AP Psych: Social Psychology

Attribution

the process of explaining the causes of behavior and events, often by assigning them to internal dispositions or external situations

Dispositional attributions

explaining behavior based on internal traits or personality

Situational attributions

explaining behavior based on external circumstances or environment

Fundamental attribution error

tendency to overestimate dispositional causes and underestimate situational factors in others’ behavior

Self-serving bias

attributing successes to internal factors and failures to external factors

Actor-observer bias

attributing our own behavior to situational factors but others’ behavior to dispositional factors

Just-world Hypothesis

belief that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get

Attitudes

learned predispositions to respond favorably or unfavorably to something

Cognitive dissonance

discomfort caused by holding conflicting thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes

Central routes persuasion

persuasion that uses logical arguments and evidence to influence thinking

Peripheral routes persuasion

persuasion that relies on superficial cues like attractiveness or emotions

Conformity

adjusting behavior or thinking to align with a group standard

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

tendency to agree to a small request first to increase likelihood of agreeing to a larger request later

Door-in-the-Face Phenomenon

making a large request first so a smaller request seems more reasonable

Stanford prison experiment

study showing how social roles and situations can influence behavior, leading to abusive actions

Normative social influence

conforming to be liked or accepted by others

Informational social influence

conforming because others are seen as a source of accurate information

Milgram Experiment

study demonstrating obedience to authority, even when it conflicts with personal conscience

Social loafing

tendency for individuals to exert less effort in a group than when working alone

Social facilitation

improved performance on simple tasks in the presence of others

Deindividuation

loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations

Bystander effect

reduced likelihood of helping when others are present

Group polarization

strengthening of a group’s prevailing opinions after discussion

Group think

desire for harmony leads to poor decision-making and suppression of dissent

Social trap

situation where individuals pursue self-interest to the detriment of the group

Prisoners dilemma

situation where individuals acting in self-interest produce worse outcomes than cooperation

Altruism

selfless concern for the well-being of others

Social exchange theory

idea that relationships are based on cost-benefit analysis

Social responsibility theory

belief that people should help those in need

Reciprocity norm

expectation that people will help those who have helped them

Superordinate goals

shared goals that require cooperation between groups

Stereotype

generalized belief about a group of people

Prejudice

unjustified negative attitude toward a group and its members

Discrimination

unjustified negative behavior toward a group and its members

In-group

group with which one identifies

Out-group

group with which one does not identify

Sources of prejudice

factors like social inequalities, stereotypes, fear, and learned attitudes that lead to prejudice

Ethnocentrism

belief that one’s own culture is superior to others

Implicit bias

unconscious attitudes or stereotypes that affect understanding and actions

Three factors of Attraction

proximity, attractiveness, and similarity

Proximity

physical or geographical closeness that increases likelihood of attraction

Attractiveness

physical appeal influencing initial attraction

Similarity

shared interests, beliefs, or characteristics that increase liking