psyc 2301 exam 4

Social psychology

The scientific study of how a person’s behavior, thoughts, and feelings influence and are influenced by social groups.

Social influence

The process through which the real or implied presence of others can directly or indirectly influence the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of an individual.

Conformity

Changing one's own behavior to match that of other people.

Groupthink

Occurs when people place more importance on maintaining group cohesiveness than on assessing the facts of the problem.

Social facilitation

Positive influence of others on performance due to increased arousal.

Social impairment

Negative influence of others on performance due to too much arousal during difficult tasks.

Social loafing

People tend to perform less well in a group setting as they expect others to pick up the slack.

Compliance

Changing one’s behavior as a result of other people asking or directing for the change.

Foot-in-the-door technique

A compliance technique where a small request is followed by a larger request.

Door-in-the-face technique

A compliance technique where a large request is followed by a smaller request.

Lowball technique

A compliance technique where an agreement is made at a low cost but then the cost increases.

That’s-not-all technique

A compliance technique where additional incentives are offered before a person makes a decision.

Stanley Milgram Obedience Experiment

A study investigating obedience to authority, where participants administered electric shocks to a learner.

Attitude

A tendency to respond positively or negatively toward a certain person, object, idea, or situation.

Cognitive dissonance

Sense of discomfort that occurs when a person’s behavior does not correspond to their attitudes.

Fundamental attribution error

The tendency to overestimate the influence of internal factors in determining behavior while underestimating situational factors.

Prejudice

A negative attitude held by a person about the members of a particular social group.

Discrimination

Treating people differently because of prejudice toward the social group they belong to.

Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love

A theory proposing that love consists of three components: intimacy, passion, and commitment.

Personality

The unique and relatively stable ways in which people think, feel, and behave.

Freud’s psychodynamic theory

Focuses on the role of the unconscious mind and early childhood development in personality.

Conscious mind

The level aware of immediate surroundings and perceptions.

Preconscious mind

Holds readily available thoughts and memories that can be easily recalled.

Unconscious mind

Holds thoughts and memories that are not easily brought into consciousness.

Id

The part of the mind present at birth, operating on the pleasure principle.

Ego

The rational part of the mind that mediates between the desires of the Id and the moral constraints of the Superego.

Superego

Acts as the moral center of the mind, containing our conscience.

Psychological defense mechanisms

Unconscious distortions of a person’s perception of reality that reduce stress and anxiety.

Behaviorist view of personality

Defines personality as a set of learned responses or habits.

Humanistic view of personality

Focuses on aspects of personality that make people uniquely human, such as free will and subjective feelings.

Self-actualizing tendency

The striving to fulfill one’s innate capacities and capabilities.

Self-concept

The image of oneself developed from interactions with significant people.

Big Five model of personality

A model identifying five factors: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Extraversion

One’s need to be with other people.

Introversion

A focus more on one’s inner world of thoughts and feelings than on social interactions.

Behavioral genetics

Field of study devoted to discovering the genetic bases for personality characteristics.

Psychopathology

The study of abnormal behavior and psychological dysfunction.

Psychological disorders

Any pattern of behavior that causes significant distress or harms functioning.

Biological model of abnormality

Psychological disorders have biological or medical causes.

Psychodynamic model of abnormality

Abnormal behavior stems from repressed conflicts and urges.

Behavioral model of abnormality

Abnormal behavior is learned.

Cognitive model of abnormality

Abnormal behavior comes from irrational beliefs and illogical thought patterns.

Major Depressive Disorder

Severe depression that can come on suddenly with little external cause.

Bipolar disorder

Periods of mood that may range from normal to manic with episodes of depression.

Anxiety disorders

Class of disorders where the primary symptom is excessive or unrealistic anxiety.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Involves intrusive thoughts that lead to anxiety and compulsive behaviors.

Acute Stress Disorder

A disorder resulting from exposure to a major traumatic stressor lasting up to one month.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Symptoms from ASD lasting more than one month after a traumatic event.

Dissociative Amnesia

Extreme memory loss regarding personal identity caused by psychological stress.

Dissociative Fugue

Travel from familiar surroundings after trauma with amnesia for the trip and personal identity.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Disorder where a person seems to have two or more distinct personalities.

Anorexia Nervosa

Eating disorder characterized by reduced eating leading to significant low body weight.

Bulimia Nervosa

Eating disorder characterized by a cycle of binge eating followed by purging.

Binge Eating Disorder

Involves uncontrolled binge eating without purging behavior.

Schizophrenia

Severe psychotic disorder with disordered thinking and hallucinations.

Psychotherapy

Therapy for mental disorders where a person talks with a psychological professional.

Insight therapies

Psychotherapies where the goal is to help clients gain insight into their thoughts and behaviors.

Action therapy

Psychotherapy aimed at changing disordered or inappropriate behavior directly.

Biomedical therapies

Treatment for mental disorders using biological or medical methods.

Psychoanalysis

Insight therapy revealing unconscious conflicts based on Freud's theories.

Psychodynamic therapy

A general term for therapies based on psychoanalysis, focusing on transference.

Roger’s person-centered therapy

Therapy emphasizing empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard.

Behavior therapies

Action therapies based on classical and operant conditioning to change disordered behavior.

Systematic desensitization

Behavioral technique used to treat phobias by gradually exposing clients to feared stimuli.

Aversion therapy

Behavioral therapy pairing an undesirable behavior with an aversive stimulus.

Token economy

Use of tokens to reinforce desired behavior that can be exchanged for privileges.

Cognitive therapy

Focus on helping clients recognize and change distorted thinking.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

Action therapy helping clients think more rationally and logically.

Cognitive distortions

Patterns of negative thinking as described by Aaron Beck, including arbitrary inference and overgeneralization.

Group therapy

Therapy during which groups of clients with similar concerns meet with a therapist.

Family therapy

Counseling involving discussion among family members to resolve issues affecting the family.

Self-help groups

Groups composed of individuals with similar issues who meet for support without a professional therapist.

Therapeutic alliance

The relationship between therapist and client characterized by empathy and mutual respect.