4.1-4.3 AP Psychology Vocabulary (Unit 4 | Social Psychology & Personality)

Attribution Theory

A psychological framework that explains how individuals interpret and understand the causes of their own and others' behaviors, distinguishing between internal traits and external situational factors.

Dispositional Attributions

Attributions that explain behavior based on internal characteristics, such as personality or motives,suggesting that behavior is a reflection of an individual's inherent qualities.

Situational Attributions

Attributions that explain behavior based on external circumstances or environmental factors.

Explanatory Style

A way individuals narrate their interpretations of events, focusing on dimensions like internal vs. external and stable vs. unstable factors

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 and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behavior.

Self-Serving Bias

A cognitive bias where individuals attribute their successes to internal factors, such as their own skills or efforts, while attributing failures to external factors, such as bad luck or situational constraints.

Internal Locus of Control

The belief that one has control over their own life events and outcomes, attributing success or failure to personal actions rather than external circumstances.

External Locus of Control

The belief that external factors, such as luck or chance, significantly influence life events and outcomes, leading individuals to attribute success or failure to circumstances beyond their control.

Mere Exposure Effect

The psychological phenomenon where individuals develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. This effect suggests that repeated exposure to a stimulus increases liking for it.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

A psychological phenomenon where an individual's belief or expectation about a future event leads them to act in ways or make others act in ways that make the belief come true. This dynamic occurs because individuals often modify their behavior to align with their expectations, thus influencing the outcome in a manner that confirms their original belief.

Social Comparison

The process of evaluating one's own abilities, achievements, or opinions by comparing them to those of others. This can influence self-esteem and perceptions of social identity.

Relative Deprivation

The perception that one is worse off compared to others, which can lead to feelings of dissatisfaction and resentment.

Stereotype

A widely held but oversimplified belief about a particular group of people, often leading to generalized assumptions and expectations about individuals based on their group membership.

Cognitive Load

The total amount of mental effort being used in the working memory, which can affect the ability to process information and make decisions.

Prejudice

A negative attitude or belief toward individuals based on their group membership, often resulting in discrimination and social bias.

Discrimination

The actions that result in unequal treatment of individuals based on their group membership (e.g., race, gender, age),

Implicit Attitudes

Unconscious beliefs or feelings about a person or group that can influence behavior without awareness.

Out-Group Homogeneity Bias

The tendency to perceive members of an out-group as more similar to each other than they actually are, leading to stereotypes and generalizations.

Door-In-The-Face Technique

A compliance strategy where a large request is made first, which is expected to be refused, followed by a smaller, more reasonable request.

Halo Effect

A cognitive bias where the perception of one positive trait leads to the assumption of other positive traits in an individual.

Prosocial Behavior

Actions intended to benefit others or society as a whole, often characterized by altruism and helping behaviors.

Obedience

A form of social influence where an individual follows direct commands or instructions from an authority figure, often in a structured setting.

Persuasion

An attempt by one person to influence another's attitudes, beliefs, or actions, often done through reasoning or by appealing to emotions.

Central Route Persuasion

The process by which attitudes are formed or changed as a result of carefully scrutinizing and thinking about the central merits of attitude-relevant information

Individualism

A social and cultural orientation that emphasizes personal independence and the importance of individual rights and self-expression over group goals.

Collectivism

A social and cultural orientation that prioritizes group goals and interdependence over individual rights and self-expression.

Diffusion of Responsibility

The phenomenon where individuals feel less compelled to take action or assume responsibility for a task when others are present, often leading to inaction in emergency situations.

Social Loafing

The tendency of individuals to put forth less effort when they are part of a group

Social Facilitation

a social psychology phenomenon that describes when people perform better on tasks when others are present.

Deindividuation

A psychological state where people lose their sense of self and identity when they are in a group. It can lead to people acting in ways they might not otherwise, such as breaking social norms.

Groupthink

A psychological phenomenon where a group, seeking harmony and conformity, prioritizes agreement over critical evaluation, potentially leading to irrational or ineffective decision-making.

Group Polarization

Occurs when a group's opinions become more extreme after discussion

Altruism

Unselfish regard for the welfare of others

The Bystander Effect

How the presence of multiple bystanders reduces an individual's likelihood of intervening or offering help in an emergency, often because they assume someone else will step up.

Social Responsibility Norm

An expectation that people will help those dependent upon them or those who need assistance even if doing so may not offer any visible reward

Informational Social Influence

Occurs when people change their behavior to gain knowledge or to conform to what they believe is correct.

Normative Social Influence

A type of social pressure that causes people to change their behavior to fit in with a group for approval and not wanting disapproval.

Social Influence Theory

A psychological theory that explains how people are influenced by others' actions and ideas and are modified by the presence or action of others.

Social Norms

Acceptable rules and behaviors in a society/group.

Peripheral Route Persuasion

A method of influencing attitudes and beliefs by appealing to superficial cues and emotions rather than logical arguments

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Route of persuasion where someone agrees to a small request to increase their chances of complying with a larger subsequent request.

Confomity

The process whereby people change their beliefs, attitudes, actions, or perceptions to more closely match those held by groups to which they belong.

Belief Perseverance

the tendency to hold onto one's beliefs even when new information contradicts them

Ethnocentrism

Where individuals view their own culture as the center of the world and perceive other cultures as inferior or strange. It involves judging other cultures based on the norms, values, and beliefs of one's own culture, often leading to biases and prejudices.

In-Group Bias

The tendency to favor or give preferential treatment to members of one's own group over members of other groups.

Just-World Phenomenon

The cognitive bias that leads people to believe the world is fundamentally fair and that people generally get what they deserve.

Multiculturalism

the acceptance of different cultures in a society and the active support of these cultural differences by both the majority and minority group members

Cognitive Dissonance

the mental discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes.

Confirmation Bias

where individuals tend to seek out, interpret, and recall information that supports their pre-existing beliefs or hypotheses, while ignoring or discounting evidence that contradicts them.