Social Psychology: Key Concepts from Nosek Chapters 1–4

Social Psychology

Scientific study of how people think about (social cognition), influence (social influence), and relate to one another (social relations).

Social Cognition

How we perceive, remember, and interpret social information.

Social Influence

How others shape our attitudes and behavior.

Social Relations

How we interact with and feel about others.

Hindsight Bias

Belief that outcomes were predictable after they occur ('I knew it all along').

Hypothesis

Testable prediction derived from a theory.

Theory

Integrated set of principles explaining observations.

Random Sample

Ensures generalization to a population.

Random Assignment

Ensures groups are equivalent in experiments.

Correlational Research

Examines relationships but cannot infer causation.

Experimental Research

Manipulates variables to determine cause and effect.

Ethics

Informed consent, protection from harm, justified deception, and thorough debriefing.

Self-Concept

Beliefs about who we are.

Self-Schemas

Cognitive frameworks organizing self-relevant information.

Spotlight Effect

Overestimating how much others notice us.

Social Comparison

Upward comparisons can motivate or discourage; downward comparisons protect self-esteem.

Dual Attitude System

Implicit attitudes may differ from explicit attitudes.

Affective Forecasting

Poor prediction of future emotional intensity and duration.

Planning Fallacy

Underestimating task completion time.

Self-Esteem

Overall sense of self-worth.

Self-Serving Bias

Attributing successes to self and failures to situation.

False Consensus

Overestimating how common our beliefs are.

False Uniqueness

Underestimating how common our abilities are.

Narcissism

Inflated self-esteem linked to aggression when ego is threatened.

Self-Handicapping

Creating obstacles to protect self-esteem.

Self-Monitoring

High = social chameleons; Low = zebras/self-verifiers.

System 1

Fast, automatic, unconscious thinking.

System 2

Slow, deliberate, conscious thinking.

Overconfidence

Being more confident than correct.

Confirmation Bias

Seeking evidence that supports existing beliefs.

Reducing Overconfidence

Prompting critical thinking and considering alternatives.

Availability Heuristic

Judging likelihood based on ease of recall.

Representativeness Heuristic

Judging based on similarity to a prototype.

Misinformation Effect

Memories altered by misleading information.

Attribution Theory

Explaining causes of behavior.

Dispositional Attribution

Behavior caused by personality.

Situational Attribution

Behavior caused by environment.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overemphasizing dispositional causes.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Expectations lead to confirming behavior.

Pygmalion Effect

Teacher expectations influence performance.

Attribution-Affect-Action Model

Attributions influence emotions, which guide behavior.

Attitudes

Feelings that predispose behavior.

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

Measures implicit attitudes.

Theory of Planned Behavior

Attitudes, norms, and perceived control predict behavior.

Role-Playing

Acting a role shapes attitudes.

Saying is Believing

Public statements influence private beliefs.

Cognitive Dissonance

Discomfort from conflicting cognitions.

Insufficient Justification

Less reward leads to greater attitude change.

Self-Perception Theory

Inferring attitudes from behavior.

Facial Feedback

Expressions influence emotions.

Overjustification Effect

External rewards undermine intrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic Motivation

Doing something for its own sake.

Extrinsic Motivation

Doing something for external rewards.