AP Psych Unit 11 Vocab - Social Psychology

All the vocab from the social psychology unit

actor-observer bias

the tendency to blame our actions on the situation and blame the actions of others on their personalities

Altruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Attentional variables

Elements of attention which may influence whether someone is likely to help another person

Attributions

inferences that people draw about the causes of events, others' behavior, and their own behavior

belief perseverance

tendency to stick to our initial beliefs even when evidence contradicts them

Burnout

negative changes in thoughts, emotions, and behavior as a result of prolonged stress or frustration

bystander effect

the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

central route to persuasion

occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts

cognitive dissonance

unpleasant mental experience of tension resulting from two conflicting thoughts or beliefs

Cognitive Load

The amount of a person's cognitive resources needed to carry out a particular cognitive task.

Collectivism

giving priority to the goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence

Conformity

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

Deindividuation

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

diffusion of responsibility

the tendency for individuals to feel diminished responsibility for their actions when they are surrounded by others who are acting the same way

Discrimination

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

dispositional attribution

assuming that another's behavior is due to personality factors, not situational ones

door-in-the-face technique

asking for a large commitment and being refused and then asking for a smaller commitment

downward social comparison

comparing ourselves to people who are worse than we are with regard to a particular trait or ability

Elaboration Likelihood Model

theory identifying two ways to persuade: a central route and a peripheral route

Ethnocentrism

Belief in the superiority of one's nation or ethnic group.

Explanatory Style

A person's characteristic way of explaining his experiences. Consistently attributing bad experiences to internal, global, and stable causes may increase vulnerability to depression.

external locus of control

the perception that chance or outside forces beyond your personal control determine your fate.

false consensus effect

the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors

foot-in-the-door technique

asking for a small commitment and, after gaining compliance, asking for a bigger commitment

fundamental attribution error

the tendency for observers, when analyzing another's behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition

group polarization

the enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group

Groupthink

A situation in which group members seek unanimous agreement despite their individual doubts

halo effect

tendency of an interviewer to allow positive characteristics of a client to influence the assessments of the client's behavior and statements

implicit attitudes

attitudes that influence a person's feelings and behavior at an unconscious level

in-group bias

the tendency to favor one's own group

Individualism

giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

industrial-organizational psychologists

aim to improve productivity and the quality of work life by applying psychological principles and methods to the workplace

informational social influence

influence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality

internal locus of control

the perception that you control your own fate

just-world phenomenon

the tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get

mere exposure effect

the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them

Multiculturalism

A perspective recognizing the cultural diversity of the United States and promoting equal standing for all cultural traditions

normative social influence

influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

Obedience

A form of compliance that occurs when people follow direct commands, usually from someone in a position of authority

optimistic explanatory style

accounting for negative events or situations with external, unstable, and specific explanations

Out-Group Homogeneity Bias

our tendency to see out-group members as being pretty much all alike

peripheral route to persuasion

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness

Persuasion

A kind of speaking or writing that is intended to influence people's actions.

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

Accounting for negative events or situations with internal, stable, and global explanations

prejudice

preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience

prosocial behavior

positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior

relative deprivation

the perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself

self-fulfilling prophecy

an expectation that causes you to act in ways that make that expectation come true.

self-serving bias

the tendency for people to take personal credit for success but blame failure on external factors

situational attribution

attributing behavior to the environment

situational variables

Features of an environment that affect the degree to which individuals yield to group pressures

Social Comparison

evaluating one's abilities and opinions by comparing oneself with others

Social debt

A sentencing principle that holds that an offender's criminal history should objectively be taken into account in sentencing decisions.

social facilitation

stronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

social influence theory

theory that powerful social influences can produce a state of hypnosis

social loafing

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

Social Norms

expected standards of conduct, which influence behavior

Social Reciprocity Norm

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them

social-responsibility norm

an expectation that people will help those dependent upon them

social trap

a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior

stereotype

A generalized belief about a group of people

superordinate goals

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

upward social comparison

comparing ourselves to people who are better than we are with regard to a particular trait or ability