Social Cognition and Attribution

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to social cognition, heuristics, attribution, and conformity.

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts that ease the cognitive load of making decisions.

Representativeness Heuristic

A mental shortcut where individuals judge probabilities based on how much one thing resembles another.

Availability Heuristic

Estimating the likelihood of events based on their availability in memory.

Fluency Heuristic

Judging something as better or more trustworthy based on how easy it is to process.

Base-rate Neglect

The tendency to disregard statistical information and focus on specific information.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

The theory that inconsistency between thoughts or behaviors leads to discomfort, motivating change.

Self-serving Bias

The tendency to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external factors.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overestimate the influence of personal traits and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behaviors.

Actor-Observer Bias

The tendency to attribute one's own actions to situational factors while attributing others' actions to their personality.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms one’s preconceptions.

Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM)

A theory explaining the different ways in which people process stimuli, leading to attitude change.

Central Route to Persuasion

A method of persuasion that focuses on logical arguments and thoughtful consideration.

Peripheral Route to Persuasion

A method of persuasion that relies on emotional appeal and superficial cues.

Bystander Effect

The phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help a victim when other people are present.

Pluralistic Ignorance

A situation where a majority of group members privately reject a norm but incorrectly assume that most others accept it.

Diffusion of Responsibility

A social phenomenon where individuals feel less compelled to take action when others are present.