Unit 9: Social Psychology

attribution theory

we can attribute the behavior to the person’s stable enduring traits or we can attribute it to the situation

fundamental attribution error

tendency to underestimate the power of the situation and overestimate the impact of personal disposition (ex. you blame a driver for being a careless person for braking early but there was a duck crossing the road)

self-serving bias

we take credit for success but deny responsibility for failure

self-fulfilling prophecy

one’s belief coming true (ex. believing you’ll fail the test and then you actually fail rip)

peripheral route of persuasion

using attention-getting cues to trigger emotion-based judgements (ex. putting BTS on an ad)

central route of persuasion

offering evidence and arguments that trigger careful thinking and likely to cause lasting change (ex. buy milk because it’s healthy)

foot in the door phenomenon

tendency for people to comply with a larger request after they have agreed to a small request

Asch study

investigated how much social pressure it took for a person to conform by purposely getting everyone except the naive participant to say the wrong line that matches with the given line

Milgram study

tested participant’s defiance or obedience to authority to shock the learner

cognitive dissonance

when we are aware that our attitudes and actions don’t coincide, resulting in tension and anxiety (ex. I smoke to relax but I know I can get cancer)

deindividuation

loss of self-awareness and restraint in a group, we feel anonymous in a group

social facilitation

strong performance in the presence of others (ex. Lost at Sea activity)

social loafing

tendency to exert less effort in a group task (ex. Tug-of-War)

ingroup

people we share common identity with

outgroup

“them”, people different from us

groupthink

Mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives (lack of dissent)

group polarization

enhancement of group’s prevailing inclinations through group discussions (ex. group of anti-racists talking together and become more anti-racist)

explicit prejudice

direct and aware about having a negative attitude toward a group (ex. publicly saying racist comments)

implicit prejudice

indirect and unaware/systematic prejudice (ex. landlord does background checks on African Americans than Caucasians)

proximity

physical closeness can increase attraction

similarity

the more similar you are to the person, the longer you like them

self-disclosure

sharing intimate details brings you closer

mere exposure effect

repeated exposure increases liking of a person

frustration-aggression principle

aversive stimuli can evoke hostility (ex. hot temperatures, physical pain, etc.)

bystander effect

tendency to be less likely to give aid if there are other bystanders present

diffusion of responsibility

when multiple people are present, each individual feels less of a responsibility for the situation

social exchange theory

social relationships are an exchange in which a participant tries to maximize benefits and minimize costs

reciprocity norm

our expectation that people will help us if we help them

social responsibility norm

one should assist those in need when possible

superordinate goal

get people from opposing sides to come together and work toward a common end result