social physic

Attribution Theory

A social psychology concept that explains how individuals interpret events and how this relates to their thinking and behavior, emphasizing dispositional and situational attributions.

Attributions

The process of explaining the causes of behavior and events.

Dispositional attributions

Attributions that relate to the person's internal characteristics.

Situational attributions

Attributions that relate to external factors in a situation.

Explanatory style

A person's habitual way of explaining events, often including optimistic or pessimistic interpretations.

Actor-observer bias

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

Fundamental attribution error

The tendency to overemphasize dispositional factors when explaining others' behavior.

Self-serving bias

The tendency to attribute positive events to oneself and negative events to external factors.

Internal locus of control

The belief that one has control over personal outcomes.

External locus of control

The belief that control over personal outcomes lies outside of oneself.

Mere exposure effect

The phenomenon where people develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them.

Self-fulfilling prophecy

A belief that leads to its own fulfillment.

Social comparison

The process of comparing oneself to others to evaluate one's own abilities or opinions.

Stereotype

An overgeneralized belief about a particular category of people.

Prejudice

A negative attitude toward a group and its members.

Discrimination

Unjust treatment of different categories of people, often based on prejudice.

Implicit attitudes

Attitudes that one is not consciously aware of.

Just-world phenomenon

The belief that people get what they deserve.

Out-group homogeneity bias

The perception that members of an out-group are all alike.

In-group bias

The tendency to favor one's own group over others.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one's own culture is superior to others.

Belief perseverance

The tendency to hold on to beliefs even when contrary evidence is presented.

Confirmation bias

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

Cognitive dissonance

The mental discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs or values.

Social Norms

Accepted behaviors within a society or group.

Social Influence Theory

The theory explaining how individuals change their behavior based on social influence.

Persuasion

The process of changing someone's beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors.

Halo Effect

The tendency to let one positive quality influence overall perception.

Foot in the door

A persuasion technique involving a small request followed by a larger one.

Door in the face

A persuasion technique involving making a large request that is likely to be refused, followed by a smaller request.

Conformity

The act of matching attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to group norms.

Obedience

Following direct orders from an authority figure.

Individualism

The practice of valuing individual rights and personal independence.

Collectivism

The practice of prioritizing group goals over individual goals.

Multiculturalism

The coexistence of diverse cultures within a society.

Group polarization

The tendency for group discussion to strengthen the prevailing opinion of group members.

Groupthink

The practice of thinking or making decisions as a group, often leading to unwise outcomes.

Diffusion of responsibility

The tendency for individuals in a group to feel less personally responsible for taking action.

Social loafing

The phenomenon where individuals exert less effort when working in a group.

Deindividuation

The loss of self-awareness in groups, which can lead to disinhibited behavior.

Social facilitation

The tendency for people to perform better on simple tasks when in the presence of others.

False consensus effect

The tendency to overestimate how much other people share our beliefs and behaviors.

Superordinate goals

Goals that require cooperation between groups, fostering unity.

Social traps

Situations where individuals acting in their own self-interest leads to a collective disaster.

I/O psychology

Industrial/Organizational psychology, focusing on behavior in workplace settings.

Altruism

Selfless concern for the well-being of others.

Social reciprocity norm

Expectations that people will respond favorably to each other by returning benefits for benefits.

Social responsibility norm

The expectation that people will help those dependent upon them.

Bystander effect

The phenomenon where the presence of others decreases the likelihood of helping someone in need.

Unconscious

The part of the mind that is inaccessible to conscious thought but affects behavior and emotions.

Defense mechanisms

Psychological strategies used to cope with reality and maintain a self-image.

Denial

Refusal to accept reality or facts.

Projection

Attributing one's own thoughts or feelings to another individual.

Displacement

Shifting emotional responses from the true source to a safer substitute.

Rationalization

A defense mechanism involving a plausible reason for an action or belief.

Reaction formation

Behavior that is the opposite of what one truly feels.

Regression

Reverting to behaviors characteristic of an earlier stage of development.

Repression

Unconsciously blocking unacceptable thoughts and feelings from awareness.

Sublimation

Transforming unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable actions.

Projective tests

Psychological tests that use ambiguous stimuli to elicit responses that reflect an individual's personality.

Unconditional positive regard

Accepting and respecting others without judgment.

Self-actualizing tendency

The innate drive to reach one's full potential.

Social cognitive theory

A theory emphasizing the importance of observational learning, imitation, and modeling.

Reciprocal determinism

The theory that personal factors, behavior, and environment influence each other.

Self-efficacy

One's belief in one's ability to succeed in specific situations.

Self-esteem

An individual's overall subjective evaluation of their worth.

Trait theory

A psychological perspective that focuses on individual characteristics and traits.

Big Five theory

A model describing five major traits of personality: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

Agreeableness

A personality trait characterized by being compassionate and cooperative.

Openness

A personality trait associated with imagination, insight, and a wide range of interests.

Extraversion

A personality trait characterized by outgoingness and sociability.

Conscientiousness

A personality trait marked by organization, dependability, and discipline.

Emotional stability

A personality trait reflecting resilience and ability to cope with stress.

Drive-reduction theory

A theory of motivation stating that physiological needs create drives, which motivate behavior.

Arousal theory

The theory that suggests that people are motivated to maintain an optimal level of arousal.

Homeostasis

The tendency to maintain a balanced internal state.

Yerkes-Dodson law

The principle that performance is best under moderate arousal.

Self-determination theory

A theory that emphasizes intrinsic motivation and the need for autonomy.

Intrinsic motivation

Engaging in activities for their inherent satisfaction rather than for some separable consequence.

Extrinsic motivation

Motivation driven by external rewards such as money or recognition.

Incentive theory

The theory that states behavior is motivated by a desire for rewards.

Instincts

Innate patterns of behavior that are biologically determined.

Lewin’s motivational conflicts theory

A theory explaining the conflict among different motivational drives.

Approach-approach

A conflict in which a person must choose between two appealing options.

Approach-avoidance

A conflict that involves a single goal that has both positive and negative aspects.

Avoidance-avoidance

A conflict in which a person must choose between two undesirable options.

Sensation-seeking theory

The idea that individuals engage in risky behaviors to seek out novel and intense experiences.

Emotion (affect)

A complex psychological state involving a subjective experience and associated physiological responses.

Facial-feedback theory

The hypothesis that facial expressions can influence emotional experience.

Broaden-and-build theory

The theory proposing that positive emotions broaden thoughts and behaviors.

Universal emotions

Emotions that are recognized and expressed across all cultures.

Display rules

Cultural guidelines for how and when to express emotions.