AP Psychology Unit 5 Social Psychology

Vocab about Social Psychology from AP Psychology.

Social Psychology

How we think about, influence, and relate to one another

Attribution Theory/Error

We tend to explain (attribute) someone’s behavior by blaming either the situation or the person’s disposition (personality). The error is when we assume

Just-World Phenomenon

This is a cognitive bias where people have a strong belief that the world is a fair and just place where good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people.

This can lead to victim blaming, where individuals attribute negative events to the victim’s actions or characteristics rather than the situation.

Actor-Observer Bias

This is a cognitive bias where individuals attribute their own actions to external circumstances (situational attribution) while attributing others' actions to internal factors (dispositional attribution). In essence, it's the tendency to see our own behavior as justified by the situation, but to see others' behavior as a reflection of their character.

Mere-Exposure Effect

Physically being close to a person over time can lead to attraction.

Prejudice

is an unreasonable or unfair attitude toward a person or group of people. (biased thinking)

Discrimination

the unfair treatment of people or groups based on their characteristics, such as race, gender, age, or disability. (Actions)

Scapegoat Theory

Prejudice finds an outlet by blaming somebody.

Other-Race Effect

In general, we recall the faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races.

Cognitive Dissonance

This occurs when our attitudes (beliefs) and actions (behavior) collide, making us feel guilty and confused.