unit 4

Attribution Theory

How people explain causes of behavior.

Situational Attribution

Explaining behavior based on external factors.

Dispositional Attribution

Explaining behavior based on internal traits.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overestimating personality traits and underestimating the situation when judging others.

Mere Exposure Effect

Liking something more because of repeated exposure.

Explanatory Style

A person’s habitual way of explaining events (optimistic or pessimistic).

Self-Serving Bias

Taking credit for success but blaming external factors for failure.

Mere-Ownership Effect

People prefer things they own.

Actor-Observer Bias

Explaining our actions based on the situation but others' actions based on personality.

Self-Handicapping

Making excuses in advance to protect self-esteem.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

When expectations influence behaviors to make them come true.

Rotter’s Social Learning Theory

Behavior is influenced by experience and expectation of outcomes.

Internal Locus of Control

Belief that you control your own fate.

External Locus of Control

Belief that external factors control fate.

Expectancy Theory

Motivation depends on expected outcomes.

Upward Social Comparison

Comparing yourself to someone better.

Downward Social Comparison

Comparing yourself to someone worse.

Relative Deprivation

Feeling disadvantaged compared to others.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

Discomfort from holding conflicting beliefs, leading to attitude change.

Prejudice

Unjustified negative attitude toward a group.

Discrimination

Acting unfairly based on prejudice.

Stereotypes

Overgeneralized beliefs about a group.

Implicit/Automatic Prejudice

Unconscious bias.

Microaggression

Small, often unintentional insults based on identity.

Just-World Phenomenon

Belief that people get what they deserve.

Ethnocentrism

Believing one's own culture is superior.

Ingroup/Outgroup Homogeneity Bias

Seeing one’s own group as diverse but outsiders as all the same.

Scapegoat Theory

Blaming a group for problems.

Other-Race Effect

Better recognition of faces from one’s own race.

Belief Perseverance

Sticking to beliefs despite evidence.

Chameleon Effect

Unconsciously mimicking others’ behaviors.

Conformity

Adjusting behavior to match a group.

Social Norms

Accepted rules of behavior.

Social Influence Theory

Behavior is shaped by the presence of others.

Normative Social Influence

Conforming to gain approval.

Informational Social Influence

Conforming because others seem knowledgeable.

Solomon Asch’s Conformity Studies

Showed people conform even when they know the group is wrong.

Elaboration Likelihood Model

How people are persuaded.

Peripheral Route Persuasion

Influenced by superficial cues.

Central Route Persuasion

Influenced by strong arguments.

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

Agreeing to small requests leads to bigger ones.

Door-in-the-Face Phenomenon

Starting with a big request makes a smaller one seem reasonable.

Looking Glass Effect

Behavior changes when people see their reflection.

Roles

Social positions with expected behavior.

Zimbardo Stanford Prison Experiment

Showed how roles influence behavior.

Milgram Obedience Experiments

Showed people obey authority even when harming others.

Social Facilitation

Performing better in front of others.

Social Loafing

People put in less effort in groups.

Deindividuation

Losing self-awareness in a group.

Group Polarization

Group discussions strengthen opinions.

Groupthink

Prioritizing harmony over realistic decisions.

Altruism

Helping others selflessly.

Bystander Effect

Less likely to help when others are present.

Kitty Genovese Case

Famous case of the bystander effect.

Reciprocity Norm

Helping those who help us.

Conflict Resolution

Methods to resolve disputes.

Superordinate Goals

Goals that require cooperation.