Psychology Module 36: Social Thinking and Social Influence

Social psychology

Studies the social influences that explain why the same person acts differently in different situations

Attribution theory

Says that we can attribute a person’s behavior to their stable, enduring traits (a dispositional attribution), or we can attribute it to the situation (a situational attribuation)

Fundamental attribution error

A cognitive bias that occurs when people attribute the actions of others to their personality or character, while attributing their own actions to external factors

Attitude

Predispose our reactions to objects, people, and events

Foot-in-the-door phenomenon

The idea that people who agree to a small request will find it easier to comply later with the larger one

Role

A set of behaviors and expectations that are associated with a particular position in a social setting or group

Cognitive dissonance theory

The idea that we often bring our attitudes into line with our past actions in order to relieve the mental tension that occurs when we become aware that our attitudes and actions don’t coincide

Peripheral route persuasion

Uses attention-getting cues to trigger speedy, emotion-based judgments

Central route persuasion

Offers evidence and arguments that aim to trigger careful thinking

Norms

How we act

Culture

The behaviors, ideas, and values shared by a group of people and passed down from generation to generation

Tight culture

Cultures where people more often obey social norms

Loose culture

Cultures where people expect variability when it comes to norms

Conformity

When people change their beliefs, attitudes, actions, or perceptions to more closely match those held by groups to which they belong or want to belong

Normative social influence

When we conform to avoid rejection or to gain social approval

Social influence

When we accept others’ opinions about reality, as when reading online movie and product reviews

Social facilitation

The strengthened performance in others’ presence

Social loafing

The tendency for people to put in less effort when working in a group than when working alone

Deindividuation

The process of losing self-awareness and self-restraint

Group polarization

When the beliefs and attitudes we bring to a group grow stronger as we discuss them with like-minded others

Groupthink

When a group makes a decision without critical reasoning or evaluation of the consequences