4.1-4.3 Psych

Attribution Theory

The theory that explores how individuals explain behavior, including internal and external attributions.

Internal Attribution

Connecting behavior to internal qualities such as personality or intelligence.

External Attribution

Linking behavior to external circumstances or situational factors.

Explanatory Style

A person's predictable pattern of attributions for positive and negative events in their lives.

Optimistic Explanatory Style

Attributes good events to internal, stable, global causes and bad events to external, unstable, specific causes.

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

Attributes good events to external, unstable, specific factors and bad events to internal, stable, global causes.

Actor-Observer Bias

The tendency to attribute one's own behavior to situational factors while attributing others' behavior to dispositional factors.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overestimate the influence of dispositional factors and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behavior.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external factors to maintain self-esteem.

Locus of Control

The degree to which individuals believe they can control events that affect them.

Internal Locus of Control

Belief that one’s own actions are what determine outcomes.

External Locus of Control

Belief that outside forces or fate determine outcomes.

Mere Exposure Effect

The phenomenon where repeated exposure to a stimulus increases liking for that stimulus.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

When beliefs about oneself or others lead to behaviors that confirm those beliefs.

Social Comparison

Evaluating oneself based on comparisons to others, affecting self-evaluation and self-esteem.

Upward Social Comparison

Comparing oneself to someone perceived as better off, which can boost motivation or harm self-esteem.

Downward Social Comparison

Comparing oneself to someone perceived as worse off, which can enhance self-esteem but hinder motivation.

Belief Perseverance

The tendency to maintain a belief even when faced with contradictory evidence.

Cognitive Dissonance

Mental discomfort experienced when actions and attitudes are inconsistent.

Social Institutions

Organized structures and norms that govern behaviors and meet societal needs.

Family

The primary social institution for early socialization, nurturing, and support.

Education

Formal and informal systems that provide knowledge, skills, and social values.

Religion

A social institution providing moral guidelines and a sense of community.

Government

The institution responsible for law enforcement and societal management.

Economy

The system that organizes production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

Social Norms

Established rules dictating expected behavior in specific contexts.

Role Theory

The idea that social roles come with expectations that influence individual behavior.

Conformity

Adjusting behaviors or beliefs to align with group norms.

Obedience

Complying with orders from authority figures.

Primary Socialization

Initial socialization that occurs within the family setting.

Secondary Socialization

Learning appropriate behaviors in smaller groups and institutions beyond the family.

Groupthink

A phenomenon where the desire for harmony in a group results in poor decision-making.

Group Polarization

The tendency for group discussion to enhance the prevailing opinion.

Social Loafing

The reduced effort by individuals when working in a group compared to working alone.