Social Psychology (unit 1).

Social inhibition

We don’t want to draw attention or negativity towards us.

Pro-Social behavior

Helping others WITH a reward or benefit.

Altruism

Helping others WITHOUT a reward or benefit.

Kitty Genovese case

Case: Kitty was stabbed to death-nobody came to help her.

Why?: Bystander effect/diffusion of responsibility/pluralistic ignorance.

Pluralistic Ignorance

The longer it takes for help to arrive, the more likely people will doubt that help is actually necessary.

(We look to see how others act in a situation).

Pessimistic v.s. Optimistic explanatory style

Pessimistic: stable, global, external

Optimistic: unstable, internal,

Halo and Horn effect

Halo: The idea that more attractive individuals are viewed as smarter, successful, and kind.

Horn: The idea that less attractive individuals are viewed as dumber, dangerous, and unkind.

Relative deprivation

Comparing yourself to others and feeling like you’re less than.

Self fulfilling prophecy

By believing in something, you instinctively act to make that belief come true.

Belief perseverance

Persistence in one’s beliefs and opinions despite being given opposing evidence.

Mere exposure theory

The more we are exposed to something, the more likely we will begin to like it.

Implicit personality theory

Making assumptions about someone’s personality based on their behavior.

Out group homogeneity

Believing that everyone in the same out-group have the same personalities/behavior.

Explicit v.s. Implicit prejudice

Explicit: expressing prejudice beliefs that you are aware of.

Implicit: expressing and feeling prejudice that you are NOT aware of.

Social norms

Unwritten rules which members of society are expected to follow.

Prisoners Dilemma

When the individual must choose between helping others without any benefit, or hurting others for a personal benefit.

Yerkes-Dodson law

The idea that a small increase in stress can improve preformance.

Deindividualization

The loss of one’s morals and self restraint when in a large group setting.

Social Loafing

The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort, and rely on others to complete a task.

Social facilitation

When performance improves in group setting or an audience.

Social inhibition/interference

When preformance worsens due to the presence of an audience.

Group polarization

The enhancement of a groups beliefs and attitudes when met with group agreement and validation.

Groupthink

When you appease to certain decisions to not disrupt the peace.

(You act differently despite your beliefs or wants)

Scapegoat theory

The tendency to blame others for your own mistakes or failures.

Actor-Observer effect

Attributing others failures to personal characteristics, while blaming your own failures on external factors.

Foot in the door phenomena

The tendency for people to agree to smaller favors before complying to a larger favor.

Door in the face phenomena

The tendency for people to deny a large favor and agree to a smaller one.

Normative v.s. Informative

Normative: wanting to fit in and be liked.

Informative: wanting to be correct and true to yourself.

Self serving bias

Blaming others for your failures, but taking full credit for your successes.

Self afacing bias

Blaming your failures on yourself, but rewarding everyone involved in your successes.

Individualistic v.s. Collectivist societies

Individualistic: people think for the benefit of themselves.

Collectivist: people think of the community as a whole.

Just-World hypothesis

People begin to blame the victim in a situation to avoid stress.

(“They deserved it”/“they brought it on themselves”).

Cognitive dissonance

When someone’s beliefs don’t match their actions.

External v.s. Internal locus of control

External: belief that an outcome is based on luck or fate and other external factors.

Internal: belief that an outcome is based on your own actions.

Fundamental attribution error

The tendency for people to attribute someone’s behaviors on internal characteristics, while ignoring external variables.

Central v.s. Peripheral route go persuasion

Central: gathering related key information to arrive to a decision.(buying a certain car because of its price and reliability).

Peripheral: using random and unrelated information to arrive to a decision.(buying a certain car because the car dealer was attractive).

Confirmation bias

We tend to seek out information that only supports our own beliefs and ignore arguing information.

In group bias

We favor groups which we belong to and view them as special and unique.

Ethnocentrism

Viewing your culture/group as superior to others.

Self handicapping

Offering yourself a preliminary excuse which you can rely on when you experience failure.

Superordinate goals

Different groups tend to bond when given a common cause/goal.

False consensus theory

The tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs.