Social Psych Final Exam

Stereotype

Generalized belief about a group of people in which identical characteristics are assigned to virtually all members of the group, regardless of actual variation among the members.

Prosocial Behavior

Any act performed with goal of benefiting another person

Altruism

desire to help another even if it involves a cost to the helper

Kin selection

behaviors that help a genetic relative are favored by natural selection

Empathy-Altruism Hypothesis

When we feel empathy for a person, we will attempt to help that person for purely altruistic reasons regardless of what we have to gain.

Urban Overload Hypothesis

People living in cities are constantly bombarded with stimulation and that they keep to themselves to avoid being overwhelmed

Bystander Effect

Greater number of bystanders who witness emergency, the less likely any one of them is to help

Pluralistic Ignorance

people think that everyone else is interpreting a situation in a certain way, when they are not

In group

group with which an individual identifies as a member

Empathy

ability to put oneself in the shoes of another person and experience events and emotions the way that person experiences them

Hostile Aggression

 act of aggression stemming from feelings of anger and is aimed at inflicting pain or injury

Instrumental Aggression

 act of aggression that is an intermediary step toward a nonaggressive goal.

Parental Investment Theory

Women more selective, prefer higher status/resource mates.

Men behave aggressively to establish dominance over other males and acquire status

Defensive Aggression

causes harm or pain but as mean to physical defense

Challenge Hypothesis

Testosterone relates to aggression only when there are opportunities for reproduction

Dual-Hormone Hypothesis

Testosterone relates to dominance-seeking behavior only when cortisol (stress hormone) is low

Culture of Honor and Aggression

South much more likely to endorse aggression than North because they used to be herding communities that had to protect their livestock

Gender differences in aggression

• women engage in more relational aggression

• women have lower thresholds of what is perceived as aggression

• both genders respond the same to provocation

think-drink effect

When people expect alcohol to have certain effects on them, it does.

Frustration-Aggression Hypothesis

perception that you are being prevented from attaining a goal produces anger which increases aggression

More Aggression when

greater closeness to goal, greater unexpectedness of frustration, and perception as intentional

Compassion Collapse

decreasing amount of compassion felt for victims of mass casualties than for single victims

Catharsis

Freud concept of performing an aggressive act, watching others engage in it, or engaging in fantasy of aggression

Utilitarian thinkers

People who believe that the most moral decision is the one that does the greatest good for the greatest number of people

Desensitizing effects for media violence

repeated exposure to media violence associated with decreased sensitivity to violence; reduced reactivity to violence