Unit 10: Social Psychology

Vocabulary flashcards for Unit 10 on Social Psychology, covering key concepts, theories, and definitions in the subject matter.

Attribution Theory

The theory that people explain the causes of events and behaviors.

Dispositional Attribution

Blaming behavior on someone's personality.

Attribution Theory

The theory that people explain the causes of events and behaviors.

Dispositional Attribution

Blaming behavior on someone's personality.

Situational Attribution

Blaming behavior on external circumstances.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overestimating personal traits and underestimating the situation when judging others.

Actor-Observer Bias

Blaming our actions on the situation but blaming others’ actions on their personality.

Self-Serving Bias

Crediting our successes to ourselves and blaming failures on the situation.

Locus of Control

Belief about what controls life events.

Internal Locus of Control

Believing you control your own fate.

External Locus of Control

Believing outside forces control your fate.

Mere Exposure Effect

The more we see something, the more we tend to like it.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

A belief that causes itself to become true.

Social Comparison

Evaluating yourself by comparing to others.

Stereotypes

Oversimplified generalizations about groups.

Prejudice

A negative attitude toward a group.

Discrimination

Unfair actions against a group.

Just-World Phenomenon

Belief that people get what they deserve.

Out-Group Homogeneity Bias

Thinking all people in another group are the same.

In-Group Bias

Favoring your own group.

Ethnocentrism

Believing your culture is better than others.

Belief Perseverance

Sticking to beliefs even when proven wrong.

Cognitive Dissonance

Discomfort from holding conflicting thoughts.

Social Norms

Unwritten rules about how to behave.

Informational Social Influence

Conforming because you think others know better.

Normative Social Influence

Conforming to fit in or be liked.

Central Route to Persuasion

Using logic and facts to convince someone.

Peripheral Route to Persuasion

Using superficial cues like looks or emotion to persuade.

Halo Effect

Believing someone is good at everything because they have one positive trait.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Start with a small request, then ask for more.

Door-in-the-Face Technique

Start with a big request, then ask for a smaller one.

Conformity

Changing behavior to match a group.

Milgram’s Obedience Study

Study where participants were told to give electric shocks; most obeyed authority.

Individualism

Valuing personal goals and independence.

Collectivism

Valuing group goals and cooperation.

Multiculturalism

Respecting and embracing diverse cultures.

Group Polarization

Group discussions make opinions stronger.

Groupthink

Desire for harmony leads to poor decisions.

Diffusion of Responsibility

In a group, people feel less responsible to help.

Kitty Genovese

Famous case study that explored the bystander effect.

Social Loafing

People put in less effort in a group task.

Deindividuation

Losing self-awareness in a group, leading to impulsive acts.

Social Facilitation

Doing better on easy tasks when being watched.

False Consensus Effect

Thinking others share your beliefs more than they actually do.

Superordinate Goals

Goals that require cooperation between groups.

Social Trap

Short-term gains lead to long-term loss.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Study of behavior in the workplace.

Altruism Theory

Helping others without expecting anything in return.

Social Reciprocity Norm

Help those who help you.

Social Responsibility Norm

Help those in need, even if they can't help you back.

Bystander Effect

People are less likely to help when others are around.