All flashcards
Flashcard 1: What is a group norm?
Answer: A shared rule or expectation guiding behavior in a group. Can be formal (written) or informal (unspoken).
Flashcard 2: Identify the term: A person belongs to several groups and must prioritize one identity now.
Answer: Salient identity (situationally activated group membership). Context determines which identity becomes prominent.
Flashcard 3: What is in-group favoritism?
Answer: Preferential attitudes or behavior toward one’s in-group. Reflects automatic preference for those perceived as similar to oneself.
Flashcard 4: What is a status in sociology?
Answer: A social position that carries rights, duties, and expectations. Statuses organize social hierarchy and interactions.
Flashcard 5: What is a primary group?
Answer: Small, close, long-lasting group with strong emotional ties. Examples include family and close friends.
Flashcard 6: What is a secondary group?
Answer: Large, impersonal group organized around a specific goal or task. Task-focused with limited emotional investment.
Flashcard 7: What is an example of a secondary group most consistent with MCAT definitions?
Answer: A workplace team organized to complete a project. Secondary groups are task-oriented and temporary.
Flashcard 8: What is the definition of a formal organization?
Answer: A structured group with explicit rules, roles, and hierarchy. Characterized by formal procedures and defined positions.
Flashcard 9: What is the definition of a bureaucracy (Weberian model)?
Answer: Formal organization with hierarchy, rules, specialization, and merit. Weber emphasized rationality and efficiency in bureaucracies.
Flashcard 10: What is the definition of a total institution (Goffman)?
Answer: Institution controlling all aspects of life under a single authority. Examples include prisons, military, and psychiatric hospitals.
Flashcard 11: What is the definition of a social network in sociology?
Answer: Pattern of social ties linking individuals and groups. Connections form the basis for social capital and information flow.
Flashcard 12: What is a social role?
Answer: Set of expectations for behavior tied to a social status. Roles guide appropriate behavior in social positions.
Flashcard 13: What is role strain?
Answer: Stress from competing demands within a single role. Occurs when one role has conflicting expectations.
Flashcard 14: What is role conflict?
Answer: Incompatible expectations between two or more roles. Arises when multiple roles have contradictory demands.
Flashcard 15: Which term describes adopting behaviors of a role without internal belief change?
Answer: Impression management (surface compliance). Goffman's concept of performing without internalizing.
Flashcard 16: What is an ascribed status?
Answer: Status assigned at birth or involuntarily (for example, race). Cannot be changed through individual action.
Flashcard 17: What is an achieved status?
Answer: Status earned through effort or choice (for example, physician). Reflects meritocracy and individual accomplishment.
Flashcard 18: What is the sociological definition of a social group (as opposed to a crowd)?
Answer: People with shared identity and enduring interaction patterns. Distinguishes groups from crowds by ongoing relationships and collective identity.
Flashcard 19: What is the key difference between an in-group and an out-group?
Answer: In-group: "us"; out-group: "them" relative to a social identity. Based on perceived membership in the social category.
Flashcard 20: What is the definition of a reference group in social psychology?
Answer: A group used as a standard for self-evaluation and behavior norms. Provides benchmarks for attitudes and behaviors.
Flashcard 21: What is a primary group in sociology?
Answer: A small, close-knit group with enduring, personal relationships. Examples include family and close friends with emotional bonds.
Flashcard 22: What is a reference group?
Answer: A group used as a standard for self-evaluation and behavior. Can be aspirational (desired) or comparative (contrast).
Flashcard 23: What is in-group bias?
Answer: Preference for and favorable evaluation of one’s in-group. Leads to discrimination even without real group differences.
Flashcard 24: What is an out-group?
Answer: A group to which an individual does not belong or identify. Often viewed negatively due to in-group bias effects.
Flashcard 25: What is an in-group?
Answer: A group with which an individual identifies as a member. Creates "us vs. them" distinctions in social psychology.
Flashcard 26: What is a secondary group in sociology?
Answer: A larger, goal-oriented group with impersonal, temporary ties. Examples include work teams or professional associations.
Flashcard 27: What is a social category (social group) in MCAT sociology terms?
Answer: People sharing a characteristic, with limited interaction/structure. Less cohesive than true groups; based on demographics.
Flashcard 28: What is a social network?
Answer: A web of social ties connecting individuals or groups. Includes both direct and indirect connections between people.
Flashcard 29: What is a dyad, and what is its key structural property?
Answer: A two-person group; it is unstable if one member leaves. Most intimate group size; requires both members to exist.
Flashcard 30: What is a triad, and what structural feature distinguishes it from a dyad?
Answer: A three-person group; it allows coalitions and greater stability. Two members can form alliance against the third.