Unit 4 Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering vocabulary and concepts from Unit 4.

Attribution

The process by which individuals explain the causes of behavior and events.

Dispositional Attribution

Attributing behavior to internal characteristics, such as personality traits.

Situational Attribution

Attributing behavior to external factors, such as the environment or circumstances.

Optimistic Explanatory Style

A way of interpreting events that focuses on positive outcomes.

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

A way of interpreting events that focuses on negative outcomes.

Actor-Observer Bias

The tendency to attribute one's own actions to situational factors while attributing others' actions to their dispositions.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overemphasize personal characteristics and ignore situational factors in judging others' behavior.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to attribute positive outcomes to oneself and negative outcomes to external factors.

Internal Locus of Control

The belief that one controls their own fate.

External Locus of Control

The belief that outside forces control one's fate.

Mere Exposure Effect

The phenomenon where people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

A belief or expectation that helps bring about its own fulfillment.

Social Comparison

Evaluating oneself in relation to others; can be upward or downward.

Relative Deprivation

The perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself.

Stereotype

A widely held but oversimplified idea of a particular type of person or thing.

Cognitive Load

The total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory.

Prejudices

Negative attitudes or opinions about a group of people.

Attitudes

Evaluations of people, objects, or ideas.

Discriminatory Behavior

Actions that treat people unfairly based on their group membership.

Implicit Attitudes

Attitudes that are automatically activated and often unaware.

Just-World Phenomenon

The belief that the world is fair and individuals get what they deserve.

Out-Group Homogeneity Bias

The tendency to see members of other groups as more alike than members of one's own group.

In-Group Bias

The tendency to favor one's own group over others.

Ethnocentrism

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

Belief Perseverance

The tendency to cling to one's initial beliefs even when confronted with contrary evidence.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs.

Cognitive Dissonance

The mental discomfort experienced when holding two or more contradictory beliefs.

Social Norms

The expected standards of behavior within a group.

Normative Social Influence

Influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.

Informational Social Influence

Influence stemming from the desire to be correct or to understand others.

Elaboration Likelihood Model

A model that explains how attitudes are formed and changed.

Central Route to Persuasion

Persuading someone by presenting logical arguments.

Peripheral Route to Persuasion

Persuasion that relies on superficial cues.

Halo Effect

The tendency for an impression created in one area to influence opinion in another area.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

A persuasion strategy that involves getting a person to agree to a large request by first setting them up with a smaller request.

Door-in-the-Face Technique

A persuasion strategy that involves making a large request that is expected to be refused, followed by a smaller request.

Conformity

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

Obedience

Following the commands of a person in authority.

Individualism

A social pattern that consists of closely-knit social structures that take care of members' needs.

Collectivism

A cultural value that emphasizes the importance of the group over the individual.

Multiculturalism

The presence and co-existence of multiple cultures in a society.

Group Polarization

The tendency for group discussions to enhance the group's prevailing tendencies.

Groupthink

A mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides realistic appraisal.

Diffusion of Responsibility

The tendency for individuals to feel less responsible to act when others are present.

Social Loafing

The phenomenon where individuals exert less effort when working in a group than when working alone.

Deindividuation

The loss of self-awareness and individual accountability in a group.

Social Facilitation

The tendency for individuals to perform better on tasks when in the presence of others.

False Consensus Effect

The tendency for people to overestimate the extent to which others share their beliefs and behaviors.

Superordinate Goals

Goals that require the cooperation of two or more social groups to be achieved.

Social Trap

A situation where individuals or groups are drawn into a course of action that is contrary to their best interests.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

The study of human behavior in organizations and the workplace.

Altruism

Selfless concern for the well-being of others.

Prosocial Behavior

Voluntary behavior intended to benefit others.

Social Debt

The perceived obligation to repay others for their efforts or favors.

Social Responsibility Norm

An expectation that people will help those needing help.

Norm

An understood rule for accepted and expected behavior.

Social Reciprocity Norm

The expectation that individuals will respond favorably to each other by returning benefits for benefits.

Bystander Effect

The phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present.

Psychodynamic Theory of Personality

A theory proposing that personality is shaped by unconscious forces and childhood experiences.

Unconscious Processes

Mental processes that occur without awareness.

Ego Defense Mechanisms

Psychological strategies used to cope with reality and maintain self-image.

Denial

Refusing to accept reality or facts.

Displacement

Shifting negative feelings from one person or situation to another.

Projection

Attributing one's own unacceptable thoughts or feelings to others.

Rationalization

Creating false but plausible excuses to justify unacceptable behavior.

Reaction Formation

Expressing the opposite of how one truly feels.

Regression

Returning to behaviors typical of a younger developmental age.

Repression

Blocking out painful or threatening thoughts.

Sublimation

Channeling unacceptable urges into socially acceptable activities.

Projective Tests

Psychological tests that use ambiguous stimuli to elicit responses that reflect an individual's personality.

Preconscious and Unconscious Mind

The levels of awareness in psychodynamic theory, where preconscious is readily accessible and unconscious is buried.

Humanistic Perspective/Psychology

A psychological approach that emphasizes personal growth and the concept of self.

Unconditional (positive) Regard

Accepting and respecting others without judgments or conditions.

Social-Cognitive Theory

A theory that emphasizes the role of observational learning, imitation, and modeling in behavior.

Reciprocal Determinism

The process of interacting influences among personal factors, behavior, and the environment.

Self-Concept

The perception that one has of oneself.

Self-Efficacy

Belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations.

Self-Esteem

One's overall evaluation or appraisal of one's own worth.

Trait Theories of Personality

Models that describe personality in terms of individual characteristics.

Big 5 Theory of Personality

A model that outlines five core traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.

CANOE

A mnemonic for the Big Five personality traits: Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Openness, Extraversion.

Agreeableness

A personality trait that reflects how friendly and approachable someone is.

Openness to Experience

A trait characterized by a willingness to try new things and be open to new ideas.

Extraversion

A personality trait that involves sociability and outgoingness.

Conscientiousness

A trait marked by organization, responsibility, and dependability.

Emotional Stability

The ability to maintain emotional equilibrium.

Personality Inventories

Standardized questionnaires or tests designed to measure personality traits.

Factor Analysis

A statistical method used to identify clusters of related items on a test.

Drive-Reduction Theory

Theory suggesting that motivation arises from physiological needs.

Homeostasis

The tendency of the body to maintain a balanced internal state.

Arousal Theory (optimal arousal)

The theory that states that people are motivated to maintain an optimal level of arousal.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

The principle that performance increases with arousal only up to a point, beyond which performance decreases.

Self-Determination Theory

A theory that posits that humans have inherent growth tendencies and innate psychological needs.

Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation driven by an interest or enjoyment in the task itself.

Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation driven by external rewards such as money or grades.

Incentive Theory

The theory that people are motivated by external rewards.

Instincts

Biologically determined behaviors that are characteristic of a species.

Lewin’s Motivation Conflicts Theory

A theory outlining the different types of conflicts that can arise in motivation.

Approach-Approach Conflict

A decision-making conflict between two desirable options.

Approach-Avoidance Conflict

A conflict arising when one goal has both attractive and unattractive aspects.