Social Psychology

Attributions

How people explain behavior and mental processes of themselves and others.

Dispositional attributions

Explaining someone's behavior in terms of factors internal to the person.

Situational attributions

Explaining someone's behavior in terms of factors external to the person.

Explanatory style

A person's habitual way of explaining events, assessed along internal/external, stable/unstable, and global/specific dimensions.

Optimistic explanatory style

Attributing negative events to external, unstable, and specific factors.

Pessimistic explanatory style

Attributing negative events to internal, stable, and global factors.

Actor/observer bias

The tendency to blame our actions on the situation while blaming others' actions on their personalities.

Fundamental attribution error

The tendency to underestimate the impact of the situation and overestimate the impact of personal disposition.

Self-serving bias

The tendency to perceive oneself in an overly favorable manner.

Internal locus of control

Belief that you have personal control over your own behavior and actions.

External locus of control

Belief that events outside of your control drive your actions and outcomes.

Mere exposure effect

Repeated exposure to a stimulus increases liking for that stimulus.

Self-fulfilling prophecy

An expectation or belief that causes behaviors that make the belief come true.

Social comparison

Evaluating one’s abilities and opinions by comparing oneself with others.

Upward social comparison

Comparing ourselves with those we believe are better than us.

Downward social comparison

Comparing ourselves with those we believe are worse off than us.

Relative deprivation

Perception that the amount of a desired resource is less than some comparison standard.

Stereotype

A generalized concept about a group; an oversimplified belief.

Cognitive load

The amount of cognitive resources needed for a particular task.

Prejudice

A negative attitude toward another person or group formed in advance.

Discrimination

Unjust treatment of members of different groups at the individual level.

Implicit attitudes

Attitudes individuals hold but may not be aware of or acknowledge.

Just-world phenomenon

Belief that the world is fair and people generally get what they deserve.

In-group bias

Favoring one's own group and its members over others.

Ethnocentrism

Regarding one’s own ethnic or social group as central.

Belief perseverance

The tendency to stick to initial beliefs despite contradictory evidence.

Confirmation bias

Searching for information that supports preconceptions while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Cognitive dissonance

The discomfort experienced when actions conflict with beliefs.

Social norms

Expectations and roles defined for members of society.

Social influence theory

People are likely to follow norms based on social influence.

Normative social influence

Striving to act consistent with group norms to fit in.

Informational social influence

Assuming the group's judgments or opinions are correct.

Persuasion

The process of creating or changing beliefs or actions.

Elaboration likelihood model

Theory explaining how persuasive messages lead to attitude changes.

Central route persuasion

Occurs when people focus on arguments and respond favorably.

Peripheral route persuasion

Influence by incidental cues, like a speaker's attractiveness.

Halo effect

Positive impressions in one area influence opinions in other areas.

Foot-in-the-door technique

Agreeing to a small request increases likelihood of agreeing to a larger one.

Door-in-the-face technique

Making a large request first to increase compliance with a smaller request.

Conformity

Adjusting behavior to coincide with group standards.

Obedience

Following direct commands, usually from authority figures.

Individualism

Prioritizing personal goals over group goals.

Collectivism

Prioritizing goals of one’s group and defining identity accordingly.

Multiculturalism

Belief that distinct identities and cultural groups should be preserved.

Group polarization

Like-minded groups reinforce opinions, leading to more extreme views.

Groupthink

Irrational decision-making in groups due to pressure to conform.

Diffusion of responsibility

Feeling less personal responsibility to act when in a group.

Social loafing

Less productivity when working in a team.

Deindividuation

Loss of individuality and personal responsibility in groups.

Social facilitation

Performing better on easy tasks in the presence of others.

False consensus effect

Overestimating the extent to which others agree with us.

Superordinate goals

Goals requiring cooperation from multiple groups to achieve.

Social traps

Short-term rewards leading to negative long-term consequences.

Industrial-organizational psychology

Study of human behavior in organizations and workplaces.

Burnout

Emotional exhaustion and reduced feelings of personal accomplishment due to work stress.

Altruism

Unselfish regard for the welfare of others.

Prosocial behavior

Positive, helpful behavior, opposite of antisocial behavior.

Social debt

Guilt for not following social rules, motivating corrective actions.

Social reciprocity norm

People should return favors and acts of kindness.

Social responsibility norm

Expectation that people engage in positive social behavior.

Bystander effect

Less likelihood of taking action when in a group.

Situational variables

Environmental factors impacting the likelihood of helping others.

Attentional variables

Factors related to awareness impacting helping behaviors.