AP Psych 4.1-4.2 Vocab

person perception

how we form impressions of ourselves and others, including attributions of behavior.

attribution theory

The theory that we explained someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation (a situational attribution) or the person’s stable, enduring traits (a dispositional attribution).

fundamental attribution error

The tendency for observers to underestimate the impact of a situation and over estimate the impact of personal disposition.

actor-observer bias

A type of fundamental attribution error where one to attributes their behavior to external causes, but their observers attribute others behavior to internal causes. (Your problems your fault)

social comparison

Comparing yourself to others to assess yourself or others.

prejudice

And unjustifiable and usually negative attitude to a group and it’s members. (Usually involves negative emotions, stereotyped beliefs, and a predisposition to discriminatory action.)

stereotype

A generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people.

discrimination

Unjustifiable negative behavior to a group of people or its members.

explicit prejudice

Prejudices that are on the radar screen of our awareness.

implicit prejudice

Print introduces that occur in an unthinking need your response operating below the radar leaving us unaware of our attitudes are influencing our behavior.

just-world phenomenon

The tendency for people to believe that the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get.

social identity

The “we” aspect of our self-concept; the part of our answer to “Who am I” that comes from our group memberships.

ingroup

“Us” - people with whom we share a common identity.

outgroup

“Them” - those perceived as different of apart from our ingroup.

ingroup bias

The tendency to favor our own group.

scapegoat theory

The theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.

other-race effect

The tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races. Also called the cross-race effect and the own-race bias.

attitudes

Feelings, often influence by our beliefs, the predisposed to respond a particular way to objects, people, and events.

Attitudes-follow-behavior principle

The idea that cooperative actions feed mutual liking.

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

The tendency for people who have first agreed to small request to comply later with a larger request.

foot-in-the-face effect

The tendency for people who first declined to a large request to comply later with a smaller request.

role

A set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.

cognitive dissonance theory

The theory that we all asked to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. for example, when we become aware that are attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes.

persuasion

Changing peoples attitudes, potentially influencing their actions.

peripheral route permission

Occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness.

central route persuasion

Occurs when interested peoples thinking is influenced by considering evidence and arguments.