Social Psychology Flashcards

Social roles (how roles affect behavior)

the expected behaviors for a position (student, guard, parent). People often act differently because they follow role expectations, even if it’s not their usual personality. Example: someone acts stricter when they become “manager.”

Zimbardo’s Stanford Prison Experiment

where people were randomly assigned to “guards” or “prisoners.” Roles and situation quickly changed behavior (guards became abusive, prisoners distressed); it ended early.

Cognitive dissonance

Uncomfortable tension when your attitudes and behavior don’t match. People reduce it by changing attitudes, changing behavior, or justifying.

Factors involved in cognitive dissonance (overview)

Dissonance increases when you freely choose to do something against your attitudes, don’t have a strong external reason, or work hard for something.

Insufficient justification

You don’t have enough external reason for what you did, so you change your attitude to feel consistent. Example: “I only got $1, so I must’ve meant it.

Counterattitudinal behavior

Doing something that goes against what you believe. Example: you dislike a product but tell others it’s great.

Choice (dissonance factor)

The more you feel you freely chose the behavior, the more dissonance you feel (harder to blame the situation).

Effort (dissonance factor)

If you work hard or suffer for something, you may value it more to justify the effort. Example: “This club initiation was awful, but the club is amazing.”

Festinger & Carlsmith (1959) $1 vs. $20 study

People did a boring task then were paid $1 or $20 to say it was fun. The $1 group later rated it as more fun (they had less justification, so they changed their attitude).

Normative social influence

Conforming to be liked/accepted and avoid rejection. Example: laughing at an unfunny joke because everyone else is.

Informational social influence

Conforming because you want to be correct and others seem right. Example: following locals in an emergency because you assume they know what to do.

Asch conformity study (what happened)

People judged line lengths in a group; confederates gave wrong answers. Many participants conformed at least once when the group was unanimous.

Asch: what type of influence?

Mainly normative social influence (pressure to fit in). Unanimity was key; one ally reduces conformity a lot.

Milgram obedience study (what happened)

Participants (“teachers”) were instructed by an authority figure to give shocks to a “learner.” It tested obedience even when it felt harmful.

Milgram: proportion continued after learner stopped responding

About 65% continued to the maximum level in the classic version.

Social loafing

People put in less effort in a group than alone, especially when individual effort isn’t identifiable. Example: group project where one person does nothing.

Prejudice

Negative attitude/feeling toward a group. Example: “I don’t like ___ people.”

Stereotyping

Generalizing beliefs about a group. Example: “All ___ are ____.”

Discrimination

Unequal behavior toward a group. Example: not hiring someone due to group membership.

Explicit prejudice

Conscious, openly stated prejudice.

Implicit prejudice

Automatic, unconscious (or hard-to-control) bias that can influence behavior even if someone denies prejudice.

Implicit Association Test (IAT)

Measures implicit bias by reaction times pairing groups with positive/negative words.

Just-world phenomenon (and prejudice)

Belief that people get what they deserve. Can cause victim-blaming (“they must’ve done something to deserve it”), increasing prejudice.

Realistic conflict theory (and prejudice)

Competition over limited resources creates conflict and prejudice between groups. Example: two groups fighting over jobs or funding.

Sherif’s Robber’s Cave experiment (what happened)

Two groups of boys formed identities; competition caused hostility; cooperation later reduced prejudice.

Social identity theory (and prejudice)

We get self-esteem from our group memberships, so we favor in-groups and may dislike out-groups to feel better about ourselves.

In-group bias

Favoring your own group over others (more trust, better treatment, positive beliefs).

Minimal groups

Groups based on trivial criteria (random or meaningless categories).

Tajfel minimal group experiment (1971

Even random groups led to in-group favoritism (people gave more rewards to their own group).

Categorization and stereotyping

We simplify the world by sorting people into categories; this can exaggerate group differences and cause stereotypes.

Confirmation bias and stereotyping

We notice/remember stereotype-confirming info and ignore disconfirming info, so stereotypes stick.

Contact hypothesis (and support?)

Contact between groups can reduce prejudice, especially with equal status, cooperation, common goals, and authority support. Research generally supports it.

Cooperative interdependence

People must rely on each other to succeed; cooperation reduces hostility.

How Sherif reduced prejudice in Robber’s Cave

He created superordinate goals requiring both groups to cooperate (cooperative interdependence).

Jigsaw classroom

Cooperative learning method where each student has a necessary “piece” of information; students depend on each other, reducing prejudice.

Drive theory of aggression

Aggression comes from internal drives/arousal (built-up energy or motive) that can push people toward harm.

Catharsis

The idea that expressing aggression releases it and reduces later aggression.

Does catharsis reduce aggression?

Usually no. Acting aggressive tends to increase aggressive thoughts/behavior later.

Frustration-aggression hypothesis

Frustration increases the likelihood of aggression (especially when goals are blocked).

Similarity predicts liking

We like people who share our attitudes, interests, values.

Proximity predicts liking

We like people we see often / who are physically close.

Mere exposure effect

The more we’re exposed to something (a face, name, song), the more we tend to like it (even without interaction).

Mere exposure: classic demonstration

Students shown face photos repeatedly later rated those faces as more likable than unfamiliar faces.

Bystander effect (what is it?)

People are less likely to help when others are present.

Why bystander effect occurs (overview)

Diffusion of responsibility + pluralistic ignorance + evaluation apprehension (+ sometimes personality differences).

Diffusion of responsibility

n a group, each person feels less responsible (“someone else will help”).

Pluralistic ignorance

You look to others; if everyone looks calm, you assume it’s not an emergency.

Evaluation apprehension

Fear of being judged/embarrassed for helping incorrectly.

Personality (bystander factor)

Some traits can influence helping, but situational factors often dominate.

Psychoanalytic perspective (Freud)

Personality is shaped by unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences.

Two factors Freud emphasized

Unconscious processes + early childhood experiences.

The unconscious

Hidden desires, fears, and memories that influence behavior without awareness.

Id

Pleasure principle; basic impulses (food, sex, aggression).

Ego

Reality principle; balances id demands with real-world limits.

Superego

Moral standards/conscience; “should” and “should not.”

Freud psychosexual stages (first 3)

Oral (0–18 mo), Anal (18 mo–3 yrs), Phallic (3–6 yrs).

Oral stage

Pleasure focused on mouth; themes of dependence. Example fixation: smoking/chewing, dependency.

Anal stage

Toilet training; control/order. Fixation: overly neat/rigid OR messy/disorganized.

Oral fixation

Adult traits from unresolved oral stage (dependence, oral habits).

Anal fixation

Adult traits from unresolved anal stage (extreme control/rigidity OR messiness/defiance).

Phallic stage

Focus on genitals; Oedipus complex; identification.

Oedipus complex

Freud) Boy’s desire for mother and rivalry with father; resolves via identification with father.

Psychological determinism

Behavior/thoughts have causes (often unconscious), not random.

Freudian slips

“Accidental” mistakes that supposedly reveal unconscious thoughts.

Projective tests

Ambiguous stimuli; responses reveal unconscious processes.

Rorschach test

Inkblot test; person explains what they see.

Humanistic perspective

Focus on growth, free will, and self-actualization (becoming your best self).

Rogers: unconditional positive regard

Accepting/valuing a person without conditions.

Major depressive disorder (MDD)

Persistent sadness/emptiness and loss of interest, with symptoms that impair life.

Bipolar disorder

Mood disorder with episodes of depression and mania (or hypomania).

Mania

Abnormally elevated/irritable mood + high energy/impulsivity; can lead to risky behavior.

Schizophrenia

Severe disorder involving disturbances in thinking/perception/emotion and psychotic symptoms.

Psychotic symptoms

Losing contact with reality (delusions/hallucinations).

Delusions

Strong false beliefs not based in reality (e.g., “the TV is sending me messages”).

Hallucinations

Perceptions without stimulus (hearing voices, seeing things).

Disorganized speech

Thoughts/speech jump around; hard to follow.

Word salad

Extremely disorganized speech with random, incoherent word mix.

Catatonic symptoms

Motor issues (rigid posture, no movement, or unusual movements).

Positive symptoms (schizophrenia)

Added experiences: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech.

Negative symptoms (schizophrenia)

Missing normal functions: flat affect, low motivation, reduced speech.

Dissociative identity disorder (DID

Two or more distinct identities/personality states.

Personality disorders

Long-term, inflexible patterns of thoughts/behavior that cause problems in life/relationships.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD

Intense unstable emotions/relationships, fear of abandonment, unstable self-image.

Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD

Grandiosity, need for admiration, lack of empathy, inflated self-importance.

Psychoanalytic therapy

Therapy to uncover unconscious conflicts; uses insight into past and unconscious.

Dream interpretation

Analyzing dreams for hidden meaning/unconscious conflict.

Free association

Saying whatever comes to mind to reveal unconscious thoughts.

Humanistic therapy

Focus on self-growth and self-acceptance.

Rogers person-centered therapy (key qualities

Empathy + unconditional positive regard + genuineness; therapist helps client find solutions.

Behavioral therapy

Uses learning principles to change behavior (conditioning, reinforcement).

Classical conditioning methods (therapy)

Exposure-based techniques to weaken fear responses.

Operant conditioning methods (therapy)

Reinforcement/punishment strategies to shape behavior.

Exposure therapy

Facing feared stimulus/situation to reduce fear over time.

Flooding

Immediate intense exposure all at once.

Systematic desensitization

Gradual exposure + relaxation training.

Token economy

Earn tokens for good behavior; trade tokens for rewards.

Cognitive therapy

Identify and challenge distorted/irrational thoughts (change thinking to change feelings).

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

Combines cognitive restructuring + behavior change techniques.

Is psychotherapy effective?

Generally yes; many approaches help, CBT has strong evidence for many disorders.