Chapters 3 and 4 Social Psychology Vocabulary

A set of key vocabulary terms and definitions from Chapters 3 and 4 covering self-concept, social self, self-presentation, attributions, and heuristics.

Mind-Perception

Attributing human-like mental states to inanimate/animate objects.

Availability Heuristic

The tendency to estimate the odds that an event will occur by how easy instances come to mind.

Personal Attribution

Attributing behavior to internal characteristics of an actor.

Situational Attribution

Attributing behavior to factors external of an actor.

Cognitive Heuristics

Info-processing that enables us to think quick and easy.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to attribute others' behavior to internal traits rather than situational factors (e.g., when someone cuts you off in traffic, assuming they are rude rather than potentially in a rush).

Primacy Effect

The principle that info presented first in a sequence has more impact than info mentioned later.

Attribution Theory

A group of theories that describe how people explain causes of behavior.

4 Channels of Communication

The four main modes of communication: spoken word, the face, the body, and the voice.

Self-Enhancement Mechanisms

Strategies and biases people use to maintain, protect, and enhance self-esteem (such as self-serving attribution bias, implicit egoism, behavioral self-handicapping, BIRGing, and selective memory and attention).

Downward Social Comparison

Comparing yourself to someone less successful for personal benefit; linked to self-esteem issues.

Strategic Self Presentation

Strategies described by Jones and Pittman used to shape how others perceive us, including ingratiation, self-promotion, intimidation, exemplification, and supplication.

Ingratiation

A self-presentation strategy involving smiling or nodding for likeness.

Self-Promotion

A self-presentation strategy involving highlighting successes.

Intimidation

A self-presentation strategy based on the principle that fear equals power.

Exemplification

A self-presentation strategy centered around demonstrating high integrity.

Supplication

A self-presentation strategy involving highlighting weakness for sympathy.

Social-Self

Aspect of the self formed by others' perceptions (involving our behavior, self-efficacy, and identity); it is not the self-concept.

Self-Schemas

Mental frameworks of beliefs and experiences that shape how you perceive yourself (self-concept).

Self-Perception Theory

Theory explaining what we infer others think of us (how we believe we are perceived).

Self-Monitoring

The tendency to regulate our behavior to meet the demands of social situations.

Sociometer Theory

Theory proposing that self-esteem is a gauge that monitors our social interactions and sends us signals telling us whether or not our behavior is socially acceptable.

Affective Forecasting

Predicting how you will feel after negative or positive events (developed by Wilson & Gilbert).

2 Factor Theory of Emotion

Theory stating that Emotion = arousal + interpretation.