AP Psych Unit 14

Conformity

The process by which individuals adjust their thoughts, feelings, or behavior to align with those of a group, as a result of real or imagined group pressure

Normative Social Influence

The influence to conform to the positive expectations of others, driven by the desire to be liked or accepted by the group

Social Norms

Unwritten rules that dictate acceptable behavior within a society or group, influencing how individuals act and interact

Social Comparison

The process of evaluating oneself by comparing with others, often to assess one's abilities, status, or opinions

Relative Deprivation

A feeling of dissatisfaction or injustice experienced when individuals compare themselves to others and perceive that they are worse off

Upward Social Comparision

Comparing oneself to others who are perceived to be better off or more skilled, which can motivate self-improvement but may also decrease self-esteem

Downward Social Comparission

Comparing oneself to others who are perceived to be worse off or less skilled, which can boost self-esteem but may also foster complacency

Informational Social Influence

The influence to accept information from others as evidence about reality, often occurring in situations where the correct action or belief is uncertain

Obedience

The act of following direct commands, usually from an authority figure, even if they contradict personal beliefs or morals

Social Facilitation

The tendency for people to perform differently when in the presence of others, typically showing improved performance on simple or well-practiced tasks and worse performance on complex or new tasks

Group Polarization

When people in a group talk about an idea, they often end up agreeing even more strongly with each other, making their group opinion more extreme

Groupthink

the desire for harmony or conformity in a group leads to irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcomes. Members suppress dissenting opinions, leading to a loss of individual creativity and responsibility

Bystander Effect

individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present

Diffusion of Responsibility

The tendency for individuals to feel less responsible for taking action or helping in a situation when others are present, leading to a decrease in the likelihood of intervention

Social Loafing

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

Deindividuation

the loss of an individual's self-awareness and sense of individuality in group settings, often leading to impulsive and deviant behavior

Attribution Theory

Explains how people decide whether someone's behavior is caused by their personality or their situation

Dispositional Attributions

Assuming a person's actions are due to their personality, not their situation

Situational Attributions

Assuming a person's actions are due to their circumstances, not their personality

Explanatory Style

How a person usually explains the reasons behind events—whether they blame themselves or outside factors

Optimistic Explanatory Style

The habit of explaining good things as likely to happen again and bad things as one-time events

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

The habit of explaining bad things as likely to happen again and good things as one-time events

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to blame people's actions more on their personality and less on their situation

Actor-Observer Bias

The habit of blaming our own actions on the situation but blaming other people's actions on their personality

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to attribute one's successes to personal characteristics and failures to external factors, enhancing one's self-esteem

Internal locus of control

The belief that one's own actions and decisions directly influence the outcomes and events in their life

External locus of control

The belief that outcomes and events are determined by external forces or fate, rather than one's own actions

Altruism

The selfless concern for the well-being of others, leading to behavior that benefits others at a personal cost

Social Responsibility Norm

The societal expectation that people should help others who need assistance, without regard to future exchanges