PSYC 103 Social Psychology and Psychological Disorders Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from PSYC 103 lecture notes on social psychology, personality, and psychological disorders.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Blaming someone's personality for their actions without considering their situation.

Self-Serving Bias

Taking credit for successes but blaming external factors for failures.

Group Polarization

When discussion leads a group to adopt a more extreme view they already held.

Bystander Effect

People are less likely to help someone when others are present.

Diffusion of Responsibility

In a group, the feeling of responsibility is spread out so no one feels personally responsible.

Social Norms

Unwritten rules for how to act in society.

Social Scripts

Expected behaviors for specific situations.

Attitude

How we feel about something (positive, negative, or neutral).

Cognitive Dissonance

Discomfort felt when actions don't match beliefs.

Prejudice

Negative attitude toward a person or group before knowing them.

Stereotypes

Thoughts or beliefs, like assuming all rich people are stuck-up.

Discrimination

Acting on prejudice.

Conformity

Changing behavior to fit in with others.

Normative Conformity

Going along with the group to avoid feeling left out.

Informational Conformity

Following others because you think they know better.

Id

The part of personality that wants immediate pleasure.

Ego

The part of personality that balances the id with reality.

Superego

The part of personality acts as an inner voice of reason.

Conscious

What we are aware of right now.

Preconscious

What we can pull into our awareness if we try.

Unconscious

Deep thoughts, feelings, or past experiences we're not always aware of.

Reciprocal Determinism

Thoughts, behavior, and environment all influence each other.

Traits

Consistent ways someone behaves.

Openness

How creative or curious someone is (Big Five).

Conscientiousness

How organized and responsible someone is (Big Five).

Extraversion

How outgoing and social someone is (Big Five).

Agreeableness

How kind or cooperative someone is (Big Five).

Neuroticism

How emotionally unstable or anxious someone is (Big Five).

Projective Tests

Personality tests using ambiguous images or prompts.

Self-Report Tests

Personality tests where people answer questions about themselves.

DSM-5

Manual used to diagnose mental health disorders.

Major Depressive Disorder

Extreme sadness or hopelessness lasting at least two weeks.

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)

Long-term, lower-level depression lasting two years or more.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Depression during certain seasons, like winter.

Postpartum Depression

Depression after giving birth.

Bipolar Disorder

Extreme mood swings between mania and depression.

Schizophrenia

Severe mental illness that makes it hard to tell what’s real.

Positive Symptoms

Symptoms that add something extra that’s not normally there.

Negative Symptoms

Symptoms that are missing, like showing no emotions.

Psychosis

When someone loses touch with reality.

Diathesis-Stress Model

A risk for schizophrenia may show up if a stressful event triggers it.

Dopamine Hypothesis

Schizophrenia might be linked to too much dopamine activity.