. The future of cultural psychiatry lies in advancing a broad perspective that: (a) is inherently multidisciplinary (involving psychiatric epidemiology, medical anthropology and sociology, cognitive science and social psychology), breaking down the nature/culture dichotomy with an integrative view of culture as a core feature of human biology, while remaining alert to cultural constructio...

Target practice: an organizational impression management approach to attracting minority and female job applicants

Abstract: On account of a number of factors, many companies have increased recruitment targeting female and ethnic or racial minority job applicants. Despite evidence suggesting that these applicants are attracted by different factors than traditional applicants and an abundance of recruitment tactics suggested in the popular press, no empirically based approach to recruiting these populations has emerged. This article reviews and integrates literature on organizational impression management, recruitment, marketing, and social psychology and provides a framework to assist practitioners in attracting minority and female job applicants. In addition, several avenues for future research are discussed.

Families across cultures: A 30-nation psychological study

Abstract: Contemporary trends such as increased one-parent families, high divorce rates, second marriages and homosexual partnerships have all contributed to variations in the traditional family structure. But to what degree has the function of the family changed and how have these changes affected family roles in cultures throughout the world? This book attempts to answer these questions through a psychological study of families in thirty nations, carefully selected to present a diverse cultural mix. The study utilises both cross-cultural and indigenous perspectives to analyse variables including family networks, family roles, emotional bonds, personality traits, self-construal, and ‘family portraits’ in which the authors address common core themes of the family as they apply to their native countries. From the introductory history of the study of the family to the concluding indigenous psychological analysis of the family, this book is a unique source for students and researchers in psychology, sociology and anthropology.

How Children Develop Social Understanding

Abstract: Series Editor's Preface. Preface. 1. Social Understanding and Social Interaction: An introduction to the issues. 2. Contemporary Theories of Social Understanding. 3. Understanding False Beliefs. 4. The Development of Social Understanding in Infancy. 5. Domain General Approaches to Reasoning about the Mind. 6. Social Interaction and the Development of Social Understanding: The role of relationships in social cognitive development. 7. Language and Social Understanding. 8. Beyond (False) Belief: What do preschoolers still have to learn about the mind?. 9. Social Understanding and Children's Social Lives. 10. Constructing an Understanding of Mind. References. Author Index. Subject Index.

Social Structure and Personality

Abstract: Social structure and personality (SSP) research is concerned with the relationship between macro-social systems or processes and individual feelings, attitudes, and behaviors. It is considered a perspective or framework rather than a theoretical paradigm because it is not associated with general theoretical claims that transcend specific substantive problems. Rather, it provides a set of orienting principles that can be applied across diverse substantive areas. These principles direct our attention to the hierarchically organized processes through which macrostructures come to have relevance for the inner lives of individual persons and, in theory, the processes through which individual persons come to alter social systems. Although the SSP name implies an exclusive focus on social structures, SSP research is concerned more broadly with social systems, sets of "persons and social positions or roles that possess both a culture and a social structure" (House, 1981, p. 542). Whereas House (1981) notes that social structure can be used to refer to "any or all aspects of social systems," he and other SSP researchers define social structure more precisely as "a persisting and bounded pattern of social relationships (or pattern of behavioral intention) among the units (persons or positions) in a social system" (House, 1981, p. 542, emphasis in the original). This definition encompasses features of the macro-social order such as the structure of the labor market and systems of social stratification as well as processes such as industrialization. In contrast, culture is used in SSP research to refer to "a set of cognitive and evaluative beliefs— beliefs about what is or what ought to be—that are shared by the members of a social system and transmitted to new members" (House, 1981, p. 542). The distinction between structure and culture is not always maintained in practice (a point we discuss in more detail later), but

The Business of Ethics and Gender

Abstract: Unethical decision-making behavior within organizations has received increasing attention over the past ten years. As a result, a plethora of studies have examined the relationship between gender and business ethics. However, these studies report conflicting results as to whether or not men and women differ with regards to business ethics. In this article, we propose that gender identity theory [Spence: 1993, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 64, 624–635], provides both the theory and empirical measures to explore the influence of psychological gender traits and gender-role attitudes on ethical perceptions of workplace behaviors. Statistical analyses of the data reveal that based on sex alone, no differences occur between men and women in their ethical perceptions. Yet, when a multidimensional approach to gender is applied, results show that expressive traits and egalitarian gender-role attitudes contribute to both men’s and women’s propensity to perceive unethical workplace behaviors as unethical. The implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are presented.

Language testing : The social dimension

Abstract: In this book, the authors foreground an aspect of language testing that is usually not much discussed and is frequently considered an "advanced" topic: the social dimension of language testing. They see various social dimensions in language testing. There are socially oriented language tests, i.e., tests which assess learners' ability to use language in social settings. These are primarily oral proficiency interviews and tests of second language pragmatics. But the authors also understand "social" as "societal" and look at the larger-scale impact of tests on individual learners or groups of learners by discussing fairness and bias in language testing. They also broaden their view and discuss the role of language testing in a macro-social context, e.g. as accountability measures in education systems, as gatekeeping instruments for migration, and as tools for constructing and defining social groups. Their discussion is anchored in traditional and more recent views of validity theory. © 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Social Psychology in Sport

Abstract: Part I. Relationships in Sport Part II. Coach Leadership and Group Dynamics Part III. Motivational Climate Part IV. Key Social and Cognitive Processes in Sport Part V. The Athlete in the Wider Sport Environment.

Individuality and the Group: Advances in Social Identity

Abstract: Social identity research has transformed psychology and the social sciences. Developed around intergroup relations, perspectives on social identity have now been applied fruitfully to a diverse array of topics and domains, including health, organizations and management, culture, politics and group dynamics. In many of these new areas, the focus has been on groups, but also very much on the autonomous individual. This has been an exciting development, and has prompted a rethinking of the relationship between personal identity and social identity - the issue of individuality in the group. This book brings together an international selection of prominent researchers at the forefront of this development. They reflect on the issue of individuality in the group and on how thinking about social identity has changed. Together, these chapters chart a key development in the field: how social identity perspectives inform understanding of cohesion, unity and collective action, but also how they help us understand individuality, agency, autonomy, disagreement, and diversity within groups. This text is valuable to advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students studying social psychology where intergroup relations and group processes are a central component. Given its wider reach, however, it will also be of interest to those in cognate disciplines where social identity perspectives have application potential.

Parental Expertise, Trustworthiness, and Accessibility: Parent‐Adolescent Communication and Adolescent Risk Behavior

Abstract: A communication framework of persuasion and attitude change was utilized to analyze parent-adolescent communication about adolescent risk behavior. Three parent dimensions were deemed important: (a) perceived expertise, (b) perceived trustworthiness, and (c) perceived accessibility. Data were collected in surveys from 668 mother-adolescent dyads in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods in New York City (N = 668). Results showed weak correspondence between how expert, trustworthy, and accessible mothers thought they were on the one hand and how their sons and daughters characterized them on the other. All dimensions were related to how often adolescents said they talked with their mothers about a risk behavior, which, in turn, was predictive of lower levels of adolescent risk behavior. Implications for future research are discussed. Key Words: adolescence, adolescent sexual/contraceptive behavior, communication, parent-adolescent relations, sexual behavior, tobacco use. Considerable research has been conducted on parent-adolescent communication as a factor that influences adolescent risk behavior. Whereas early research questioned a link between these constructs, more recent studies have been supportive (e.g., Hutchinson, Jemmott, Jemmott, Braverman, & Fong, 2003; Jaccard, Dodge, & Dittus, 2002; Miller, Forehand, & Kotchick, 1999; Simons-Morton, 2002). In addition to direct links, studies have found that parent-adolescent communication moderates relationships between other variables and adolescent risk behavior. For example, Whitaker and Miller (2000) found peer norms were associated more strongly with sexual activity for adolescents who had not discussed sex or condoms with a parent, as opposed to those who had engaged in such conversations. Although some studies have yielded contradictory results (e.g., Darling & Hicks, 1982; Widmer, 1997), the bulk of current research suggests that parent-adolescent communication serves as a protective factor for adolescent risk activity (Dittus, Jaccard, & Gordon, 1999; Litrownik et al., 2000). Most research on parent-adolescent communication correlates measures of the frequency of communication about the risk behavior in question to measures of risk activity. The communication process obviously is more complex than this, and the field can benefit from richer theoretical frameworks that can organize and guide research on parent-adolescent communication. Jaccard et al. (2002) present such a framework. Their approach draws on perspectives from attitude change and persuasion research in social psychology. It is restricted to the situation where a parent is trying to persuade or convince a child to perform or not perform a behavior. Jaccard et al. (2002) recognize that parent-adolescent communication is reciprocal and dynamic in character but suggest that it also is useful to think about such communication from a top-down perspective. The theoretical framework conceptualizes communication in terms of five facets: (a) the source of a communication (the parent), (b) the communication itself (often referred to as the message), (c) the medium or channel through which the message is transmitted (e.g., face-toface, written materials), (d) the recipient of the communication (the adolescent), and (e) the context in which the communication occurs. Each of these components has subcomponents. For example, sources of a message differ in their age, gender, expertise, and trustworthiness. Recipients of communications differ in their motivational states, emotional states, past experiences, and expectations. The surrounding environment varies in terms of its temporal, physical, social, and cultural features. Variations in each of these five components represent independent variables that ultimately affect how an adolescent responds to parental communications. The present research focuses primarily on one facet of the theory, namely, source characteristics of parents that influence adolescent risk behavior. …

Building Trust in Economic Space

Abstract: While there is widespread recognition of the importance and role of trust in facilitating regional development, technology transfer, and agglomeration economies, the concept remains rather undertheorized within economic geography and regional science This paper reviews and assesses the literature on the role and constitution of trust for economic and industrial development and presents a conceptualization of the trust building process that accounts for the influences of agency, institutions, materials, and interpersonal expression In doing so, geographic concerns about the role of space and context are linked to economic and sociological conceptualizations of trust and to scholarship from actor-network theory (ANT) and social psychology regarding the influence of power, non-human intermediaries, and performance on social outcomes and network configurations The result is a heuristic framework for analyzing trust-building processes as temporally and spatially situated social phenomena shaped by context-s

Self-control Depletion and the General Theory of Crime

Abstract: Criminological research on self-control focuses mainly on self-control failure. Such research has not, however, investigated the consequences of exercising self-control for the individual doing so. The present study investigates this issue within the framework of both criminological self-control theory and research on self-control depletion from social psychology, which depicts self-control as akin to a “muscle” that is “depletable” by prior use [Muraven and Baumeister (2000) Psycholog Bull 126:247–259]. Results are presented from a laboratory experiment in which students have the opportunity to cheat. Both “trait self-control,” as measured by the Grasmick et al. [(1993) J Res Crime Delinq 30:5–29] self-control inventory, and “self-control depletion” independently predicted cheating. The implications of these findings are explored for criminological perspectives on self-control and offender decision-making.

Beyond dependence: An identity approach to social power and domination

Abstract: This article outlines a new approach to the social psychology of power. Specifically, it challenges the currently influential conflictoriented dependence analysis, in which power operates as an almost exclusively repressive force. Drawing on relevant work from other social science disciplines, the article presents an identity model of power, in which both consensus and conflict play important roles. The model theorizes power as a productive as well as repressive force, and differentiates between social power toachieve desired outcomes and social power overothers (domination). The implications of the model for two classic issues in the power literature are considered: the relationship between power and status, and challenges to power (resistance and social change). The model's empirical potential is also discussed.

Risk in social science

Abstract: This book is designed as an introduction to recent social science work on risk and is intended primarily for students in sociology, social psychology, and psychology, although it will also be useful for those studying political science, government, public policy, and economics. It is written by leading experts actively involved in research in the field.

‘Complex Socialization’: A Framework for the Study of State Socialization

Abstract: The article presents a model for the study of norms transfer through state socialization, which combines a Social Constructivist body of theory for ideational change with Social Identity Theory (SIT) for identity formation. The model privileges self- and other categorization processes which according to SIT takes place between all social groups, as the main determinant for the outcome of state socialization. By also reconceptualizing domestic structure into two separate we-groups; state/elite and nation/people, which may have different self- and other categorization dynamics, the model is able to not only account for the common occurrence of different outcomes of socialization in apparently similar cases, but is also able to take the mass domestic level into consideration. The question that is asked is therefore ‘why do the same norms matter so differently to apparently similar agents?’