Social Psychology Exam 3

Altruism

Selfless concern for the well-being of others, typically leading to helping behaviors without expectation of personal gain.

Authoritarian Personality

A personality type characterized by rigid beliefs, respect for authority, and intolerance for outgroups.

Biology and Aggression

Aggressive behavior influenced by genetic, hormonal, and neurological factors, including testosterone and brain areas like the amygdala.

Bobo Doll Experiment

An experiment by Albert Bandura showing that children imitated aggressive behaviors towards a doll after observing adults act aggressively.

Benevolent Sexism

A seemingly positive but patronizing attitude toward women, viewing them as needing protection.

Hostile Sexism

Negative attitudes and behaviors toward women, including gender-based hostility.

Bystander Effect

The phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help in an emergency when other people are present.

Contact Hypothesis

The theory that intergroup contact can reduce prejudice and improve relations, especially under conditions of equal status, common goals, and cooperation.

Darley and Latane

Psychologists who studied the bystander effect, demonstrating that people are less likely to help when others are present due to diffusion of responsibility.

Discrimination

Unfair treatment of people based on their group membership.

Prejudice

A negative attitude or feeling toward an individual based solely on their group membership.

Egoistic Altruism

Helping others for personal gain, such as expecting a reward or avoiding guilt.

Empathy

The ability to understand and share the feelings of another person.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one's own culture or group is superior to others.

Evaluation Apprehension

The fear of being evaluated by others, which can affect performance in social situations.

Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

The theory that frustration leads to aggression, as people are motivated to reduce discomfort caused by being blocked from achieving a goal.

Gender Stereotypes

Beliefs about the traits and behaviors that are typically associated with males and females.

Good Samaritan Study

A study showing that people are less likely to help in emergencies when they are in a hurry.

Groupthink

A tendency for group members to conform to a consensus and suppress dissent, often leading to poor decision-making.

Helping on the Subway

A study finding that people are more likely to help in public places when they feel personally responsible.

Honor Cultures

Cultures where individuals are expected to defend their honor and reputation, often through aggression in response to insults.

Implicit Stereotypes

Unconscious associations or attitudes toward different social groups, often influencing behavior without awareness.

Ingroup

A group to which a person belongs and identifies with.

Outgroup

A group to which a person does not belong and may view negatively.

Institutional Discrimination

Systematic discrimination built into societal institutions, often perpetuating inequality for racial or ethnic minorities.

Kin Selection

The idea that individuals are more likely to help relatives to increase the chances of their genes being passed on.

Kitty Genovese

A woman murdered while 38 witnesses reportedly did not intervene, highlighting the bystander effect.

Latane and Darley 5-Step Model

A model outlining the steps people go through when deciding whether to help, including noticing the event and deciding to help.

Long-term Helping

Prolonged, consistent helping behaviors, often driven by empathy and the social responsibility norm.

Microaggressions

Small, often unintentional, discriminatory remarks or actions directed at a marginalized group.

Minimax Strategy

A principle suggesting people try to minimize costs and maximize rewards in relationships.

Patty Hearst

An heiress who was kidnapped and later participated in criminal activities, illustrating Stockholm syndrome.

Racism

Prejudice and discriminatory behavior based on race, often institutionalized and perpetuated through societal systems.

Reciprocity Norm

The social norm suggesting we should return favors and kindnesses shown to us by others.

Righteous Gentiles

Non-Jews who helped Jews during the Holocaust, risking their own lives to save others.

Risky Shift or Group Polarization

The tendency for group discussions to lead to more extreme decisions than individuals would make alone.

Rewards, Types of

Intrinsic: Internal satisfaction from an action; Extrinsic: External incentives for actions.

Robber’s Cave Experiments

Studies on group conflict and cooperation showing competition increases hostility while cooperation reduces it.

Scapegoating

Blaming an outgroup for problems or frustrations faced by the ingroup, often leading to prejudice and discrimination.

Situational Determinants of Helping

External factors that influence whether people help, such as time pressure and the presence of others.

Social Exchange Theory

The theory that helping behavior is motivated by a cost-benefit analysis.

Social Facilitation

The tendency for people to perform better on simple tasks when others are present.

Social Learning Theory

The theory that people learn behaviors through observing and imitating others.

Social Loafing

The tendency for people to exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone.

Social Responsibility Norm

The belief that individuals should help others in need.

Stereotype Content Model

A framework for understanding perceptions based on warmth and competence.

Stereotype Threat

The fear of confirming negative stereotypes about one's group, leading to underperformance.

Stockholm Syndrome

A condition where hostages develop positive feelings toward their captors.

Tit for Tat (Provocation Hypothesis)

A strategy for conflict resolution responding to aggression with equivalent aggression.

Violence and the Media

Research suggesting exposure to violent media increases aggressive behaviors.

White Privilege

Societal advantages that white people have over people of color.