AP Psychology: Unit 3

altruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

bystander effect

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

diffusion of responsibility

the phenomenon where individuals feel less personally accountable for taking action when in a group, assuming others will act or are better suited to do so

social exchange theory

the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs

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 needing their help

superordinate goals

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

aggression

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

frustration-aggression principle

the principle that frustration creates anger, which can generate aggression

conflict

a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas

social trap

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

mere exposure effect

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

passionate love

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship

companionate love

the deep affectionate we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined

equity

a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it

self-disclosure

revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others

prejudice

an unjustifiable and usually negative attitude towards a group and its members

stereotype

a generalized belief about a group of people

discrimination

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

ingroup

“Us” - people with whom we share a common identity

outgroup

“Them” - those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup

ingroup bias

the tendency to favor our own group

ethnocentrism

assuming the superiority of one’s ethnic group

scapegoat theory

the concept that when a group or individual faces hardship, they may displace their anger and frustration onto an innocent person or group, who is then blamed for the problems

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

blame-the-victim phenomenon

a phenomenon where the victim of a harmful act is held partly or wholly responsible for their own suffering

social psychology

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

attribution theory

the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition

self-fulfilling prophecy

a person's beliefs or expectations about an event or another person influence their behavior in ways that make those beliefs or expectations come true

rosenthal effect

a person's expectations of another individual can influence their behavior and performance

fundamental attribution error

the tendency for observers, when analyzing others’ behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition

actor-observer phenomenon

the tendency to attribute our own actions to situational factors while attributing others' actions to their internal personality traits

attitude

feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to responding a particular way to objects, people, and events

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request

door in the face phenomenon

a technique used to increase compliance by first making an extremely large, often outrageous, request that is expected to be refused

Philip Zimbardo

a professor at Stanford University known for conducting the Stanford Prison Experiment

Stanford Prison Experiment

a study that demonstrated how the roles people are assigned can drastically influence their behavior

cognitive dissonance theory

the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when our actions and thoughts are inconsistent

peripheral route to persuasion

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues

central route to persuasion

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

social facilitation

improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

social impairment

difficulties or limitations in an individual's ability to interact, communicate, and engage with others in social situations

social loafing

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

deindividuation

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

group polarization

the tendency for groups to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclinations of their members

groupthink

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives

chameleon effect

the subconscious tendency to unconsciously mimic the mannerisms, gestures, and speech of those around you

conformity

adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard

Solomon Asch

famous for his conformity experiments where he demonstrated how individuals yield to social pressure by conforming to group opinions, even when those opinions are clearly wrong

normative social influence

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

informational social influence

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

Stanley Milgram

famous for his obedience experiments where he demonstrated that many people would obey an authority figure even when instructed to perform actions that conflicted with their personal conscience

obedience

the act of complying with direct orders or instructions from a person who is perceived as an authority figure