Social Thinking and Social Influence Overview

Person Perception

Process of forming impressions of others.

Appearance

Impressions based on physical characteristics.

Verbal Behaviour

Impressions based on what people say.

Actions

Impressions based on people's behaviors.

Nonverbal Messages

Facial expressions and body language convey emotions.

Situational Cues

Context of behavior influences interpretation.

Bad Impressions

Negative traits outweigh positive qualities in perception.

Snap Judgments

Quick, superficial assessments of others.

Systematic Judgment

In-depth evaluations requiring controlled processing.

Perceiver Expectations

Expectations influence perceptions of others.

Confirmation Bias

Favoring information that supports one's beliefs.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

Expectations cause individuals to confirm those beliefs.

Initial Impression

First perception of a person's characteristics.

Behavioral Influence

Perceiver's actions shaped by their impressions.

Academic Performance

Influenced by teacher expectations in studies.

Weak Effects

Limited impact of expectations on performance.

Stigmatized Groups

More affected by self-fulfilling prophecies.

Detailed Questions

Encouragement based on positive expectations.

Praise

Positive reinforcement based on perceived abilities.

Memory Study

Research on recall influenced by stereotypes.

Cohen's Study

Examined memory for actions based on occupations.

Behavior Comparison

Observing actions across different situations.

Cognitive Distortions

Errors in perception affecting worldview accuracy.

Categorization

Grouping people to save cognitive resources.

Outgroup Homogeneity Effect

Perceiving outgroup members as more similar.

Ingroup

Group of people perceived as similar to oneself.

Outgroup

Group of people perceived as different from oneself.

Stereotypes

Beliefs about characteristics based on group membership.

Prejudice

Negative attitudes towards members of a group.

Discrimination

Unfair behavior towards members of a group.

What-is-beautiful-is-good Stereotype

Belief that attractive people possess positive traits.

Defensive Attribution

Blaming victims to feel less vulnerable.

Just World Hypothesis

Belief that people get what they deserve.

Spontaneously Triggered Stereotypes

Automatic activation of stereotypes upon encountering groups.

Outgroup Perception

Viewing outgroup members as more alike than they are.

Ingroup Perception

Seeing ingroup members as more unique than they are.

Attractiveness Bias

Belief that attractive individuals are more capable.

Social Influence

Impact of others on individual behavior and thoughts.

Cognitive Resources

Mental capacity available for processing information.

Diversity

Variety within groups, contradicting stereotypes.

Split-Second Decisions

Quick judgments often based on stereotypes.

Perceiver's Actions

Behavior influenced by the perceptions of others.

Social Competence

Ability to interact effectively in social situations.

Efficiency

Preference for minimal cognitive effort in impressions.

Selectivity

Seeing what one expects to see.

Primacy Effect

Initial information weighs more than later information.

Ableism

Prejudice against individuals with disabilities.

Old Fashioned Racism

Outward discrimination against underrepresented groups.

Modern Racism

Private negative attitudes expressed when justified.

Systemic Racism

Societal practices favoring certain groups unfairly.

Robbers' Cave Experiment

Study of intergroup conflict and prejudice reduction.

Subordinate Goals

Common goals that require cooperation between groups.

Intergroup Contact

Contact that reduces prejudice through cooperation.

Persuasion

Changing attitudes through communication.

Source Credibility

Trustworthiness and expertise of the communicator.

Need for Cognition

Desire to engage in thoughtful activities.

One-Sided Argument

Ignores opposing viewpoints in persuasion.

Two-Sided Argument

Acknowledges and downplays opposing viewpoints.

Elaboration Likelihood Model

Two routes to process persuasive information.

Peripheral Route

Persuasion via superficial cues, not message content.

Central Route

Persuasion through logical evaluation of the message.

Motivation

Desire to analyze persuasive messages carefully.

Ability

Capacity to understand and grasp the message.

Conformity

Yielding to real or imagined social pressure.

Normative Influence

Conforming to avoid negative social consequences.

Informational Influence

Conforming based on others' behavior in uncertainty.

Asch Study

Demonstrated conformity through visual perception tasks.

Compliance

Yielding to social pressure in public behavior.

Obedience

Following direct commands from authority figures.

Milgram Experiment

Study on obedience involving electric shocks.

Authority Figure

Person in a position of power or control.

Bystander Effect

Reduced likelihood of helping when others are present.

Diffusion of Responsibility

Feeling less responsible when others are around.

Evaluation Apprehension

Fear of embarrassment affecting helping behavior.

Consistency Principle

Sticking to commitments even with changed terms.

Foot in the Door Technique

Agreeing to small requests increases larger request compliance.

Lowball Technique

Committing to an attractive offer before hidden costs.

Self-Perception Theory

Inferring attitudes by observing one's own behavior.

Reciprocity Principle

Expectation to return favors or kindness received.

Door in the Face Technique

Large request followed by a smaller request for compliance.

Scarcity Principle

Desire for items perceived as limited or exclusive.

Law as Policy Instrument

Law is one of many tools for social change.

Moral Development

Stages of moral reasoning proposed by Kohlberg.

Obedience and Punishment Orientation

First stage of moral development focused on authority.

Instrumental Relativism

Second stage characterized by naive reciprocity.

Personal Concordance

Third stage based on approval from others.

Law and Order Stage

Fourth stage emphasizing societal rules and order.

Ethnocentrism

Belief in superiority of one's own group.

Fatalism

Feeling of resignation or powerlessness.

Economic Factors

Limited resources can resist social change.