Unit 9 Study Guide Pt. 2

Group Polarization

The tendency for a group to make decisions that are more extreme than the initial inclination of its members.

Groupthink

A phenomenon where group members prioritize harmony and conformity over critical evaluation of information or alternative viewpoints.

Prejudice

Unjustified or incorrect attitude (usually negative) towards an individual based solely on the individual's membership of a social group.

Stereotype

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

Discrimination

Unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex.

Just-world Phenomenon

The belief that the world is just and people get what they deserve.

Ingroup

A social group to which a person psychologically identifies as being a member.

Outgroup

A social group with which an individual does not identify.

In-group Bias

The tendency to favor one's own group or its members over an outgroup or outsiders.

Scapegoat Theory

The tendency to blame someone else for one's own problems, a process that often results from prejudice and discrimination.

Other-race Effect

The tendency to recognize faces of one's own race more easily than faces of other races.

Mere Exposure Effect

The phenomenon that people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them.

Passionate Love

A state of intense longing for union with another, characterized by physiological arousal.

Companionate Love

The deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined.

Equity

A condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it.