Notes on Social Psychology and Self-Presentation

Social Psych Def

examines how people affect one another and the power of the situation

intrapersonal influences

those that pertain to the individual

interpersonal influences

influences that occur between individuals, affecting attitudes, behaviors, and interactions

situationism

the view that our behavior is determined by our environment

What psychologists like situationism model?

social psychologists

dispositions

the belief that individual personality traits dictate behavior

what psychologists prefer the dispositions model?

personality psychologists

fundamental attribution error

failure to recognize when the behavior of another is due to the situation

actor-observer bias

a tendency to attribute one's own actions to situational factors, while attributing others' actions to their dispositions

self-serving bias

the tendency to attribute positive outcomes to one's own actions and negative outcomes to external factors

model of attribution for the self-serving bias has three components:

locus of control, stability, and controllability

halo effect

tendency for positive impressions of something to influence one’s opinion or feelings in other areas

just-world hypothesis

the belief that individuals get what they deserve and deserve what they get, leading to a tendency to blame victims for their misfortunes

social role

a set of expected behaviors and norms associated with a particular position in a social context, guiding how individuals should act in specific situations

social norms

rules or expectations that guide behavior within a social group, dictating acceptable conduct and influencing individual actions

script

a cognitive framework that guides behavior in social situations, consisting of a sequence of expected actions in a particular context

attitude

our evaluation of a person, idea, or object

three components that affect attitude

cognitive, affective, and behavioral components

cognitive dissonance

the psychological discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes, often leading to a change in one of the beliefs to reduce the discomfort

ways to reduce cognitive dissonance

change beliefs, seek justification, or minimize importance of conflict

justification of effort

the tendency to attribute greater value to an outcome when significant effort is required to achieve it.

persuasion

the process of convincing someone to change their attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors through communication and reasoning.

Yale attitude change approach to persuasion

a theory proposing that effective persuasion is influenced by factors such as the source of the message, the content, and the audience's characteristics.

three components of the source in the Yale attitude change approach

authority, honesty, and likeability

elaboration likelihood model

a theory that describes different ways individuals process persuasive messages, distinguishing between a central route (deep processing) and a peripheral route (surface processing). c

central route

a persuasive path where individuals are influenced by the quality of the arguments presented, leading to lasting attitude change.

peripheral route

the method of processing persuasive messages that involves superficial cues and less cognitive effort

conformity

the tendency to align attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors with those of a group or social norm.

the Asch effect

the influence of group pressure on individual judgments, leading to conformity even when the individual's personal beliefs differ. f

factors for the Asch efffect

include group size, unanimity, and the presence of a dissenting partner.

compliance

a change in behavior due to direct requests or social pressures, often without a change in personal beliefs.

normative social influence

the influence of others that leads us to conform in order to be liked or accepted by them.

informational social influence

the influence of others that leads us to conform because we see them as a source of information, especially in ambiguous situations.

obedience

change in behavior to comply with a demand of an authority figure

milgrams experiment

a series of psychological experiments conducted by Stanley Milgram in the 1960s that studied obedience to authority, where participants were instructed to administer electric shocks to others.

groupthink

a psychological phenomenon where the desire for harmony and conformity in a group results in irrational or dysfunctional decision-making.

group polarization

the tendency for group discussions to enhance group members' initial leanings, leading to more extreme positions.

social traps

situations in which conflicting parties are caught in mutually destructive behaviors, often due to short-term gains outweighing long-term benefits.

social loafing

the tendency for individuals to put forth less effort when working in a group compared to when working alone.

deindividuation

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations, often leading to uninhibited behavior.

hostile aggression

aggression driven by feelings of anger and aimed at causing pain or harm to others

instrumental aggression

aggression that is premeditated and used as a means to achieve a specific goal, rather than being driven purely by emotion.

frustration-aggression theory

theory suggesting that frustration leads to aggression, as individuals are driven to respond aggressively when their goals are blocked.

bystander effect

a social phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present, as the responsibility is diffused among the witnesses.

linegaards international study

a significant research project that explored the impact of bystanders on helping behavior in emergency situations, finding most do help

pluralistic ignorance

a phenomenon where individuals in a group misinterpret others' inaction as an indication that no help is needed, leading to a lack of response.

diffusion of responsibility

a psychological phenomenon where individuals feel less accountable to act in a situation when others are present, leading to a decreased likelihood of offering help.

cost-benefit analysis

a decision-making process where individuals evaluate the potential costs and benefits of helping or not helping in a given situation.

kin selection

a theory suggesting that individuals are more likely to assist those who are genetically related to them

reciprocal altruism

a behavior where individuals provide help to others with the expectation that the favor will be returned in the future

negative state relief model

a theory proposing that individuals seek to alleviate their own negative feelings by helping others, thereby enhancing their mood.

arousal: cost-reward model

A theory that suggests individuals are motivated to help others based on the emotional arousal they experience from seeing someone in distress

empathy-altruism model

A theory that posits empathic concern for others leads to altruistic behavior, where individuals help purely for the sake of the other person's well-being, rather than for personal gain.

mere-exposure effect

The phenomenon where increased exposure to a stimulus results in greater liking for that stimulus

homophily

The tendency for individuals to associate and form connections with others who are similar to themselves

reciprocity

A social norm where individuals feel compelled to respond to positive actions with positive actions in return

self-disclosure

The act of revealing personal information about oneself to others

universal attractive aspects

signs of health, fitness, and fertility

matching hypothesis

the theory that people are more likely to form romantic relationships with partners who are similar in attractiveness and other traits

Sternberg’s triangular theory of love

a theory that describes love using three components: intimacy, passion, and commitment, which can combine to form different types of love

liking

intimacy

infatuation

passion

empty love

commitment

companionate

intimacy and commitment

romantic love

passion and intimacy

fatuous love

passion and commitment

consumate

passion, commitment, intimacy

social exchange theory

The theory that human relationships are formed based on the perceived costs and benefits involved

prejudice

an unjustified negative attitude toward a group and its members.

stereotype

A widely held but oversimplified belief or idea about a particular group of people.

discrimination

the behavior that results from prejudice, involving unfair treatment of individuals based on their group membership.

self-fulfilling prophecy

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment, where an expectation about a person or group causes them to act in ways that confirm the expectation.

confirmation bias

the tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs or values. sca

scapegoating

the practice of unfairly blaming a person or group for problems or negative outcomes, often to divert attention from the real causes.