Social Psychology Review

attribution theory

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

situational attribution

attributing behavior to the environment

dispositional attribution

assuming that another's behavior is due to personality factors, not situational ones

optimistic explanatory style

believing negative events are temporary and specific

pessimistic explanatory style

a tendency to explain bad events that happen in a self-blaming manner, viewing their causes as global and stable

actor-observer bias

phenomenon of explaining other people's behaviors are due to internal factors and our own behaviors are due to situational forces

fundamental attribution error

the tendency for observers, when analyzing another's behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition

self-serving bias

the tendency for people to take personal credit for success but blame failure on external factors

internal locus of control

the perception that you control your own fate

external locus of control

the perception that chance or outside forces beyond our personal control determine our fate

mere exposure effect

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

self-fulfilling prophecy

an expectation that causes you to act in ways that make that expectation come true.

social comparison theory

The idea that we learn about our own abilities and attitudes by comparing ourselves to other people

relative deprivation

the perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself

attitude

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

stereotype

A generalized belief about a group of people

prejudice

A negative attitude toward an entire category of people

Discrimination

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

implicit bias

attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner

just-world phenomenon

the tendency for people to believe the world is "fair" and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get

out-group homogeneity

tendency to view all individuals outside our group as highly similar

in-group bias

tendency to favor individuals within our group over those from outside our group

Ethnocentrism

evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one's own culture.

belief perseverance

clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited

confirmation bias

a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence

cognitive dissonance theory

describes how people try to reduce discomfort when their beliefs and actions don't align.

social norms

expected standards of conduct, which influence behavior

social influence theory

the effect that the words, actions, or mere presence of other people have on our thoughts, feelings, attitudes, or behavior

Persuasion

the process of creating, reinforcing, or changing people's beliefs or actions

elaboration likelihood model

a theory of how persuasive messages lead to attitude changes

central route persuasion

attitude change path in which interested people focus on the arguments/facts and respond with favorable thoughts

peripheral route

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness

halo effect

the tendency to draw a general impression about an individual on the basis of a single characteristic

foot-in-the-door technique

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

door-in-the-face technique

asking for a large commitment and being refused and then asking for a smaller commitment

Conformity

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

obedience to authority

a tendency to comply with instructions from an authority. Explored in Milgram shock study.

Individualism

giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

Collectivism

giving priority to the goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly

multiculturalism

The practice of valuing and respecting differences in culture.

normative social influence

behavior that is motivated by the desire to gain social acceptance and approval

informational social influence

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

group polarization

tendency of group members to move to an extreme position after discussing an issue as a group

Groupthink

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

Diffusion of responsibility/bystander effect

the tendency for individuals to feel diminished responsibility for their actions when they are surrounded by others who are acting the same way

social loafing

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

Deindividuation

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

social facilitation

stronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

social inhibition

The tendency to perform complex or difficult tasks more poorly in the presence of others

false consensus effect

the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors

I/O Psychologists

help organizations select and train employees, boost morale and productivity, and design products and assess responses to them

altruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Social Reciprocity Norm

The belief that if someone does something for you then you should do something for them

social-responsibility norm

an expectation that people will help those needing their help

social trap

a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior