Unit 4 Social Psychology Study Guide

actor/observer bias

The tendency to blame our actions on the situation and blame the actions of others on their personalities.

altruism

Unselfish regard for the welfare of others.

attributions

An inference regarding the cause of a person's behavior or an interpersonal event.

belief perseverance

Clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were informed has been discredited.

burnout

Physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance, and negative attitudes toward oneself and others.

bystander effect

The tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if others are present.

central route to persuasion

Attitude change path in which interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.

cognitive dissonance

We act to reduce discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent.

cognitive load

The relative demand imposed by a particular task, in terms of mental resources required.

collectivism

A social or cultural tradition that emphasizes the group or community rather than the individual's individuality.

confirmation bias

A tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence.

conformity

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

deindividuation

The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.

diffusion of responsibility

The tendency for individuals to feel diminished responsibility for their actions when surrounded by others acting similarly.

discrimination

The unjust and differential treatment of members of different social groups.

dispositional attributions

Assigning responsibility for others' behaviors to their inherent characteristics rather than situational influences.

door-in-the-face technique

Asking for a large commitment that is refused, then asking for a smaller commitment.

elaboration likelihood model

Theory identifying two ways to persuade: a central route and a peripheral route.

ethnocentrism

Belief in the superiority of one's nation or ethnic group.

explanatory style

An individual's unique way of describing and explaining events or personal history.

external locus of control

The perception that outside forces determine one's fate.

false consensus effect

Underestimating the impact of the situation while overestimating the impact of personal disposition.

foot-in-the-door technique

Getting people to agree to a small request to comply with a larger request later.

fundamental attribution error

Overestimating the influence of personal characteristics while minimizing situational factors on an individual's behavior.

group polarization

Enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.

groupthink

The mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives.

halo effect

A rating bias where an overall positive evaluation of a person influences judgments about their specific traits.

implicit attitudes

Attitudes that individuals hold but may be unaware of or may not acknowledge.

in-group bias

The tendency to favor one's own group.

individualism

Prioritizing one's own goals over group goals and defining identity by personal attributes.

industrial-organizational (I/O) psychologists

Psychologists who study human behavior in work environments and apply principles to work-related issues.

informational social influence

Influence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality.

internal locus of control

The perception that one controls their own fate.

just-world phenomenon

The belief that people ultimately get what they deserve.

mere-exposure effect

Increased liking of stimuli due to repeated exposure.

multiculturalism

The promotion or celebration of cultural diversity within a society.

normative social influence

Influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.

obedience

A form of compliance that occurs when following direct commands from authority.

optimistic explanatory style

Explaining negative events with external and unstable factors, but attributing positive events to internal, stable factors.

out-group homogeneity bias

The tendency to view outgroup members as less varied than ingroup members.

peripheral route to persuasion

Attitude change path in which people are influenced by incidental cues.

person perception

The processes by which people think about and evaluate others, including attributions and comparisons.

persuasion

An active attempt to change another person's attitudes or beliefs.

pessimistic explanatory style

Interpreting negative events as stemming from internal, stable causes, while interpreting positive events oppositely.

prejudice

An unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members.

prosocial behavior

Positive, constructive, helpful behavior, as opposed to antisocial behavior.

relative deprivation

Perception that one has less of a desired resource compared to others.

role

Set of expectations about how those in a social position ought to behave.

self-fulfilling prophecy

A belief that leads to its own fulfillment.

self-serving bias

Interpreting events to assign credit for success to oneself while blaming failure on external factors.

situational attributions

Ascribing behavior to external causes rather than internal characteristics.

social comparison

Evaluating one's own abilities in relation to others.

social facilitation

Stronger responses on simple tasks when in the presence of others.

social influence theory

Proposes that social pressure can be normative or informational.

social loafing

Exerting less effort in a group setting compared to individual accountability.

social norms

Understood rules for accepted and expected behavior.

social psychology

The scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.

social reciprocity norm

Social standard where helping others leads to receiving equivalent benefits.

social responsibility norm

Expectation that people will help those who depend on them.

social trap

A situation where conflicting parties, pursuing self-interest, engage in mutually destructive behavior.

stereotype

A set of cognitive generalizations about the qualities of members of a group.

superordinate goals

Shared goals that require cooperation and override differences among people.