AP PSYCH - Social Psych, Personality, Motivation and Emotion (Unit 4)

Attribution Theory

Explains behavior as caused by personality (internal) or situation (external).

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overestimating personality and underestimating the situation.

Prejudice

A feeling (e.g., disliking tattoos).

Stereotype

A thought (e.g., all artists are broke).

Discrimination

An action (e.g., not hiring someone with tattoos).

Just-World Phenomenon

Belief that people get what they deserve.

Ingroup vs. Outgroup

Ingroup: 'Us' (your group); Outgroup: 'Them' (others).

Ingroup Bias

Favoring your group (e.g., thinking your team is best).

Scapegoat Theory

Blaming others for your problems.

Other-Race Effect

Better recognizing faces of your own race.

Attitudes

Beliefs that influence behavior.

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

Agreeing to a small request leads to agreeing to a bigger one.

Cognitive Dissonance

Feeling uncomfortable when actions and beliefs conflict.

Peripheral Route of Persuasion

Using emotions or looks in persuasion.

Central Route of Persuasion

Using facts and logic in persuasion.

Normative Social Influence

Fitting in with the group.

Informational Social Influence

Thinking the group knows better.

Obedience

People follow authority, even against their morals.

Social Facilitation

Performing better on simple tasks when others watch.

Social Loafing

Putting in less effort in a group.

Deindividuation

Losing self-awareness in a group.

Group Polarization

Group discussions strengthen opinions.

Groupthink

Groups avoid conflict but make bad decisions.

Tight Culture

Strict rules in society.

Loose Culture

Flexible rules in society.

Frustration-Aggression Principle

Frustration leads to anger and aggression.

Social Script

Expected behavior in situations.

Mere Exposure Effect

Liking something because you see it often.

Passionate Love

Intense attraction in new relationships.

Companionate Love

Deep bond in long-term relationships.

Equity

Equal give-and-take in relationships.

Self-Disclosure

Sharing personal info to strengthen trust.

Altruism

Helping others selflessly.

Social Exchange Theory

Weighing costs vs. benefits in relationships.

Bystander Effect

People are less likely to help in groups.

Reciprocity Norm

Helping people who help you.

Social Trap

Short-term rewards leading to long-term harm.

Mirror-Image Perceptions

Conflicting groups view each other as evil.

Superordinate Goals

Shared goals unite groups.

Freud’s Psychodynamic Theory

Personality comes from unconscious drives and childhood experiences.

Psychoanalysis

Freudian therapy exploring the unconscious.

Id

Instincts that want immediate gratification.

Ego

Balances the id and reality.

Superego

Moral standards and ideals.

Defense Mechanisms

Strategies to protect oneself from unpleasant feelings.

Repression

Blocking bad memories from awareness.

Projection

Blaming others for your own feelings.

Alfred Adler

Psychologist who focused on overcoming feelings of inferiority.

Karen Horney

Criticized Freud; focused on relationships and coping with fear.

Carl Jung

Believed in a shared unconscious and archetypes.

Thematic Apperception Test (T.A.T.)

Projective test where people tell stories about pictures.

Rorschach Test

Inkblot test to explore thoughts and feelings.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Pyramid of needs from basic to self-actualization.

Self-Actualization

The key to personal growth.

Self-Transcendence

Focusing on helping others.

Carl Rogers

Introduced the concept of unconditional positive regard.

Self-Concept

How you perceive yourself.

Traits

Consistent patterns in behavior.

Personality Inventory (MMPI)

Questionnaire to assess personality traits.

Empirically Derived Test

Created by selecting the best items from a large pool.

Big Five Personality Traits

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.

Albert Bandura

Proposed social-cognitive theory of personality.

Reciprocal Determinism

Behavior, environment, and thoughts influence each other.

Spotlight Effect

Overestimating the degree to which people notice you.

Self-Esteem

Overall sense of self-worth or personal value.

Self-Efficacy

Belief in one's ability to succeed.

Self-Serving Bias

Attributing successes to oneself, and failures to others.

Narcissism

Extreme self-focus and arrogance.

Individualism

Focus on personal goals and self.

Collectivism

Focus on group goals and harmony.

Motivation

Desire to act.

Instinct

Inborn behavior patterns.

Drive-Reduction Theory

We are driven to satisfy our needs and maintain balance.

Incentive

External rewards that motivate behavior.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

Performance is best at moderate levels of arousal.

Affiliation Need

Desire to belong to a group.

Self-Determination Theory

Motivation improves with autonomy, competence, and connection.

Intrinsic Motivation

Motivation driven by internal rewards.

Extrinsic Motivation

Motivation driven by external rewards.

Ostracism

Being excluded or ignored socially.

Achievement Motivation

Desire for success and mastery of goals.

Glucose

A sugar that regulates hunger and energy.

Set Point

The weight range maintained by the body.

Basal Metabolic Rate

The rate at which the body expends energy at rest.

Schachter’s Two-Factor Theory

Emotion is based on physiological arousal and cognitive labeling.

Zajonc & LeDoux

Some emotions happen automatically and instantly.

Richard Lazarus

Emphasized the role of cognitive evaluation in emotion.

Polygraph

Device that measures physiological responses to detect lies.

Paul Ekman

Studied facial expressions and their relation to emotions.

Facial Feedback Effect

Facial expressions can influence emotional experiences.

Behavior Feedback Effect

Acting a certain way can change mood.