chapter 13: social psychology

Conformity

Conformity

Adjusting one's behavior or beliefs to align with those of a group or societal norm.

Confederates

Individuals who are part of an experiment but are not actual participants; they are working with the researcher to manipulate the experimental conditions.

Consistency

Examines how consistently a person behaves in the same situation over time.

Distinctiveness

Considers whether a person's behavior is similar or distinct across different situations or contexts.

Internal Attributions

Made when a person exhibits high consistency in behavior across time and low distinctiveness across situations, regardless of consensus.

External Attributions

Made when a person's behavior is consistent across situations but also distinct from others' behavior and there is high consensus.

Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE)

The tendency to attribute others' behavior to dispositional/internal causes rather than environmental/external causes.

Actor-Observer Bias

The tendency to attribute internal causes to others' behavior and external causes to our own behavior.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to attribute successes to internal causes and failures to external causes to preserve self-esteem.

Impression Formation

The process of forming opinions about individuals or groups influenced by initial available information.

Social Influence

The process by which our thoughts and actions are shaped by the presence of others.

Social Norms

Prescribed behaviors that vary across contexts, cultures, and time periods.

Solomon Asch

Conducted a conformity experiment in the early 1950s to test how the presence of others influences conformity.

Conformity

The tendency to align one's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors with those of a group, influenced by group size and familiarity with the task or situation.

Groupthink

A phenomenon where groups prioritize consensus and conformity over critical thinking, characterized by overestimating the group, closed-mindedness, pressure for uniformity, and the presence of mindguards.

Obedience to Authority

The act of following orders from an authority figure, exemplified by Stanley Milgram's experiments, influenced by factors like authority, gradual escalation, pre-defined roles, dehumanization, commitment, lack of direct confrontation, and social pressure.

The Bystander Effect

The phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim in the presence of others, influenced by diffusion of responsibility, pluralistic ignorance, and factors like perceived danger, presence of a perpetrator, and requirement for physical action.

Stereotypes

Simplified and generalized beliefs about a group based on perceived common characteristics, impacting behaviors through stereotype threat, which can lead to anxiety and reduced performance.

Out-group Homogeneity Effect

The tendency to view members of an out-group as more similar to each other than they really are.

In-group Differentiation

The tendency to perceive members of one’s own group as more varied and distinct.

Perpetuation of Stereotypes

The continuous reinforcement and maintenance of stereotypes within society.

Media Influence

The role of media in reinforcing stereotypes by exaggerating certain traits for dramatic effect.

Socialization

The process through which individuals learn and internalize stereotypes from a young age.

Cognitive Biases

Mental shortcuts like stereotypes used for quick understanding of complex social information.

Cultural Endorsement

Societal norms embedding stereotypes deeply within a culture.

Education and Awareness

Promoting understanding of diversity within groups and the drawbacks of overgeneralization.

Intergroup Contact

Encouraging direct interaction between groups to break down stereotypes and foster empathy.

Counter-Stereotypic Information

Presenting information that challenges common stereotypes to reshape opinions.

Prejudice

Affective responses involving negative attitudes and emotions towards a specific group.

Positive Stereotypes

Stereotypes attributing desirable qualities to certain groups.

Negative Stereotypes

Stereotypes involving detrimental or derogatory beliefs.

Discrimination

Actions or behaviors that exclude, restrict, or distinguish against individuals based on group affiliation.

Legal Prohibitions Against Discrimination

Laws prohibiting discrimination based on various factors like gender, race, and religion.

Scapegoat Theory

Proposes that prejudice arises from blaming others for personal problems.

Realistic Conflict Theory

Competition over scarce resources leading to intergroup conflicts.

Interdependence in Achieving Common Goals

Encouraging collaboration to reduce perceptions of 'us vs. them'.

Equal Status Contact

Creating environments where individuals from different groups interact as equals to reduce prejudice.

Altruism

Engaging in behaviors to benefit others without expecting anything in return.