PSYC 1F90 Textbook: Lecture 1

Social Psychology

The study of how individuals think and behave in social situations.

Culture

An ongoing pattern of life that characterizes a society at a given point in history.

Ingroup

A group which a person identifies with.

Outgroup

A group with which a person does not identify.

Ingroup Bias (Ingroup Favoritism)

Behaving in ways that favor the ingroup, attributing positive characteristics to ingroup members and negative ones to outgroup members.

Group Structure

The network of roles, communication pathways, and power in a group.

Group Cohesion

The degree of attraction among group members or their commitment to the group.

Norms

Widely accepted (but often unspoken) standards of conduct for appropriate behavior.

Social Roles

Expected behavior patterns associated with particular social positions (e.g., daughter, worker, or student).

Social Status

The degree of prestige, admiration, and respect accorded to a member of a group.

Social Power

The degree to which a group member can control, alter, or influence the behavior of another group member.

Social Cognition

The process of thinking about ourselves and others in a social context.

Social Comparison

Making judgments about ourselves through comparison with others.

Upward Comparison

Comparing yourself with a person who ranks higher than you.

Downward Comparison

Comparing yourself with a person who ranks lower than you.

Attributions

The act of assigning cause to behavior.

Internal Attribution

Attributing behavior to ongoing needs or personality traits within the person.

External Attribution

Attributing behavior to external factors or situations.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to attribute behavior to internal causes without considering situational influences.

Actor–Observer Bias

The tendency to attribute the behavior of others to internal causes while attributing one's own behavior to external causes.

Self-Handicapping

Arranging to perform under conditions that impair performance to have an excuse for a poor showing.

Attitude

A positive or negative perception of people, objects, or issues.

Components of Attitudes

Cognitions (Beliefs), Emotions (Affect), Behaviours

Direct Contact

Personal experience with the object of the attitude.

Chance Conditioning

Learning through luck or coincidence.

Interactions with Others

Discussion with people who hold a particular attitude.

Media Influence

Media stereotyping and false information.

Open-Ended Interview

Asking people to express their attitude freely.

Social Distance Scale

People indicate their willingness to admit group members to various levels of social closeness.

Attitude Scales

Statements expressing different possible views on an issue.

Cognitive Dissonance

A psychological state of having inconsistent ideas or perceptions.

Change of Behavior

Altering one's actions in response to internal or external influences.

Change of Belief

Shifting core convictions in response to new information or experiences.

Diminish the Importance of Dissonant Thoughts

Downplaying discomforting thoughts.

Focus on Consonant Thoughts

Concentrating on beliefs that align with attitudes or behaviors.

Reduce the Amount of Perceived Choice

Limiting perceived freedom to ease conflict.

Attribute Belief-Behavior Mismatch to External Cause

Explaining inconsistencies by pointing to outside factors.

Social Influence

Changes in a person’s behavior induced by the presence or actions of others.

Social Facilitation

Tendency to perform better when in the presence of others.

Social Interference

Tendency to perform worse in the presence of others.

Mere Presence

The tendency for people to change their behavior due to the mere presence of others.

Conformity

Matching behavior and appearance to perceived social norms.

Group Sanctions

Rewards and punishments administered by groups to enforce conformity.

Compliance

Bending to the requests of a person with little authority.

Persuasion

A deliberate attempt to change beliefs or behavior through information and arguments.

Obedience

Compliance with a request from an authority figure.

Coercion

Being forced to change one's beliefs or behavior against one's will.

Brainwashing

A type of coercion involving forced attitude change.

Cults

Groups professing great devotion to a person, often involving victimization by leaders.

Teamwork

Collaborative effort where individuals work towards a shared goal with mutual accountability.

Group Work

Individuals working independently on the same task with less emphasis on interdependence.