ap psych unit 9

social psychology

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

attribution theory

the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition

fundamental attribution error

the tendency for observers, when analyzing others’ behavior, to underestimate the impact of personal disposition

attitude

feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events

peripheral route persuasion

people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness

central route persuasion

interested people focus on arguments and respond with favorable thoughts

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to later comply with a larger request

role

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave

cognitive dissonance theory

the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent; ex. when we become aware that our attitudes and actions clash, we reduce the dissonance by changing our attitudes

philip zimbardo

psychologist who conducted the Stanford Prison simulation where he randomly assigned some volunteers to be guards to see how volunteers “played” their roles

norms

understood rules for accepted and expected behavior; prescribe “proper” behavior

conformity

adjusting behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard

normative social influence

influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

informational social influence

influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality

social facilitation

improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

solomon asch

psychologist who studied conformity by devising a simple test to see how participants adjust their answers to questions to conform with others

stanley milgram

psychologist who performed experiments of participants delivering electrical shocks to learners

social loafing

people in a group exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal

deindividuation

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

group polarization

the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group

groupthink

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives

culture

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to another

prejudice

an unjustifiable (usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members; generally involved stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action

stereotype

a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people

discrimination

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

just-world phenomenon

belief that the world is just and people get what they deserve (karma)

ingroup

“us”; people we share a common identity with

outgroup

“them”; those perceived as different or apart from the ingroup

ingroup bias

the tendency to favor our own group

scapegoat theory

theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame

other-race effect

effect of recalling faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races

aggression

any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally

frustration-aggression principle

frustration (the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal) creates anger, which can generate aggression

social script

a culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

mere exposure effect

the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them

passionate love

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a romantic relationship

companionante love

the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined

equity

a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it

self-disclosure

the act of revealing intimate aspects of ourselves to others

altruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

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

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them

social responsibility norm

an expectation that people will help those needing their help

conflict

a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas

social trap

a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior

mirror image perceptions

mutual views held by conflicting people, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive

self-fulfilling prophecy

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment

superordinate goals

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation