Group Structure and Group Membership (8C) - MCAT Psychological and Social Foundations

Salient identity (situationally activated group membership). Context determines which identity becomes prominent.

Preferential attitudes or behavior toward one’s in-group. Reflects automatic preference for those perceived as similar to oneself.

A social position that carries rights, duties, and expectations. Statuses organize social hierarchy and interactions.

Small, close, long-lasting group with strong emotional ties. Examples include family and close friends.

Large, impersonal group organized around a specific goal or task. Task-focused with limited emotional investment.

A workplace team organized to complete a project. Secondary groups are task-oriented and temporary.

A structured group with explicit rules, roles, and hierarchy. Characterized by formal procedures and defined positions.

Formal organization with hierarchy, rules, specialization, and merit. Weber emphasized rationality and efficiency in bureaucracies.

Institution controlling all aspects of life under a single authority. Examples include prisons, military, and psychiatric hospitals.

Pattern of social ties linking individuals and groups. Connections form the basis for social capital and information flow.

Set of expectations for behavior tied to a social status. Roles guide appropriate behavior in social positions.

Stress from competing demands within a single role. Occurs when one role has conflicting expectations.

Incompatible expectations between two or more roles. Arises when multiple roles have contradictory demands.

Impression management (surface compliance). Goffman's concept of performing without internalizing.

Status assigned at birth or involuntarily (for example, race). Cannot be changed through individual action.

Status earned through effort or choice (for example, physician). Reflects meritocracy and individual accomplishment.

People with shared identity and enduring interaction patterns. Distinguishes groups from crowds by ongoing relationships and collective identity.

In-group: "us"; out-group: "them" relative to a social identity. Based on perceived membership in the social category.

A group used as a standard for self-evaluation and behavior norms. Provides benchmarks for attitudes and behaviors.

A small, close-knit group with enduring, personal relationships. Examples include family and close friends with emotional bonds.

A group used as a standard for self-evaluation and behavior. Can be aspirational (desired) or comparative (contrast).

Preference for and favorable evaluation of one’s in-group. Leads to discrimination even without real group differences.

A group to which an individual does not belong or identify. Often viewed negatively due to in-group bias effects.

A group with which an individual identifies as a member. Creates "us vs. them" distinctions in social psychology.

A larger, goal-oriented group with impersonal, temporary ties. Examples include work teams or professional associations.

People sharing a characteristic, with limited interaction/structure. Less cohesive than true groups; based on demographics.

A web of social ties connecting individuals or groups. Includes both direct and indirect connections between people.

A two-person group; it is unstable if one member leaves. Most intimate group size; requires both members to exist.

A three-person group; it allows coalitions and greater stability. Two members can form alliance against the third.