MCAT Behavioral Science - Chapter 10 Lecture by Iman

1. Social Behavior

Social Behavior: Involves interactions with others influenced by positive emotions (attraction, attachment) or negative emotions (aggression).

Factors influencing attraction: Similarity, self-disclosure, reciprocity, proximity.
Other factors: Outward appearance (symmetry, body proportions), shared values/beliefs/traits, complementary qualities, and opportunities for self-disclosure.
Proximity: Physical closeness can lead to forming connections due to convenience (same dorm/class) and mere exposure effect (preference for frequently encountered stimuli).

Definition: Behavior intended to cause harm or increase social dominance.
Purpose: Evolutionary protection against threats, gaining resources, reproduction.
Biological factors: Involvement of amygdala (threat perception), prefrontal cortex (regulates impulses).
Cognitive Neoassociation Model: Negative emotions (tiredness, pain) increase aggressive responses.
Influence of environment/media: Exposure to violence in immediate surroundings/media enhances aggressive behavior.

Attachment styles: Influenced by child-caregiver relationships, affecting connections throughout life.
- Secure attachment: Comfort with intimacy and independence, due to consistent caregiving.
- Avoidant attachment: Valuing independence due to emotionally unavailable/rejecting caregivers.
- Ambivalent attachment: Insecurity due to inconsistent caregiving.
- Disorganized attachment: Result of trauma/inconsistencies, leading to mix behavior in response.
Benefits of secure attachment: Helps in recognizing personal relationship patterns.

Categories: Emotional, esteem, material, informational, and network support.
- Emotional support: Listening, affirming, empathizing (e.g., visiting a sick friend).
- Esteem support: Affirming qualities/skills to build confidence.
- Material support: Financial/material contributions.
- Informational support: Providing helpful information (critical for future doctors).
- Network support: Providing a sense of belonging through group activities.
Benefits: Reduces psychological distress (anxiety, depression) and improves physical health.

Foraging: Hunger signaling by hypothalamus (hunger/fullness), genetic and learned behavior, and cognitive abilities (memory, decision-making).
Mating and Mate Choice:
- Mating systems: Monogamy, polygamy, promiscuity.
- Mate Choice Mechanisms: Phenotypic benefits, sensory bias, Fisherian selection, indicator traits, genetic compatibility.
Altruism: Helping behavior at personal cost, driven by empathy (empathy-altruism hypothesis).
Game Theory: Framework for competitive situations predicting behavior and outcomes (e.g., Hawk-Dove game).
- Four interaction outcomes: Altruism, cooperation, spite, selfishness.
Inclusive Fitness: Success based on offspring numbers, supporting them, and their ability to support others.

Definition: Forming impressions about characteristics of individuals/groups (also called social cognition).
Components: Perceiver (influenced by experience, motives, state), Target (person being interpreted), and Situation (context affecting perception).
Implicit Personality Theory: Assumptions about people's traits/behaviors and their relationships.

Primacy Effect: First impressions are more influential.
Recency Effect: Latest information has the most influence.
Halo Effect: Overall impression affects specific judgments.
Just World Hypothesis: Belief that world is just (karma, deserve outcomes).
Self-Serving Bias: Attributing successes internally and failures externally.
Ingroup/Outgroup Bias: Preferential treatment within one's own group and suspicion towards outsiders.

Attribution: Explaining behavior of others.
- Dispositional/Internal: Person’s own traits/beliefs.
- Situational/External: Surrounding features (threats, norms).
Cues: Consistency, consensus, distinctiveness cues for interpreting behavior.
Correspondent Inference Theory: Focuses on intention behind behavior.
Fundamental Attribution Error: Overemphasis on personal traits, underestimation of situational factors.
Attribute Substitution: Replacing complex judgments with simpler ones.
Cultural Influence: Individualist (value individuality) vs. Collectivist (value group interdependence) cultures.

Definition: Expectations and opinions on group characteristics.
Content Model: Classifying stereotypes using warmth and competence.
- Paternalistic: Inferior, ignored.
- Contemptuous: Resentment, anger.
- Envious: Jealousy, distrust.
- Admiration: Positive feelings.
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Stereotype expectations causing behaviors to confirm them.
Stereotype Threat: Anxiety about confirming negative stereotypes affecting performance.

Definition: Irrational attitude towards an entity without prior experience.
Influencing Factors: Power, Prestige, Class.
Ethnocentrism: Judging other cultures by one’s own cultural standards.
Cultural Relativism: Evaluating cultures based on their own norms and customs.

Definition: Behavioral manifestation of prejudice.
Types: Individual (person-to-person), Institutional (against groups by institutions).
Institutional Discrimination: Harder to correct as it is built into societal structures.