Social Psychology & Personality Vocabulary

A set of flashcards covering key terms and concepts in social psychology and personality.

Social psychology

The scientific study of how we think about, influence, & relate to one another.

Person perception

How we form impressions of ourselves & others, including attributions of behavior.

Attribution theory

Theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s stable, enduring traits.

Fundamental attribution error

Tendency for observers to underestimate the impact of the situation & to overestimate the impact of personal disposition.

Actor-observer bias

Tendency for those acting in a situation to attribute their behavior to external causes, while observers attribute others’ behavior to internal causes.

Mere exposure effect

The tendency for repeated exposure to novel stimuli to increase our liking of them.

Prejudice

An unjustifiable & usually negative attitude toward a group and its members.

Stereotype

A generalized belief about a group of people, which may be accurate or overgeneralized.

Discrimination

Unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group or its members.

Just-world phenomenon

Tendency for people to believe the world is just & that people get what they deserve.

Social identity

The aspect of our self-concept that comes from our group memberships.

Ingroup

‘Us’ - people with whom we share a common identity.

Outgroup

‘Them’ - those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup.

Out-group homogeneity bias

The tendency to perceive members of an outgroup as highly similar to one another.

Ingroup bias

The tendency to favor our own group.

Ethnocentrism

Belief that one’s own culture, values, & practices are superior to others.

Attitudes

Feelings influenced by our beliefs, predisposing us to respond in a particular way.

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

The tendency for people who deny a large request to comply later with a smaller request.

Role

A set of expectations about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.

Cognitive dissonance theory

The theory that we act to reduce discomfort when two of our thoughts are inconsistent.

Persuasion

Changing people’s attitudes, potentially influencing their actions.

Peripheral route persuasion

Occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness.

Central route persuasion

Occurs when people’s thinking is influenced by evidence & arguments.

Norms

A society’s understood rules for accepted & expected behavior.

Conformity

Adjusting behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

Normative social influence

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

Informational social influence

Influence resulting from a person’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality.

Obedience

Complying with an order or command.

Social facilitation

Improved performance on simple tasks, worsened performance on difficult tasks in the presence of others.

Social loafing

The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling efforts toward a common goal.

Deindividuation

The loss of self-awareness & self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal & anonymity.

Group polarization

The enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion.

Groupthink

The mode of thinking that occurs when harmony in a decision-making group overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives.

Culture

The enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, & traditions shared by a group of people.

Tight culture

A place with clearly defined & reliably imposed norms.

Loose culture

A place with flexible & informal norms.

Industrial-organizational (I/O) psychology

The application of psychological concepts & methods to optimize human behavior in workplaces.

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.

Social exchange theory

Theory that social behavior is an exchange process aimed at maximizing benefits & minimizing 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.

Conflict

A perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.

Social trap

A situation where pursuing self-interest leads to mutually destructive behavior.

Mirror-image perceptions

Mutual views held by conflicting parties, where each side sees itself as ethical & views the other as evil.

Self-fulfilling prophecy

A belief that leads to its own fulfillment due to the person’s own actions.

Superordinate goals

Shared goals that override differences among people & require their cooperation.