Social Psychology – Aggression, Prejudice, Conflict & Cooperation

Vocabulary flashcards covering key concepts from the lecture on aggression, prejudice, conflict, and cooperation in social psychology. Each card presents a term and its concise definition to aid exam preparation.

Aggression

Intentional behavior aimed at causing physical or psychological pain.

Hostile Aggression

Aggression driven by anger with the primary goal of inflicting pain or injury.

Instrumental Aggression

Aggression intended to hurt as a means to reach another goal.

Hydraulic Theory (Freud)

View that aggressive energy builds up and must be released to prevent psychological or physical harm.

Thanatos

Freud’s postulated death instinct that fuels aggressive impulses.

Eros

Freud’s life instincts, in opposition to Thanatos.

Lorenz’s Fighting Instinct

Innate biological predisposition to fight members of one’s species under certain conditions.

Survival of the Fittest (Aggression)

Evolutionary idea that aggression can aid reproductive success and survival.

Social Learning Theory of Aggression

Perspective that aggression is acquired by observing and imitating others and by being reinforced.

Bandura’s Bobo-Doll Study

Classic experiment showing children imitate observed aggressive acts toward a doll.

Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

Theory stating that frustration always elicits motivation to aggress and all aggression stems from frustration.

Direct Provocation

Aggression triggered by insults, threats, or criticism delivered to a person.

Retaliation (Overkill)

Aggressive response that exceeds the original provocation’s severity.

Excitation Transfer Theory

Residual arousal from one situation intensifies responses in a subsequent situation, possibly increasing aggression.

Displaced Aggression

Redirecting aggression toward a target other than the source of frustration.

Media Violence

Depictions of violence in TV, film, or games that can increase viewers’ aggressive thoughts and behaviors.

Desensitization

Reduced emotional responsiveness to real violence after repeated exposure to media violence.

Hostile Attribution Bias

Tendency to interpret others’ ambiguous actions as intentionally aggressive.

Violent Pornography

Sexually explicit material depicting violence, linked to increased acceptance of sexual aggression.

Culture of Honor

Cultural norm endorsing aggression in response to insults to one’s reputation.

Type A Personality

Behavior pattern marked by competitiveness, time urgency, and hostility; linked to hostile aggression.

Type B Personality

Relaxed, less competitive behavior pattern; more likely to show instrumental than hostile aggression.

Gender Differences in Aggression

Men show more direct physical aggression; women more indirect (gossip, social exclusion).

Temperature–Aggression Link

Higher ambient temperatures elevate aggressive behavior until extreme heat dampens activity.

Alcohol Myopia (Aggression)

Alcohol reduces inhibitions and narrows attention to provocative cues, heightening aggression.

Weapons Effect

Presence of guns or other weapons primes aggressive responses in angered individuals.

Deindividuation

Loss of self-awareness in groups leading to increased impulsive and aggressive acts.

Amygdala (Aggression)

Brain region whose stimulation can produce aggressive behavior.

Testosterone

Hormone positively correlated with physical aggression in humans and animals.

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter whose low levels are associated with heightened aggression.

Catharsis

Hypothesis that venting aggressive energy reduces future aggression—largely unsupported by research.

Punishment Conditions for Effectiveness

Must be prompt, certain, appropriately strong, and perceived as justified to reduce aggression.

Apology

Expression of regret that can reduce anger and aggressive retaliation in a victim.

Cognitive Pre-attribution

Knowing a provoker’s behavior is unintentional before it occurs, thereby reducing anger.

Modeling Prosocial Behavior

Observing others acting non-aggressively encourages similar constructive responses.

Cooperation (Aggression Control)

Working toward shared goals decreases hostility and aggression between groups or individuals.

Bullying

Repeated, power-imbalanced aggression toward a less powerful target.

Bullying Motives

Desire for power, group acceptance, or positive feelings from dominance.

Hostile Attribution Bias (Bullies)

Bullies’ tendency to perceive others’ actions as intentionally harmful.

Social Trap

Situation where rational self-interest leads to collective long-term loss.

Prisoner’s Dilemma

Social-dilemma game illustrating conflict between cooperation and self-interest.

Tragedy of the Commons

Depletion of shared resources when individuals over-exploit for personal gain.

Non-Zero-Sum Game

Interaction where outcomes can benefit all, not strictly win-lose.

Regulation (Dilemmas)

Rules or laws designed to protect shared resources and resolve social traps.

GRIT

Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension Reduction strategy to de-escalate conflict.

Bargaining

Direct negotiation aimed at reaching agreement in conflict.

Mediation

Neutral third party facilitates communication to resolve dispute.

Arbitration

Neutral third party imposes binding settlement on conflicting parties.

Superordinate Goal

Objective achievable only through cooperation of opposing groups.

Contact Hypothesis

Under appropriate conditions, interpersonal contact reduces prejudice between groups.

Equal-Status Contact

Interaction wherein groups meet on equal footing, enhancing prejudice reduction.

Minimal Group Paradigm

Research method showing mere group assignment fosters in-group favoritism.

In-Group Bias

Preference for and favoritism toward one’s own group.

Out-Group Homogeneity Effect

Perception that members of an out-group are more similar to each other than in-group members are.

Realistic Group Conflict Theory

Intergroup hostility arises from competition over limited resources.

Social Dominance Orientation

Individual preference for hierarchy in social systems and dominance over lower-status groups.

Authoritarian Personality

Disposition marked by submission to authority and aggression toward out-groups.

Scapegoating

Blaming an out-group for personal or societal problems to protect self-image.

Social Identity Theory

People derive self-esteem from group memberships and favor in-groups to boost self-worth.

BIRG (Basking in Reflected Glory)

Enhancing self-image by associating with successful others.

CORF (Cutting Off Reflected Failure)

Distancing self from an in-group after its failure to protect self-image.

Ethnocentrism

Belief in superiority of one’s own ethnic or cultural group.

Stereotype

Cognitive belief about characteristics of members of a social group.

Prejudice

Negative or positive affective attitude toward members of a group.

Discrimination

Behavioral actions directed toward people because of group membership.

Implicit Attitude

Automatic, unconscious evaluation of a social group or object.

Modern Racism

Subtle, indirect form of prejudice expressed when it is safe or socially acceptable.

Stereotype Threat

Anxiety that one’s performance will confirm a negative group stereotype.

Tokenism

Hiring or showing a few minority members to appear non-prejudiced while maintaining inequality.

Need for Structure

Preference for clear, unambiguous knowledge; linked to reliance on stereotypes.

Subtyping

Creating a special category for stereotype-inconsistent members rather than altering the stereotype.

Perceived Out-Group Homogeneity

Seeing out-group members as more alike than they really are.

In-Group Differentiation

Seeing greater diversity among members of one’s own group.

Correspondence Bias

Tendency to over-attribute others’ behavior to dispositional factors.

Contact – Tolerance Norms

Prejudice reduction is enhanced when interaction highlights social norms favoring tolerance.

Superordinate Identity

Broad, inclusive group identity encompassing former in-groups and out-groups.

Punishment – Certainty

Effectiveness of punishment increases when offenders believe it will definitely occur.

Cooling-Off Behaviors (Type A)

Strategies such as relaxation, empathy, and humor used to reduce hostility.

Weapons Priming

Exposure to firearms or weapon images activates aggressive cognitions.

Alcohol and Aggression

Alcohol lowers inhibitions and increases sensitivity to provocation, fostering aggression.

Pain-Induced Aggression

Irritability and aggression triggered by physical discomfort or pain.

Deindividuation Cues

Anonymity, darkness, and group size that reduce self-awareness and increase impulsive acts.

Apology Effectiveness

Apologies reduce aggression when perceived as sincere and accepting responsibility.

Modeling Mild Punishment

Observing restrained responses leads observers to adopt less severe aggression.

Bullying Prevention – Authority Involvement

Teachers, parents, and leaders must recognize and stop bullying to reduce its prevalence.

Rejected Belongingness

Social rejection increases hostility and can precipitate aggressive retaliation.

Mirror-Image Perceptions

Mutual view by conflicting parties that each is moral and peace-loving while the other is evil.

Integrative Agreement

Conflict resolution in which all parties obtain outcomes satisfying their underlying interests.

Final-Offer Arbitration

Each party submits one proposal; arbitrator chooses one, encouraging reasonable offers.

Appeal to Altruistic Norms

Invoking shared moral standards to encourage cooperative behavior in social dilemmas.

Self-Monitoring (Prejudice)

Adjusting expressed attitudes to fit social norms, sometimes masking actual prejudice.

Need for Status

Desire for group superiority; when threatened, can intensify prejudice.

Anger & Prejudice

State anger increases reliance on negative stereotypes toward out-groups.

Availability Heuristic (Stereotyping)

Basing judgments on easily recalled examples, leading to overestimation of minority traits.