Psychology Attribution and Social Influence Concepts

Flashcards covering key psychological concepts related to attribution theory and social influence.

Attribution Theory

Explains how we interpret others' actions, attributing reasons to them such as internal or external factors.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to attribute others' actions primarily to their personality rather than considering situational factors.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to credit ourselves for successes while blaming outside factors for failures.

Actor-Observer Bias

The phenomenon where we attribute our own actions to situational factors but others' actions to their character.

Just-World Hypothesis

The belief that people generally get what they deserve in life.

Attitude

A personal evaluation or feeling about something, such as a positive attitude towards exercise.

Peripheral Route to Persuasion

Being persuaded by superficial cues like celebrity endorsements rather than the actual message.

Central Route to Persuasion

Being persuaded by the content of the message and the factual evidence provided.

Foot in the Door Phenomenon

The tendency to agree to a large request after agreeing to a small one first.

Role

A set of expectations about how individuals should behave in certain positions, such as a teacher or friend.

Conformity

The change in behavior to match that of a group.

Normative Social Influence

Conforming to be accepted or liked by others, regardless of personal beliefs.

Informational Social Influence

Following others because you believe they have more knowledge than you.

Social Facilitation

The improved performance in the presence of others.

Social Loafing

The tendency for individuals to put in less effort when working in a group.

Deindividuation

The loss of self-awareness in a group, often leading to behavior not typical of individual members.

Group Polarization

The phenomenon where group discussions lead to more extreme opinions among group members.

Groupthink

A condition in which group members suppress dissenting viewpoints to maintain harmony.

Culture

The shared beliefs, customs, and behaviors of a particular group.

Norm

An expected standard of behavior in a particular group or society.