Conway FInal book definitions

only definitions from the social psych book. Studies are not included

mere exposure

exposure to a stimulus without any external reward, which creates familiarity with the stimulus and generally makes people feel more positively about it

Polygraph study

polygraph examinations are not precise enough to warrant use. Polygraph examiners correctly detected 75 percent of guilty suspects, but they also declared guilty 37 percent of those who were actually innocent

self-perception theory

we can learn things about ourselves by observing our own behavior

social comparison theory

the self-concept is often shaped by comparisons between ourselves and others

Social Comparison theory

people learn about and evaluate their personal qualities by comparing themselves to others

self-complexity

the extent to which a person possesses many and diverse self-aspects

emotion-focused coping

a coping response where people attempt to deal with the negative emotions associated with the event, perhaps by escaping or avoiding the threatening situation

error management theory

reminders of ones own mortality lead individuals to reaffirm basic cultural worldviews, which can have both positive and negative effects

implicit measures

alternatives to self-report measures, based on difficult-to-control aspects of people’s performance, such as their response speed or accuracy

out-group homogeneity

effects the tendency to see the out-group as relatively more homogeneous and less diverse than the in-group

moral exclusion

viewing out-groups as subhuman and outside the domain in which the rules of morality apply

individual mobility

the strategy of individual escape, either physical or psychological, from a stigmatized group

social creativity

the strategy of introducing and emphasizing new dimensions of social comparison, on which a negatively regarded group can see itself as superior

social change

the strategy of improving the overall societal situation of a stigmatized group

social competition

the strategy of directly seeking to change the conditions that disadvantage the in-group, for example by building group solidarity and challenging the out-group

evaluative conditioning

the process by which positive or negative attitudes are formed or changed by association with other positively or negatively valued objects

Evaluative conditioning

the backbone of many persuasion campaigns that try to make their attitude objects wonderful by surrounding them with as many pleasant associations as possible.

elaboration

the generation of favorable or unfavorable reactions to the content of a persuasive appeal

Descriptive social norms

what a group of people think, feel, or do—are sometimes contrasted with injunctive social norms—what people should think, feel, or do.

false consensus effect

people tend to overestimate the extent to which others agree with their views of the world

group polarization occurs when

the group’s initial average position becomes more extreme following face-to-face group interaction

group polarization

the process by which a group’s initial average position becomes more extreme following group interaction

three strategies for fending off unfair normative pressure

Question how norms are being used. Question claims about relationships. Question others’ views of the situation.

social loafing

the tendency to exert less effort on a task when an individual’s efforts are an unidentifiable part of a group than when the same task is performed alone

social compensation

one group member working especially hard to compensate for another’s low level of effort or performance

communal relationship

a relationship in which people reward their partner out of direct concern and to show caring

intimacy

a positive emotional bond that includes understanding and support

social support

emotional and physical coping resources provided by other people

aggression

behavior intended to harm someone else

conflict

a perceived incompatibility of goals between two or more parties

Instrumental aggression

used as a means to an end, to control other people or to obtain valuable resources.

realistic conflict theory

intergroup hostility arises from competition among groups for scarce but valued material resources

relative deprivation theory

feelings of discontent arise from the belief that other individuals or other groups are better off

social value orientation

stable differences in the ways people act in social dilemmas (such as competitive or prosocial)

6 things that increase both the giving of help and our chances of
receiving it when we are in need

Reduce Ambiguity
Increase internal attributions for helping and cooperation.
Teach norms that support helping and cooperation.
Activate prosocial norms

Infuse, don’t diffuse, responsibility

Promote identification with those who need help and cooperation.