MCAT Psychological Social Foundations Flashcards: 9b Social Movements Collective Action

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This deck focuses on 9b Social Movements Collective Action, giving you a quick way to review the definitions, rules, and examples that matter most for MCAT Psychological Social Foundations.

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Flashcard 1: Identify the type of movement: seeks to change the entire society, not just a subgroup.

Answer: Revolutionary movement. Seeks complete transformation of social structures.

Flashcard 2: What is the free rider problem in collective action?

Answer: Individuals benefit from a public good without contributing to its production. Rational actors avoid costs while enjoying collective benefits.

Flashcard 3: Which term describes shared beliefs that justify and motivate a movement's goals?

Answer: Movement ideology. Coherent worldview provides rationale for action.

Flashcard 4: What is collective action in the context of social movements?

Answer: Coordinated group behavior aimed at achieving a shared political or social goal. Emphasizes shared goals and coordination among group members.

Flashcard 5: Identify the movement stage: participation declines and the movement ends or transforms.

Answer: Decline stage. Final stage through success, failure, co-optation, or repression.

Flashcard 6: What is an astroturf movement?

Answer: A seemingly grassroots effort that is actually organized by elites. Mimics grassroots appearance while being corporate or politically funded.

Flashcard 7: Identify the term for a movement seeking to fundamentally replace an existing social order.

Answer: Revolutionary movement. Aims to completely overthrow and rebuild social systems.

Flashcard 8: What is the bystander effect as applied to collective action participation?

Answer: Individuals are less likely to act when others are present. Presence of others reduces individual helping behavior.

Flashcard 9: What is a riot in the context of collective behavior?

Answer: A violent public disturbance by a crowd, often directed at people or property. Collective violence erupts from grievances or triggering events.

Flashcard 10: What is collective action?

Answer: Coordinated action by a group to pursue a shared interest. Groups work together toward common goals through organized efforts.

Flashcard 11: What is framing in social movement theory?

Answer: Shaping interpretation of issues to mobilize support and define grievances. Creates shared meanings through diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational frames.

Flashcard 12: Which concept best explains: people join a movement after seeing friends join on social media?

Answer: Social networks (network effects) facilitating mobilization. Peer influence through social ties reduces participation barriers.

Flashcard 13: What is group polarization in movement groups?

Answer: Group discussion shifts members toward more extreme initial positions. Like-minded groups amplify their shared viewpoints through discussion.

Flashcard 14: What is a grievance-based explanation of social movements?

Answer: Movements arise from perceived injustice or deprivation. Traditional view linking movements to feelings of unfairness or suffering.

Flashcard 15: What is relative deprivation as a cause of collective action?

Answer: Perceived disadvantage compared with others motivates protest and mobilization. Comparison to reference groups creates grievances that spur action.

Flashcard 16: What is a free rider in collective action?

Answer: A person who benefits from a public good without contributing to it. Creates the collective action problem by undermining group contributions.

Flashcard 17: What is groupthink as a decision-making risk in cohesive movement groups?

Answer: Pressure for consensus reduces critical evaluation of alternatives. Desire for harmony overrides rational decision-making.

Flashcard 18: What does new social movement theory emphasize?

Answer: Postindustrial movements focused on identity, culture, and quality of life. Contrasts with earlier class-based movements focused on material gains.

Flashcard 19: What does political process theory emphasize about movement emergence?

Answer: Political opportunities and institutional openness enable mobilization. External conditions matter more than internal grievances for timing.

Flashcard 20: What is political process (political opportunity) theory?

Answer: Movements grow when political opportunities and openings increase. Links movement emergence to favorable political conditions and elite divisions.

Flashcard 21: Which option best describes a new social movement (NSM) focus?

Answer: Identity, culture, and quality-of-life issues. Post-materialist values distinguish from economic movements.

Flashcard 22: What is relative deprivation theory?

Answer: Discontent from perceived gap between expectations and reality. Frustration arises from unmet expectations, not just poor conditions.

Flashcard 23: What is a selective incentive in collective action theory?

Answer: A benefit or cost applied only to contributors to encourage participation. Rewards or penalties target contributors to overcome free-riding.

Flashcard 24: What is a collective action frame?

Answer: Shared meaning that justifies and inspires collective action. Frames diagnose problems, propose solutions, and motivate participation.

Flashcard 25: What is a grievance in social movement research?

Answer: A perceived injustice or problem that motivates mobilization. Necessary but insufficient condition; requires resources to mobilize.

Flashcard 26: Which term describes adopting a movement's goals while rejecting its tactics or rhetoric?

Answer: Co-optation. Mainstream groups absorb ideas but dilute radical methods.

Flashcard 27: What is collective action in the context of social movements?

Answer: Group behavior aimed at achieving a shared goal or public good. Coordinated efforts where individuals work together despite personal costs.

Flashcard 28: Identify the movement type: seeks limited change to a specific policy or issue.

Answer: Reform movement. Works within system for incremental improvements.

Flashcard 29: What is the difference between relative and absolute deprivation?

Answer: Relative: perceived gap; absolute: lack of basic necessities. Relative compares to others; absolute measures objective conditions.

Flashcard 30: What is groupthink, and what is its key outcome in decision-making groups?

Answer: Desire for consensus suppresses dissent, producing poor or irrational decisions. Conformity pressure overrides critical thinking.

Flashcard 31: What is a free rider in the context of collective action?

Answer: A person who benefits from a public good without contributing. Exploits non-excludable nature of public goods.

Flashcard 32: Which type of movement aims for radical personal transformation of individuals?

Answer: Redemptive movement. Seeks total personal rebirth or spiritual transformation.

Flashcard 33: What is a social movement?

Answer: Organized, sustained collective effort to promote or resist social change. Differs from collective behavior by having structure and long-term goals.

Flashcard 34: What is the difference between civil disobedience and a riot?

Answer: Civil disobedience is nonviolent lawbreaking; riots are violent unrest. Key distinction is strategic nonviolence vs spontaneous violence.

Flashcard 35: What is the free rider problem in collective action?

Answer: Individuals may withhold effort because they can benefit without contributing. The free rider problem arises from rational choice theory, where individuals avoid costs of participation since benefits are shared regardless.

Flashcard 36: Identify the concept: a movement's demands are absorbed and neutralized by institutions.

Answer: Co-optation. Co-optation neutralizes movements by incorporating their elements into dominant institutions, diluting radical demands through assimilation.

Flashcard 37: What is the difference between a reform movement and a revolutionary movement?

Answer: Reform changes parts of a system; revolutionary replaces the entire system. Reform works within existing structures; revolutionary seeks total transformation.

Flashcard 38: Which concept best explains why a movement grows after a highly publicized crackdown?

Answer: Backlash (repression can increase mobilization). Repression can create martyrs and increase sympathy for cause.

Flashcard 39: What is a social movement?

Answer: Sustained, organized collective effort to promote or resist social change. Differs from spontaneous protests by having formal organization and persistence.

Flashcard 40: What does relative deprivation theory propose as a cause of collective action?

Answer: Perceived gap between expected and actual conditions motivates action. People compare their situation to others or their expectations.

Flashcard 41: What is a free rider in collective action?

Answer: A person who benefits from a public good without contributing to its provision. Free riders enjoy collective benefits without bearing costs.

Flashcard 42: Which option best describes a new social movement: economic redistribution or identity and quality-of-life issues?

Answer: Identity and quality-of-life issues. Focus on personal expression and lifestyle rather than class struggle.

Flashcard 43: What is a selective incentive in social movements?

Answer: A benefit or punishment that depends on whether an individual participates. Selective incentives motivate participation by linking personal gains or penalties directly to individual involvement in collective efforts.

Flashcard 44: What is resource mobilization theory of social movements?

Answer: Movements succeed by acquiring and deploying money, labor, media, and networks. Emphasizes tangible resources over grievances alone.

Flashcard 45: Identify the term for conforming because the group is seen as a source of accurate information.

Answer: Informational social influence. People follow others assumed to have better knowledge.

Flashcard 46: Which approach explains mobilization through shared meanings and identity (framing)?

Answer: New social movement theory. Post-materialist movements focused on identity over economics.

Flashcard 47: Identify the concept: A person supports a boycott but does not participate, expecting others will.

Answer: Free rider problem. Classic example of enjoying collective benefits without contributing effort.

Flashcard 48: What is the collective action problem?

Answer: Individuals may free-ride, reducing participation in public-good efforts. Rational actors avoid costs when they can gain benefits without participating.

Flashcard 49: What is a selective incentive, and what does it solve?

Answer: Targeted reward/punishment that reduces free-riding. Only contributors receive benefits, solving the free-rider problem.

Flashcard 50: What term describes the stage when a movement develops leadership and strategy?

Answer: Coalescence. Coalescence marks the transition to coordinated action, where leaders emerge to unify participants and develop tactical approaches.

Flashcard 51: What is diffusion of responsibility in group contexts?

Answer: Perceived personal obligation decreases when others are present. Shared responsibility dilutes individual accountability.

Flashcard 52: Which concept best explains why participation rises when only participants get a benefit?

Answer: Selective incentives (participation-linked rewards or penalties). Solves free rider problem by making benefits contingent on participation.

Flashcard 53: Identify the stage of a social movement characterized by formalization and professional leadership.

Answer: Bureaucratization (formalization) stage. Movement develops institutional structures and paid staff.

Flashcard 54: What is a revolutionary movement?

Answer: A movement seeking to overthrow and replace an existing system. Radical approach rejecting reform in favor of complete transformation.

Flashcard 55: Identify the concept: a loosely organized crowd acting on shared emotion.

Answer: Collective behavior. Spontaneous group action driven by emotion, not organization.

Flashcard 56: What is a selective incentive in collective action?

Answer: A benefit or penalty that depends on participation, used to reduce free riding. Creates individual-level motivations to overcome free riding.

Flashcard 57: What is collective efficacy in the context of collective action?

Answer: A shared belief that the group can achieve desired outcomes through action. Collective efficacy fosters participation by instilling confidence in the group's capacity to overcome obstacles and attain objectives.

Flashcard 58: What is a social movement in sociology?

Answer: A sustained, organized effort to promote or resist social change. Distinguishes from spontaneous protests by requiring persistence and structure.

Flashcard 59: What is relative deprivation as a cause of social movements?

Answer: Perceived disadvantage compared with others, motivating collective action. Feeling worse off than reference groups sparks mobilization.

Flashcard 60: What does the political process model emphasize in explaining social movements?

Answer: Political opportunities, mobilizing structures, and framing processes. Integrates structural factors with cultural and strategic elements.

Flashcard 61: What is deindividuation, and what does it tend to increase?

Answer: Loss of self-awareness in groups; increases impulsive and norm-driven behavior. Anonymity in crowds reduces self-regulation.

Flashcard 62: What is group polarization?

Answer: Group discussion strengthens the group's initial average position. Like-minded people become more extreme through interaction.

Flashcard 63: What is a selective incentive used to reduce free riding?

Answer: A benefit or punishment contingent on participation in the group effort. Rewards only participants receive, like solidarity benefits or material goods.

Flashcard 64: Which concept explains that people join movements when benefits exceed costs?

Answer: Rational choice theory (cost-benefit analysis). People weigh personal gains against costs before participating.

Flashcard 65: What is collective efficacy?

Answer: Shared belief that a group can achieve desired change. Group confidence in success increases likelihood of mobilization.

Flashcard 66: What is relative deprivation?

Answer: Perceived disadvantage compared with a reference group. Not absolute poverty but feeling worse off than others causes discontent.

Flashcard 67: What is the bystander effect as applied to protests or emergencies?

Answer: Helping decreases as the number of bystanders increases. Diffusion of responsibility reduces individual action.

Flashcard 68: What is framing in the context of social movements?

Answer: Shaping how an issue is defined to mobilize support. Strategic process of constructing meaning to recruit and motivate participants.

Flashcard 69: What is a counter-movement?

Answer: A movement organized in opposition to an existing movement. Mobilizes to defend status quo against progressive change.

Flashcard 70: What term describes the initial stage when people first recognize a social problem?

Answer: Emergence (incipient stage). The emergence stage involves initial awareness and discontent, setting the foundation for organized collective response to grievances.

Flashcard 71: What does the political process model emphasize about social movements?

Answer: Movements grow when political opportunities and alliances expand. External political context shapes movement emergence and success.

Flashcard 72: What is group polarization in movement-related group discussions?

Answer: Group discussion shifts attitudes toward more extreme positions. Like-minded people reinforce each other's views.

Flashcard 73: What is framing in social movements?

Answer: Shaping interpretations of issues to mobilize supporters. Strategic messaging defines problems and solutions.

Flashcard 74: What is an organized (bureaucratic) social movement organization (SMO)?

Answer: A formal group with leadership, rules, and division of labor. Hierarchical structure with specialized roles and procedures.

Flashcard 75: What is the bystander effect, and how does it relate to protest participation?

Answer: More observers reduce helping; diffusion of responsibility lowers action. Explains why individuals may not join protests despite supporting the cause.

Flashcard 76: Which concept best explains joining a protest because many peers are participating?

Answer: Bandwagon effect. Social proof and conformity pressure increase participation rates.

Flashcard 77: What is collective action in the context of social movements?

Answer: Coordinated group effort to pursue a shared goal or public good. Groups work together toward common objectives that benefit all.

Flashcard 78: What is the collective action problem?

Answer: Individuals free-ride, reducing participation in group-benefiting actions. Rational self-interest leads people to avoid costs while seeking benefits.

Flashcard 79: Which type of movement seeks limited change in specific laws or policies?

Answer: Reform movement. Works within existing system to modify specific aspects.

Flashcard 80: What is collective action in the context of social movements?

Answer: Action taken together to achieve a shared group goal. Groups coordinate efforts to accomplish common objectives.

Flashcard 81: Which type of social movement seeks to change specific laws or policies?

Answer: Reform movement. Targets specific aspects within existing system.

Flashcard 82: What is the free-rider problem in social movements?

Answer: People avoid costs while still receiving collective benefits. Rational choice to let others pay costs while sharing benefits.

Flashcard 83: Which type of social movement seeks to transform an entire social system?

Answer: Revolutionary movement. Aims for complete overthrow of existing order.

Flashcard 84: What is social movement spillover?

Answer: When one movement's tactics or frames influence other movements. Ideas and strategies diffuse across movement boundaries.

Flashcard 85: What is collective identity in a social movement?

Answer: A shared sense of "we-ness" among participants. Solidarity emerges from shared experiences and values.

Flashcard 86: What is a social movement?

Answer: Sustained collective action aimed at social or political change. Organized efforts over time to transform society or policies.

Flashcard 87: What is the free-rider problem in collective action?

Answer: Benefiting from a public good without contributing to its provision. Individuals gain benefits without participating in costs or efforts.

Flashcard 88: Which theory emphasizes money, leadership, and organization in movement success?

Answer: Resource mobilization theory. Views movements as rational actors needing resources to succeed.

Flashcard 89: What is the free-rider problem in collective action?

Answer: Benefiting from a public good without contributing to its cost. Creates disincentive for participation since benefits are non-excludable.

Flashcard 90: What is a deprivation model prediction: absolute deprivation or relative deprivation better predicts protest?

Answer: Relative deprivation better predicts protest. Comparison to others matters more than objective conditions.

Flashcard 91: What is a redemptive movement (vs an alternative movement)?

Answer: Redemptive: total change; alternative: limited change. Redemptive transforms individuals completely; alternative seeks partial change.

Flashcard 92: Which term best fits: rapid spread of protest tactics across regions via networks?

Answer: Diffusion (of social movements). Ideas and strategies spread through activist networks.

Flashcard 93: Identify the stage of a social movement characterized by rapid growth and public visibility.

Answer: Coalescence stage. Movement gains momentum, members, and media attention.

Flashcard 94: What does political process (political opportunity) theory emphasize?

Answer: Movements grow when political conditions create opportunities. External political factors create windows for action.

Flashcard 95: Identify the movement stage: supporters build organizations and recruit members.

Answer: Coalescence stage. Second stage where loose networks become formal organizations.

Flashcard 96: Which concept best explains why individuals join when they expect high impact: efficacy or diffusion of responsibility?

Answer: Efficacy. Belief in one's ability to make a difference motivates participation.

Flashcard 97: What is collective identity in a social movement?

Answer: A shared sense of "we-ness" that unites participants. Creates solidarity beyond individual interests through shared belonging.

Flashcard 98: Identify the term: rapid, widespread collective behavior driven by rumor and fear.

Answer: Mass hysteria (collective hysteria). Contagious anxiety spreads through groups without rational basis.

Flashcard 99: Identify the term for adoption of movement goals by institutions, reducing protest.

Answer: Co-optation. Neutralizes radical demands by incorporating moderate reforms.

Flashcard 100: What is collective action?

Answer: Group behavior aimed at achieving a shared goal or public good. Requires coordination among multiple actors to overcome individual limitations.