AP Psych Vocab 4

Attributions

theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting the situations or their traits

Dispositional Attributions

tendency to attribute one’s behavior to their traits

Situational Attributions

explain one’s behavior by external factors, like the environment

Explanatory Style

the way one creates a narrative about an event in their life

Optimistic Explanatory Style

way of thinking that views setbacks as temporary

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

tendency to blame oneself for negative events

Actor-Observer Bias

tendency for those acting in a situation to attribute their behavior to external causes, but for observers attribute other’s behaviors to internal factors

Fundamental Attribution Error

causes people to overemphasize personality traits and underestimate situational factors when judging

Self- Serving Bias

how we explain our behavior depending on whether the outcome of our behavior is positive or negative

Internal Locus of Control

the belief that a person has the power to influence their outcomes

External Locus of Control

belief that one’s life outcomes are determined by factors like fate

Mere Exposure Effect

tendency for repeated exposure to novel stimuli to increase our liking of them

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

belief that leads to its own fulfillment

Social Comparison

comparing oneself to others to evaluate one’s own abilities

Upward Social Comparison

someone compares themselves to a person they think is better

Downward Social Comparison

someone compares themselves to someone they think is worse

Relative Deprivation

perception that we;re worse off relative to those whom we compare ourselves to

Stereotype

generalized belief about a group of people

Cognitive Load

amount of mental effort required to think

Prejudive

unjustifiable and negative attitude toward a group

Discrimination

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group

Implicit Attitudes

automatic evaluations that aren’t consciously accessible

Just-World Phenomenom

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

Out-Group Homogenity Bias

tendency for people to view ingroup members as more diverse than outgroup members

In-Group Bias

tendency to favor our own group

Ethnocentrism

cultural or ethnic bias that involves judging other cultures through the lenses of our own

Belief Perserverance

persistence of one’s initial conceptions even after they’ve been discredited

Confirmation Bias

tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions

Cognitive Dissonance

theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent

Social Norms

shared beliefs within a group about what behaviors are acceptable

Social Influence Theory

people tend to change their behaviors and beliefs based on the opinions of others

Normative Social Influence

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

Informational Social Influence

influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept other’s opinions

Persuasion

changing people’s attitudes, potentially influencing their actions

Elaboration Likelihood Model

explains how people process persuasive messages and form attitudes

Central Route

occurs when interested people’s thinking is influenced by considering evidence and arguments

Peripheral Route

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues

Halo Effect

causes people to base their impressions of someone on a single positive or negative experience

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

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

Door-in-the-Face Phenomenon

persuasive strategy that involves making a large request, and then followed by a more acceptable one

Comformity

adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with group standards

Obediance

complying with an order

Individualism

a cultural pattern that emphasizes people’s own goals over group goals and defines identity in terms of traits

Collectivism

a cultural pattern that prioritizes the goals of important groups

Multiculturalism

study of how people of different backgrounds act, including their cognition

Group Polarization

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

Group-Think

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

Diffusion of Responsibility

when people feel less responsible for their actions when others are around

Social Loafing

when people in a group exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal

Deindividuation

loss of self awareness and self restraint occurring in group situations that fuster arousal

Social Facilitation

in the presence of others, improved performance occurs on simple tasks or well-learned, and worsened performance on difficult tasks

False Consensus Effect

people tend to overestimate how much others share their beliefs with themselves

Supercordinate Goals

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

Social Traps

a situation where two parties, each pursuing their self-interest rather the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

the application of psychology concepts to optimizing human behavior in work places

Burnout

exhaustion caused by an overburdening workload

Altruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Prosocial Behavior

positive, constructive behavior

Social Debt

a perceived obligation to repay favors from others

Social Reciprocity Norm

social expectation that people respond to others; actions in a similar way

Social Responsibility Norm

expectation that people will help those in need

Situational Variables

factors in environment that could affect participants’ peformance

Attentional Variables

factors that can affect one’s ability to focus and respond

Group think

mode of thinking in which individual members of small cohesive groups tend to accept a viewpoint or conclusion that represents a perceived group consensus

Just-World Phenomenon

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

Ghrelin

hormone produced by the stomach that stimulates hunger

Leptin

hormone produced by fat cells that signals the hypothalamus about body fat level

Projection

displacing one's feelings and accusing someone else of it

Sublimation

socially inappropriate desires are channeled into socially acceptable behaviors or activities

Self-Concept

The idea of who we are and how we see ourselves.

Homeostasias

Tendency to maintain a balanced internal state (body chemistry)

Drive-Reduction Theory

a physiological need creates arousal that motivates one to satisfy the need

Instincts

complex behavior that is rigidly patterned through out a species and is unlearned

Arousal Theory

physical environment can affect arousal levels

Unconscious Mind

part of the psyche that is not available to introspection

Reaction Formation

unconsciously replaces unwanted feelings with the directly opposing feelings

Elicitors

stimuli that trigger or bring forth a specific response or behavior

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

our facial expressions can influence our emotional experiences

Universal Emotions

a set of emotions believed to be recognized and expressed similarly across cultures