Exploring Psychology: Social Thinking and Social Influence

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts discussed in the lecture on social thinking and social influence.

Social Psychology

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

Attribution Theory

Used to explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency for observers to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition when analyzing others’ behavior.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

The theory that suggests attitudes can follow behavior and that people can act themselves into a way of thinking.

Central Route Persuasion

Offers evidence and arguments to trigger careful thinking; works best for people who are naturally analytical or involved in an issue.

Peripheral Route Persuasion

Uses attention-getting cues to trigger speedy emotion-based judgments in persuading others.

Conformity

Complying with social pressures; can occur through suggestibility or social contagion.

Norms

Rules for expected and acceptable behavior within a group or society.

Collectivism

A cultural orientation that emphasizes the needs and goals of the group over the individual.

Individualism

A cultural orientation that emphasizes personal goals and self-esteem over group goals.

Group Polarization

The enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.

Groupthink

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

Social Facilitation

The tendency for people to perform differently when in the presence of others than when alone.

Deindividuation

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

Social Loafing

The tendency for individuals to put forth less effort when working in a group than when working alone.

Minority Influence

The process by which a minority group can influence the majority group in a society.

Elaboration Likelihood Model

A model that explains how attitudes are formed and changed through persuasion.

Situational Factors

External influences that can override the attitude-behavior connection.

Attitude-Behavior Connection

The relationship between one's attitudes and their resulting behaviors.

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

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

Mood Contagion

The phenomenon where one's mood influences the mood of others.

Social Control

The regulation of individual behavior by societal norms and values.

Personal Control

The individual capacity to influence and manage one's own behavior and life situations.