Chapter 14 AP Psych Vocab

social psychology

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate, and relate to one another

attribution theory

the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition

fundamental attribution error (FAE)

the tendency for observers, when analyzing others’ behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition
(sleeping student, blaming the person without considering the situation)

attitude

feeling, often influenced by our beliefs that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events

peripheral route persuasion

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness

central route persuasion

occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts

(mileage, safety, reliability, electric, hybrid)

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request

role

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave

cognitive dissonance theory

the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. For example, when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes

conformity

adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard
(male teacher uniform) (Asch line experiment) (chameleon affect/ automatic mimicry)

normative social influence

influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

informational social influence

influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality

dispositional attribution

attribute behavior to a personal characteristic

situational attribution

attribute behavior to the situation

(when someone yells at you during a sports game and you think they’re a mean person but they’re actually really nice and were competitive in that situation)

elaboration likelihood model

theory that persuasion usually takes one of two forms (peripheral route and central route)

door in the face

after refusing a large request, someone might look more favorably on smaller requests

(asking for $1000 then changing it to $100)

social facilitation

improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

(playing a well practiced sport in front of a crowd)

social loafing

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

(in a group, everyone else can handle it so i’ll only put a little effort in)

deindividuation

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

group polarization

the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group

groupthink

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives

culture

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

norm

an understood rule for accepted and expected behavior. norms prescribe “proper” behavior

cognitive dissonance theory

conflicting ideas (choose one and take action)
(military boot camp: you want to quit but you keep going)

prejudice

an unjustifiable and usually negative attitude toward a group and its members

stereotype

a generalized belief about a group of people

discrimination

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

just-world phenomenon

the tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get

ingroup

“us” — people with whom we share a common identity

outgroup

“them” — those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup

ingroup bias

the tendency to favor our own group

scapegoat theory

the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame

other-race effect

the tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races

aggression

any physical or verbal behavior intended to hurt or destroy

(good aggression in sports, bad aggression in attempting to harm)

frusturation-aggression principle

the principle that frustration — blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal — creates anger, which can generate aggression

social script

culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

ethnocentrism

you think you or your group is the best

fine gray lines

prejudice → thought

stereotypes → generalization

discrimination → action

mere exposure effect

the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them

passionate love

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship

companionate love

the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with who our lives are interwined

equity

a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it

self disclosure

revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others

desensitize

a diminished emotional and physiological response to an aversive or emotional stimulus after repeated exposure to it

3 key ingredients to attraction

proximity

attractiveness

similarities

reward theory

we like those whose behavior benefits us and will continue relationships with more rewards than costs

altruism

helping and you don’t benefit

bystander effect

connection with diffusion of responsibility

don’t want to get involved (someone else will handle it)

social exchange theory

the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs

reciprocity norm

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them

social-responsibility norm

an expectation that people will help those needing their help

conflict

a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas

social trap

a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior

mirror-image perceptions

mutual views often held by conflicting people, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive

self-fulfilling prophecy

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment

superordinate goals

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

GRIT

Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction — a strategy designed to decrease international tensions