PSYC 100 General Psychology - Social Psychology Flashcards

Flashcards for reviewing key terms and concepts from a Social Psychology lecture.

Social Psychology

The study of how being social affects human behavior, thought, and emotion.

Group Favoritism

Occurs whenever groups are created, even if assignment to groups is random.

Prejudice

Unfair and negative attitude toward a group and its members, which involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action.

Discrimination

Unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members.

Ingroup

Us—people with whom we share a common identity.

Outgroup

Them—those perceived as different or apart from our group.

Ingroup bias

Tendency to favor one’s own group.

Stereotyping

Process by which people draw inferences about others based on their knowledge of the categories to which others belong.

Just-world phenomenon

Tendency to believe that the world is just and people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get.

Scapegoat theory

Prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.

Aggression

Behavior with the purpose of harming another physically or emotionally.

Frustration-aggression principle

A principle stating that animals/people aggress when their goals are thwarted.

Social script

Cultural guide for how to act in various situations.

Deindividuation

Loss of self-awareness and self- restraint that can occur in group situations.

Group Polarization

If a group is like-minded, discussion strengthens its prevailing opinions and reach more extreme conclusions when thinking together about an issue.

Groupthink

Occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives

Superordinate goals

Shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation.

Altruism

Behavior that benefits another without benefitting oneself; Unselfish concern for the welfare of others.

Diffusion of responsibility

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

Bystander Effect

We often feel less responsible for helping someone in need when there are other people around.

Mere exposure effect

Tendency for liking to increase with the frequency of exposure.

Passionate love

Experience involving feelings of euphoria, intimacy, and intense sexual attraction.

Companionate love

Experience involving affection, trust, and concern for a partner’s well-being.

Central route persuasion

The process by which attitudes are changed by appeals to reason.

Peripheral route persuasion

The process by which attitudes are changed by appeals to emotion or unimportant cues like the attractiveness of the persuader.

Conformity

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with what the group does or thinks.

Chameleon effect

Humans are natural mimics, unconsciously imitating others’ expressions, postures, and voice tones.

Attribution

An inference or conclusion about the cause of a person’s behavior.

Situational attribution

Attribute the external situation as the cause of behavior.

Dispositional attributions

Attribute someone’s internal disposition (like their personality traits) as the cause of behavior.

Fundamental attribution error

While analyzing others’ behavior, the tendency to overestimate the influence of personal traits and underestimate the effects of the situation.

Social Influence

The ability to strongly affect or control another person’s behavior.

Norm of reciprocity

People should benefit those who have benefited them.

Door-in-the-face technique

Asking a person for something that is such a big request that it will be turned down or denied, followed by a smaller request.

Cognitive dissonance

An unpleasant state that arises when they recognize inconsistency in their behavior, attitudes, or beliefs.

Foot-in-the-door technique

Asking a person for something small that they are likely to agree to, and then follow the small request with a larger request.