Chapter 7: Social Thinking and Social Influence

person perception

the process of forming impressions of others

attributions

inferences that people draw about the causes of their own behavior, others’ behavior and events

confirmation bias

tendency to seek information that supports one’s beliefs while not pursuing disconfirming information

self fulfilling prophecy

occurs when expectations about a person cause him or her to behave in ways that confirm the expectations

stereotypes

widely held beliefs that people have certain characteristics because of their membership in a particular group

fundamental attribution error

the tendency to explain other people’s behavior as the result of personal, rather than situational factors

defensive attribution

tendency to blame victims for their misfortune, so that one feels less likely to be victimized in a similar way

primacy effect

occurs when initial information carries more weight than subsequent information

prejudice

negative attitude towards members of a group

discrimination

involves behaving differently, usually unfairly, towards members of a group

persuasion

the communication of arguments and information intended to change another person’s attitudes

attitudes

beliefs and feelings about people, objects and ideas

source

the person who sends a communication

receiver

the person to whom the message is sent

message

information transmitted by the source

channel

medium through which the message is sent

need for cognition

tendency to seek out and enjoy effortful thought, problem solving activities, and in depth analysis

elaboration likelihood model

an individual’s thoughts about a persuasive message (rather than the actual message itself) determine whether attitude change will occur

conformity

occurs when people yield to real or imagined social pressure

compliance

occurs when people yield to social pressure in their public behavior, even though their private beliefs have not changed

normative influence

operates when people conform to social norms for fear of negative social consequences

informational influence

operates when people look to others for how to behave in ambiguous situations

bystander effect

the tendency for individuals to be less likely to provide help when others are present than when they are alone

obedience

form of compliance that occurs when people follow direct commands, usually from someone in a position of authority

foot in the door technique (FITD)

getting people to agree to a small request to increase the chances that they will agree to a larger request later

lowball technique

getting someone to commit to an attractive proposition before its hidden costs are revealed

reciprocity principle

the rule that one should pay back in kind what one receives from others

door in the face (DITF) technique

involves making a large request that is likely to be turned down in order to increase the chances that people will agree to a smaller request later