ch11

social psychology

how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

fundamental attribution error

tendency to overestimate influence of personal traits and underestimate the influence of the situation for others

attitude

feelings that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, events

foot-in-door phenomenon

tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request

role

set of expectations (norms) abt social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave

cognitive dissonance theory

theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts clash

peripheral route persuasion

when people are influenced by attention-getting cues, like speaker’s attractiveness

central route persuasion

when interested people’s thinking is influenced by considering evidence and arguments

culture

enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

tight culture

places with clearly defined and reliably imposed norms

loose culture

places with flexible and informal norms

conformity

adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard

normative social influence

influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

informational social influence

influence from person’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality

social facilitation

around others, improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks, and worsened performance on difficult tasks

social loafing

tendency in groups to do less when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

deindividuation

loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occuring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

group polarization

strengthening of a group’s preexisiting attitudes through discussions within the group

groupthink

mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making gorup overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives

prejudice

• unfair, negative attitude toward a group and its members

• negative feelings, stereotyped beliefs, and a predisposition to discriminatory action

stereotype

generalized belief about a group

discrimination

unfair negative behavior toward group or its members

implicit bias

unconscious favoritism toward or prejudice against people of a particular race, gender, or other social group

just-world phenomenon

tendency to believe that the world is just and people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get

ingroup

‘us’ — common identity group

outgroup

‘them’ — different or apart from ingroup

ingroup bias

tendency to favor our own group

scapegoat theory

theory that prejudice is outlet for anger by providing someone to blame

other-race effect

tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races

aggression

any act intended to harm someone physically or emotionally

frustration-aggression principle

principle that frustration creates anger —> aggression

social script

culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situation

mere exposure effect

tendency for repeated exposure to novel stimuli to inc our liking of them

passionate love

aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at beginning of romantic love

companionate love

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

equity

condition where people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it

self-disclosure

revealing intimate aspects of ourselves to others

altruism

unselfish concern for welfare of others

bystander effect

tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

reciprocity norm

expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who helped them

social-responsibility norm

expectation that people will help those needing help

conflict

perceived incompatibility of goals, actions, ideas

mirror-image perceptions

mutual views often held by conflicting parties, when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive

self-fulfilling prophecy

belief that leads to its own fulfillment

superordinate goals

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation