Studied by 24 people
Social Psychology
Scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another
Social Categorization
organize people into groups based on common characteristics (age, gender, race, occupation, etc)
Implicit Personality Theory
General expectations that we build around a person after we know something of their central traits
Personal Perception
The different mental processes that we use to form impressions of other people
Attribution Theory
How we explain behavior (Fritz Heider)
Dispositional Rationale
Crediting behavior to someone’s stable enduring (personality) traits (Internal)
Situational Rationale
Crediting someone’s behavior to the situation they are in (External)
Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE)
The tendency to overestimate one’s dispositional rationale while underestimating one’s situational rationale when explaining someone else’s behavior
Actor-Observer Bias
The tendency to blame situational factors for your own behavior, but attributing dispositional factors to the behavior of others (When comparing yourself to others)
Self-Serving Bias
A readiness to perceive oneself favorably (Individualistic Cultures)
Self-effacing (Modesty) Bias
Tendency to give the group credit for successes while blaming oneself for failures (Collectivist Cultures)
Saliency Bias
Tendency to focus on the single most noticeable factor when explaining the causes of behavior
Attitudes
Feelings (often influenced by our beliefs) that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events
Peripheral Route to Persuasion
Occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as the speaker’s attractiveness, and respond with favorable thoughts
Central Route to Persuasion
Occurs when interested people focus on the arguments made, and respond with favorable thoughts
Rule of Reciprocity
Obligation to return a favor (Door-in-the-face, that’s not all technique)
Door-in-the-face
A large and unreasonable request followed by a smaller request, promoting a sense of false compromise
That’s not all technique
Makes an initial offer, and then improves upon it
Rule of Commitment
Psychological and interpersonal pressure to behave consistently with an earlier commitment (foot-in-the-door, low ball)
Foot-in-the-door
Small request followed by a second larger request, pressuring you to behave consistently
Low Ball
Understating the cost/details of a product, pull out/change offer at the last moment, you feel compelled to stay keep committed
Role
A set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave
Power of the Situation
People change the way they act based on the environments they are placed in and the roles they play in those environments
Cognitive Dissonance
The theory that we act to reduce discomfort when we feel two of our thoughts (or thoughts and actions) are inconsistent because it creates internal tension
Norms
Understood rules for accepted and expected behavior
Social Contagion
The spread of ideas, attitudes, or behavior patterns in a group through imitation and conformity
Chameleon Effect
Tendency to unconsciously mimic the minor actions of others
Mood Contagion
Tendency to take on the emotional tones of those around us
Positive Herding
Social networks that serve as contagious pathways for moods
Mirror Neurons
Brain cells that fire when you do an action and when watching someone else do that same action
Conformity
Adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard
Asch
Ran the Line Conformity Experiment
Zimbardo
Ran the Stanford Prison Experiment
Normative Social Influence
Influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval
Informational Social Influence
Influence resulting from the assumption that others hold more accurate/relevant information than you do
(one’s willingness to accept other’s opinions about reality)
Obedience
Behavior in compliance with a direct command, often one issued by a person in a position of authority
Milgram
Obedience shock experiment
Proximity
One is more likely to be obedient if orders are given by an authority figure close at hand
Prestige/Power
If orders are given by a powerful or trusted institution, they are more likely to be obedient
Depersonalize/Distance
If one is removed from the consequences of their actions, they are more likely to be obedient.
Lack of disobedience
If an entire group is obeying orders, one is much more likely to be obedient than if there are models of defiance
Social Control
The power of the situation
Personal Control
The power of the individual
Minority Influence
The power of 1 or 2 individuals to sway majorities
Reactance
Doing the opposite of what we are expected or pressured to do in order to reassert one’s freedom
Social Facilitation
Improved performance of simple or well-learned tasks when in the presence of others
Social Inhibition
Decreased performance on new or difficult tasks when in the presence of others
Social Striving
The tendency to give more effort when part of a group than when working individually
Social Loafing
The tendency to exert less effort when in a group than when held individually accountable
Deindividuation
The loss of self-awareness & self-restraint which often occurs when in group situation that foster arousal and anonymity
Group Polarization
The radicalization/enhancement of one’s prevailing inclinations through discussion with agreeing parties
Group Think
The mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in the group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives
Cultural Influence
Behaviors, ideals, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next
Prejudice
An unjustifiable (typically negative) attitude toward a group and its members
Stereotypes
A generalized (sometimes accurate but typically overgeneralized) belief about a group of people
Discrimination
Unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members
Ethnocentrism
Assuming the superiority of one’s own (ethnic) group
Patronization
Low expectations of minorities leading to inflated praise and insufficient criticism
Implicit Prejudice
Unknown negative associations towards another group and its members
Just-World phenomenon
The tendency for people to believe that the world is just and that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get
In-group Bias
People with whom we share a common identity and therefore see as more favorable and diverse
Out-group Bias
Those perceived as different or apart from our “in-group” who we tend to see as homogeneous and unfavorable
Scapegoat Theory
The theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame
Other-race effect
The (unconscious) tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races
Victim Blaming
We tend to blame the victims of misfortunes for having caused their own misfortunes
Aggression
Any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally
Testosterone
Biochemical hormone which leads to increased aggression
Frusturation-Aggression
The idea that blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal creates an anger which can generate aggressive behavior
Aversive Stimuli
Factors like heat, crowds, pain, or smoke which evoke hostility or aggression
Social Script
A culturally modeled guide for how to act in certain scenarios
Mere Exposure Effect
The phenomenon that repeated exposure to someone increases our liking of them
Halo Effect
The positive association between attractiveness and goodness, health, happiness, honesty, and success
Similarity
Similar views among individuals causes the bonds of attraction between them to strengthen
Reward Theory of Attraction
We like those whose behavior is rewarding to us, including those who are both able & willing to help us achieve our goals
Passionate Love
An aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a romantic relationship
Companionate Love
The deep affection we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined
Equity
When people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they put into it
Self-disclosure
The act of revealing intimate aspects of ourselves to others
Expectancy Value Theory
People decide to pursure relationships with people by weighing the potential value of a relationship with them against their chances of success
Altruism
An unselfish regard for the welfare of others
Diffusion of Responsibility
With each person added to the responsibility to help, people feel less individually responsible to actually provide assistance
Bystander Effect
The tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present
Social Exchange Theory
The theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs
Reciprocity Norm
The expectation that people will help (not hurt) those who have previously helped them, and that we will in turn help those who have once helped us
Social-Responsibility Norm
The expectation that people will help those who need out help (espcially young children and the elderly)
Conflict
A perceived incompatibility of actions, goal, or ideals
Social Traps
Situations where by pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, conflicting parties become caught in mutually destructive behavior
Mirror-image perceptions
Mutual views held by conflicting parties, when each side sees themselves as ethical and peaceful, but the other side as evil and aggressive
Self-fulfilling prophecies
A belief that leads to its own fulfillment
Superordinate Goals
Shared difficulties that override differences between groups by requiring the cooperation of both parties
Sherif
Ran the Robbers Cave experiment
Autocratic/Authoritarian
Leadership style which involves a controlling leader who provides specific instructions to their group: Most efficient style, but least cooperative & creative
Democratic Leadership
Leadership style in which the leader offers guidance to group members, but allows them to participate and have imput: Most effective, engaging, and cooperative
Laissez-Faire Leadership
Leadership style in which the leader offers little to no guidance and leaves decision making up to the group: Least productive style which puts more demand on the leader
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Flashcard (28)