unit 5: social psychology

motivation

need/desire that directs behavior

motivated behavior (4)

1. instinct theory
2. drive-reduction theory
3. arousal theory
4. hierarchy of needs

instinct theory (evolutionary perspective)

how genetics influence complex behavior

instinct

fixed, unlearned pattern in a species

drive-reduction theory

physiological need creates aroused state that motivates the drive to reduce it

• ex

incentives

positive/negative stimulus that motivates behavior

• enhances drives (drives are internal, incentives are external)

arousal theory

some behaviors don't reduce physiological needs and come out when you want to seek out a different sensation

• ex

Yerkes-Dodson law

moderate arousal = optimal performance

hierarchy of needs

• Abraham Maslow

1. physiological needs
2. safety needs
3. belonging/love needs
4. esteem needs (accomplishment)
5. self-actualization (reaching full potential)
6. self-transcendence (searching for meaning/purpose)

• not in a fixed order (can be different depending on culture, etc.)

affiliation need

the need to belong

self-determination theory

humans are motivated to satisfy competence, autonomy, and relatedness needs

intrinsic motivation

behavior driven by internal rewards/personal enjoyment (ex

extrinsic motivation

behavior driven by external rewards (ex

ostracism

deliberate social exclusion of person/group

achievement motivation

desire to become a high-achieving/accomplished person

grit

passionate determination to achieve long term goals

aggression

physical/verbal behavior meant to harm someone

social script

a model of how to act in certain situations depending on the culture

altruism

selflessly caring about the wellbeing of others

• Kitty Genoves' murder

bystander effect

when there are more people, all individuals are less likely to help —> diffusion of responsibility

social exchange theory

social behavior is determined by the benefits vs costs of an action

• exchange process

reciprocity norm

expectation to help others who have helped you

• returning favors

social-responsibility norm

expectation to help those who need help, even when consequences outweigh rewards

conflict

perceived incompatibility of actions/goals/ideas

social traps

where 2 opposing parties pursue self-interest (instead of mutual wellbeing), leading to negative results for both

• prisoners' dilemma

mirror-image perceptions

2 opposing sides see each other as the "bad guys" and themselves as the "good guys"

self-fulfilling prophecy

a belief that causes its own fulfillment

• A thinks B is annoyed at him and hits B, causing B to actually be annoyed at A

superordinate goals

shared goals that force people to overcome differences and cooperate to achieve them

GRIT

Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension Reduction

• strategy to decrease tension between groups
  • each side slowly steps down without surrendering completely to de-escalate tensions

mere exposure effect

repeated exposure to new stimuli increases the appeal of it

passionate love

aroused state of intense infatuation for someone

companionate love

deep affection for someone

equity

when you give the same amount of what you receive from a relationship

self-disclosure

sharing intimate details about yourself to someone

• more self-disclosure = more appeal

sexuality

feelings + actions related to physical attraction for someone

asexual

no sexual attraction to anyone

person perception

how we form impressions of ourselves + others

fundamental attribution error

tendency for observers to underestimate the impact of situations on a person's behavior and overestimate the impact of someone's nature/personality in situations

attribution theory

we explain other's behavior thru a situational or dispositional (personality/nature) attribution

actor-observer bias

tendency for people in a situation to say their behavior was caused by external factors and observers say their behavior was caused by internal factors

• when evaluating our own behavior we usually attribute our actions to the situation
• ex

prejudice

unjustified/negative attitude towards a certain group

stereotype

generalized belief about a group (usually exaggerated)

discriminate

act in unjustified/negative ways toward group prejudiced group members

just-world phenomenon

tendency to believe the world is fair

• good people rewarded bad people punished
• you get what you deserve

social identity

defining who you are

• ingroup
• outgroup

ingroup

(us) people sharing a common identity

ingroup bias

tendency to favor groups we belong to

outgroup

(them) people outside an ingroup

scapegoat theory

prejudice creates an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame

other-race effect

more accurately able to distinguish faces that are of your own race

attitude

feelings that cause a certain reaction to stimuli

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

tendency to comply with a larger favor after doing a small one

door-in-the-face effect

initially asking for a large request makes people more likely to comply w/a smaller one

cognitive dissonance

the mental tension experienced after realizing your attitude and actions contradict

cognitive dissonance theory

relieving dissonance by adjusting either attitude or actions to match each other

• ex

persuasion

changing people's attitudes, in turn influencing their actions

elaboration likelihood model

when actively processing something, it is retained better

peripheral route persuasion

using superficial/attention-grabbing cues to get emotionally based judgements

• halo effect

halo effect

famous /good looking people are thought to be smarter and more creditable

central route persuasion

using evidence-based arguments to get logically based judgements

persuasion techniques (2)

• peripheral route persuasion
  • halo effect
• central route persuasion

stereotype threat

self-fulfilling prophecy that you will be tested based on a negative stereotype about you —> worsened performance (self-sabotage)

stereotype lift

when you are confident that a group you belong to is good at something and it improves your performance

stereotype types (2)

• stereotype threat
• stereotype lift

conformity

changing beliefs/behavior to match group standards

• Solomon Asch visual perception test

normative social influence

conform to gain approval/avoid rejection

informative social influence

accepting others' opinions about reality

conformity types (2)

• normative social influence
• informative social influence

obidence

following orders

social facilitation

performance levels on an individual task in the presence of others

• simple task

social loafing

tendency for people to exert less effort when acting in a group with a common goal

deindividuation

loosing self-restraint/awareness in group situations that cause arousal and encourage anonymity

• combo of social facilitation and social loafing

group polarization

strengthening of an opinion when conversing w/others who have similar ideas

groupthink

when differing opinions aren't shared during decision making in order to preserve a state of peaceful agreement

• the need for agreement overrides realistic evaluations of a decision

culture

behaviors/ideas/values that are passed from generation to generation to generation

• enables innovation + division of labor

tight culture

culture w/clear social norms + low tolerance for deviance

loose culture

culture w/ flexible social norm + higher tolerance

psychodynamic theories

view personality w/focus on the unconscious mind +childhood experiences

• interaction between conscious and unconscious brain
• this came from psychoanalysis

psychoanalysis

Sigmund Freud's theory of personality that explains how thoughts/feelings/behavior is influenced by unconscious motives/internal conflicts

• also a technique for treating psychological disorders

unconscious

thoughts/wishes/feelings/mems that we are unaware of

free association

people say anything that comes to mind in order to reveal their unconscious mind

id

unconscious energy that wants to satisfy drives for survival/reproduction/aggression

• operates via pleasure principle

ego

partially conscious personality that mediates between id desires, superego desires, and reality

• operates via reality principle (satisfies id and superego in realistic way)

superego

partially conscious part of personality that focuses on ideals and standards for judgement

• operates via moralality principle

Freud's iceberg theory

• conscious mind
  • ego
  • superego
• preconscious area —> can retrieve
  • ego
  • superego
• unconscious mind
  • ego
  • id

defense mechanisms

reducing anxiety by distorting reality

7 defense mechanisms

1. regression
2. reaction formation
3. projection
4. rationalization
5. displacement
6. sublimation
7. denial

regression (defense mechanism)

going back to earlier an earlier psychosexual stage (ex

reaction formation (defense mechanism)

switching unacceptable impulses to the opposite (ex

projection (defense mechanism)

covering up bad impulses by attributing them to others (ex

rationalization (defense mechanism)

self-justifying explanations made to cover real unconscious reason for an action (ex

displacement (defense mechanism)

moving aggression to a less threatening thing/person (ex

sublimation (defense mechanism)

transfer unacceptable impulse into accepted action (ex

denial (defense mechanism)

refusing to recognize painful realities (ex

repression

pushing anxiety-inducing thoughts into unconscious

collective unconscious

Carl Jung concept of a shared, inherited reservoir of memory traces from our species history

terror-management theory

exploring emotional/behavioral responses to death-related anxiety

projective tests

ambiguous images meant to trigger projection of the preconscious + unconscious mind

Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

tests inner thoughts by having people make up stories about ambiguous images

• Henry Murray

Rorschach inkblot test

tests inner thoughts by someone's interpretation of 10 inkblots —> not very accurate or reliable

• Hermann Rorschach