FINAL UNIT

Attribution Theory

The theory that explains how we credit or blame behavior to a person's internal traits or the external situation.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to underestimate the impact of the situation and overestimate the impact of personal disposition when analyzing others' behavior.

Attitudes

Feelings influenced by beliefs that predispose responses to objects, people, and events.

Peripheral Route Persuasion

Persuasion technique that involves attention-getting cues to trigger emotion-based judgments.

Central Route Persuasion

Influence that occurs when people are persuaded by arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.

Foot in the Door Phenomenon

The tendency for people who agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.

Role

Norms about a social position.

Norms

Understood rules for accepted and expected behavior.

Social Contagion

The tendency to go along with the group.

Conformity

Adjusting behavior or thinking to align with group standards due to actual or imagined pressure.

Stanford Prison Theory

Concept where male college students in a simulated prison quickly adopted tyrannical roles as guards.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

The theory suggesting we act to reduce discomfort when our thoughts and behaviors are inconsistent.

Normative Social Influence

Influence that stems from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.

Informational Social Influence

Influence that results from one's acceptance of others' opinions about reality.

Social Facilitation

Improved performance on simple tasks in the presence of others.

Social Loafing

The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort toward a common goal than when individually accountable.

Deindividuation

Loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.

Group Polarization

The enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.

Groupthink

The mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a group overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives.

Culture

Enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group and transmitted across generations.

Prejudice

An unjustifiable attitude toward a group and its members, often involving negative feelings and stereotypical beliefs.

Discrimination

Negative behavior directed toward a group or its members.

Ethnocentrism

The belief in the superiority of one's own ethnic group.

Just-World Phenomenon

The belief that good is rewarded and evil is punished.

Scapegoating

The theory suggesting prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.

Availability Heuristic

Problem-solving method where likelihood estimates are based on how easily instances come to mind.

Aggression

Any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone.

Frustration-Aggression Principle

The theory that frustration leads to anger, which can spark aggression.

Social Script

A culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations.

Mere Exposure Effect

The phenomenon where repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking.

Schachter-Singer Two-Factor Theory

Theory that emotions are produced by physical reactions and cognitive appraisal.

Equity

A relationship condition where outcomes are proportional to input.

Self-Disclosure

The act of revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others.

Altruism

Selfless concern for the welfare of others.

Bystander Effect

The tendency for individuals to be less likely to give aid to a victim when others are present.

Social-Exchange Theory

The theory that social behavior is an exchange process aiming to maximize benefits and minimize costs.

Reciprocity Norm

Expectation that individuals will help those who have helped them.

Social-Responsibility Norm

The expectation that we should help those in need.

Social Trap

A situation where conflicting parties pursue self-interest, leading to mutually destructive behavior.

Mirror-Image Perceptions

Mutual views often held by conflicting parties, where each sees themselves as ethical and peaceful.