Introduction to Social & Organizational Psychology – Key Vocabulary

Thirty vocabulary flashcards covering foundational terms, research methods, and historical/critical issues introduced in the Week-1 lecture.

Social Psychology

Scientific study of how individuals’ thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are influenced by the real, imagined, or implied presence of others.

Organizational Psychology

Branch of psychology that examines cognition, affect, and behaviour within workplace and other organisational settings.

Cognition (Social Psych)

Mental processes such as beliefs, perceptions, and thoughts about oneself, others, and social situations.

Affect

Emotional responses or feelings individuals experience in social contexts.

Behaviour (Social)

Observable actions people perform that may be influenced by social factors.

Social Influence

Ways in which people affect one another, including conformity, compliance, and obedience.

Self-Concept

A person’s knowledge and evaluation of who they are; central to interpreting social information.

Social Cognition

How people select, interpret, and remember information about others and the social world.

Attitude

Enduring positive or negative evaluation of people, objects, or ideas that can guide behaviour.

Persuasion

Deliberate attempt to change attitudes or behaviours through communication.

Conformity

Tendency to adjust thoughts or behaviours to match group norms.

Prosocial Behaviour

Actions intended to benefit others, such as helping or sharing.

Antisocial Behaviour

Actions that harm or lack consideration for the wellbeing of others.

Prejudice

Negative attitude toward members of a group based solely on their group membership.

Bystander Effect

Phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help a victim when other people are present.

Social Identity

Part of the self-concept derived from membership in social groups and categories.

Experiment

Research method involving manipulation of an independent variable to observe causal effects on a dependent variable.

Independent Variable

Factor purposefully changed or manipulated by researchers in an experiment.

Dependent Variable

Outcome that is measured to assess the effect of the independent variable.

Quasi-Experiment

Study comparing naturally occurring groups where random assignment is not possible, limiting causal claims.

Correlational Design

Method that assesses the statistical relationship between two or more continuous variables without manipulation.

Third-Variable Problem

Risk that an unmeasured factor explains the relationship between two correlated variables.

Qualitative Research

Empirical approach using non-numerical data (e.g., interviews, observations) to explore lived experiences and build theory.

Positivist Paradigm

Epistemological stance assuming an objective reality discoverable through value-free, empirical observation.

WEIRD Samples

Participants from Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, Democratic societies—over-represented in psychological research.

Internal Validity

Extent to which a study convincingly demonstrates a causal relationship between variables.

External Validity

Degree to which research findings generalise beyond the specific study context, sample, and procedures.

Eugenics

Discredited movement advocating selective breeding to improve genetic qualities; historically linked to some early psychologists.

The Bell Curve

Controversial 1994 book using IQ data to argue for innate intelligence differences across groups.

Generalizability

Applicability of research conclusions to populations, settings, or times beyond those studied.