Barbie Film Analysis – Psychology Concepts (Vocabulary)

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key social psychology terms as illustrated in the Barbie film notes.

Person Perception

The process of forming impressions about others based on appearance and behavior (nonverbal cues), which can be biased or misleading.

Social categorisation

Classifying people into groups based on characteristics such as age, gender, ethnicity, or social roles.

Ingroup

A group that a person believes they belong to and shares the same views with.

Outgroup

A group that a person believes they do not belong to or share the same views with.

Attribution

The explanations people make for someone’s behavior.

Internal attribution

Attributing behavior to personal characteristics or dispositional factors.

External attribution

Attributing behavior to external factors or the situation.

Fundamental attribution error

The tendency to overemphasize personal factors and underemphasize situational factors when explaining others’ behavior.

Actor-observer bias

The tendency to attribute one's own mistakes to external factors while attributing others’ mistakes to internal factors.

Self-serving bias

The tendency to credit successes to internal factors and blame failures on external factors.

Attitude

An evaluation a person makes about an object, person, group, event, or issue.

Affective

The emotional component of attitude (feelings).

Tri-Component Model

Attitude comprises three components: affective (feelings), behavioural (actions), and cognitive (beliefs).

Cognitive dissonance

Psychological tension when the ABC components of attitude do not align.

Stereotype

A collection of beliefs about a group, ignoring individual differences.

Social Stigma

Disapproval or ostracism of people due to nonconformity or a perceived trait.

Cognitive Bias

Systematic patterns of deviation from rational judgment that can arise to avoid cognitive dissonance.

Halo Effect

The tendency to let one positive trait influence overall judgments of a person.

Prejudice

Negative preconceptions about members of a group.

Discrimination

Unfavorable treatment of people based on group membership; the behavioral expression of prejudice.

Sexism

Prejudice, discrimination, or stereotyping based on sex.

Intergroup Contact

Direct interaction between members of different groups that can reduce prejudice if positive and cooperative.

Extended contact

Indirect prejudice reduction through knowledge that members of your group have friendships with members of another group.

Mutual Interdependence

Groups must rely on each other to achieve a shared goal, reducing conflict.

Superordinate Goals

Shared goals requiring cooperation between groups.

Equality of Status

Both groups in contact have equal standing and power.

Cognitive interventions

Teaching people to think critically about stereotypes and prejudices to challenge incorrect beliefs.

Confirmation bias

Tendency to notice and remember information that confirms existing beliefs while ignoring contradictory evidence.

Dunning-Kruger effect

People with low ability overestimate their competence; highly skilled people may underestimate theirs.

Heuristics

Mental shortcuts that speed decision-making but can lead to errors.

Availability heuristic

Judging how common something is based on how easily examples come to mind.

Representative heuristic

Judging the likelihood of an event by how much it resembles a typical case.

Affect heuristic

Making decisions based on emotions and feelings rather than logical reasoning.

Social influence

How others affect a person’s thoughts, feelings, or behavior.

Social groups

Groups of people who interact and share similar interests, values, or goals.

Obedience

Following the commands of an authority figure.

Factors affecting obedience

Legitimacy of authority figures and group pressure influence obedience.

Conformity

Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to match the group’s norms.

Normative influence

Conforming to be liked or accepted, even if you privately disagree.

Influences of media on behavior

Media can shape attitudes and behaviors via information, role models, and repeated messages.

Anti-conformity

Deliberately choosing to go against group norms or expectations.

Social Loafing

People exert less effort in a group task because they believe their contribution won’t matter.