Unit 4: Social Psychology and Personality

Attribution Theory

Explores how we explain behavior, distinguishing between internal and external attributions.

Internal Attribution

Blaming behavior on personality traits or characteristics of the individual.

External Attribution

Blaming behavior on situational factors or external circumstances.

Self-serving Bias

The tendency to attribute successes to internal factors while blaming failures on external factors.

Explanatory Style

The habitual way in which individuals explain the causes of events, classified as optimistic or pessimistic.

Optimistic Style

Attributes good events to internal, stable, and global causes, and bad events to external, temporary, and specific factors.

Pessimistic Style

Attributes good events to external, temporary, and specific causes, and bad events to internal, stable, and global factors.

Actor-Observer Bias

Explaining our own actions differently than those of others; we blame situations for ourselves but personalities for others.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overemphasize personal characteristics and underestimate situational factors when evaluating others' behavior.

Locus of Control

Beliefs about whether individual outcomes are controlled by internal factors (self) or external factors (environment).

Mere Exposure Effect

The phenomenon where individuals tend to develop a preference for stimuli they have been exposed to repeatedly.

Self-fulfilling Prophecy

The process by which an expectation leads to its own fulfillment; beliefs about a person cause them to act in a way that confirms those beliefs.

Upward Comparison

Comparing oneself to those who are more successful, which can motivate self-improvement or lower self-esteem.

Downward Comparison

Comparing oneself to those who are worse off, which can boost self-esteem but may lead to complacency.

Implicit Attitudes

Unconscious beliefs and associations that can influence behavior without conscious awareness.

Belief Perseverance

The tendency to maintain one’s beliefs even in the face of contradictory evidence.

Cognitive Dissonance

The discomfort experienced when holding two or more conflicting beliefs or when one's attitudes do not match their behavior.

Social Norms

Unwritten rules that dictate how individuals are expected to behave in social situations.

Normative Influence

Changing behavior to fit in with the group to gain acceptance or avoid rejection.

Informational Influence

Changing behavior based on guidance from others in situations of uncertainty.

Central Route Persuasion

Involves careful and thoughtful consideration of the arguments presented in a message.

Peripheral Route Persuasion

Involves superficial cues, such as attractiveness or emotional appeal, rather than the message itself.

Social Facilitation

The tendency to perform differently when in the presence of others, often improving performance on simple tasks and worsening it on complex tasks.

Groupthink

A psychological phenomenon where the desire for harmony in a group leads to irrational or dysfunctional decision-making.

Sensation-Seeking Theory

The theory that suggests some individuals have a strong desire for new and exciting experiences.

Big Five Personality Traits

A model that categorizes personality traits into five dimensions: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.

Self-Efficacy

An individual's belief in their ability to succeed or perform tasks effectively.

Emotional Dissonance

The conflict between displayed emotions and felt emotions, often leading to stress.

False Consensus Effect

The tendency to overestimate how much other people share our beliefs and behaviors.