Key Vocabulary for Ethics, Power, and Society in Psychology

Depravity

Moral corruption; wickedness.

Authority

The power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.

Obedience

Compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority.

Accomplice

A person who helps another commit a crime or to do something wrong.

Unethical

Not morally correct; breaking the rules of right conduct, especially in a professional setting.

Sadistic

Deriving pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others.

Generator

A machine used for producing electricity (in this case, the 'shock box').

Electrode

A conductor through which electricity enters or leaves an object or body.

Increment

An ad-on or increase, typically on a fixed scale (e.g., increasing by 15 volts at a time).

Proximity

Nearness in space, time, or relationship (how close the teacher was to the learner).

Administered

To dispense or apply something (like a shock or a test).

Aftermath

The consequences or aftereffects of a significant unpleasant event.

Stern

Serious and unrelenting, especially in the assertion of authority and exercise of discipline.

Disclaimed

To deny responsibility for or knowledge of; to prove a theory false.

Fringe

The outer, marginal, or extreme part of a group or area.

Replicated

To make an exact copy of; to repeat a research study to see if the results are the same.

Lethal

Sufficient to cause death.

Justice

Fairness; moral rightness.

Revenge

Punishment driven by personal anger rather than law.

Corruption

Moral decay; abuse of power for gain.

Morality

Principles of right and wrong behavior.

Conscience

Inner sense of what is right or wrong.

Hypocrisy

Pretending to have moral standards one does not follow.

Responsibility

Obligation to act ethically or answer for actions.

Power

Ability to influence or control others.

Greed

Intense desire for wealth or material gain.

Complicity

Involvement in wrongdoing by silence or inaction.

Grotesque

Exaggerated, distorted, or disturbing in appearance.

Satire

Use of humor or exaggeration to criticize society.

Allegory

A story with symbolic meaning beyond the literal plot.

Symbolism

Use of objects or characters to represent ideas.

Irony

Contrast between expectation and reality.

Foreshadowing

Hints about what will happen later.

Chorus

Group that comments on events (Greek-theatre influence).

Stage directions

Instructions for movement, setting, or tone.

Collective guilt

Shared responsibility among a group.

Moral compromise

Giving up values for convenience or gain.

Rationalization

Justifying unethical actions with excuses.

Accountability

Being held responsible for one's actions.

Dehumanization

Treating people as objects or means.

Moral blindness

Refusal to see ethical consequences.

Destitute

Extremely poor.

Prosperity

Wealth and success.

Decay

Gradual decline or deterioration.

Facade

False outward appearance.

Civilized

Socially polite, often masking cruelty.