Social Psychology

Milgram's Obedience Study

Demonstrated that people are likely to follow orders from authority figures, even if it means harming others.

Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment

Showed that situational roles and environment can lead to extreme behavior; guards became abusive and prisoners passive.

Asch's Conformity Study

Illustrated that people often conform to group norms even when the group is clearly wrong, as shown in the line judgment test.

Groupthink

A phenomenon where a group values harmony over realistic decision-making, leading to poor choices.

Deindividuation

The loss of self-awareness in groups, often resulting in impulsive or deviant acts.

Social Loafing

The tendency to exert less effort when working in a group compared to working alone.

Bystander Effect

A social phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help a victim when others are present.

Diffusion of Responsibility

The principle that the more people present, the less responsibility each individual feels to act.

Attribution Theory

A theory concerning how individuals interpret the causes of behavior, categorized into internal and external attributions.

Internal Attribution

Attributing behavior to personality or disposition.

External Attribution

Attributing behavior to the situation or environment.

Cognitive Dissonance (Festinger)

The discomfort caused by conflicting thoughts or behaviors, leading individuals to try to reduce this tension by changing attitudes or beliefs.