SLOA Vocab

Confederate

An actor who participates in a psychological experiment pretending to be a subject but in actuality working for the researcher

Content analysis

a method used to analyze qualitative data in which the research looks for "themes" or trends that emerge from the data.

Covert observation

a type of participant observation in which the identity of the researcher, the nature of the research project, and the fact that participants are being observed are concealed from those who are being studied

Cross-sectional design

Comparing two or more groups on a particular variable at a specific time

Longitudinal study

Research over a period of time using observations, interviews, or psychometric testing

Meta-analysis

Pooling data from multiple studies of the same research question to arrive at one combined answer

Method triangulation

using more than one method to gather data, such as interviews, observations, and questionnaires

Participant observation

When a researcher joins a group in order to better observe and understand their behavior

Prospective research

A study that attempts to find a correlation between two variables by collecting data early in the life of participants and then continuing to test them over a period of time to measure change and development.

Retrospective research

A study of an individual after an important change requiring the research to "reconstruct" the life of the individual prior to the event.

Acculturation

The process by which someone comes into contact with another culture and begins to adopt the norms and behaviors of that culture

Acculturation gaps

generational differences in acculturation and how this leads to conflict within the family

Acculturative Stress

a reduction in the mental health and well-being of ethnic minorities that occurs during the process of adaptation to a new culture

Assimilation

When an individual abandons their original culture and adopts the cultural behaviors and values of a new culture

Confirmation Bias

When people tend to seek out or remember information that supports their currently held beliefs or expectations and ignore information that contradicts these beliefs

Cultural Norm

A set of rules based on socially or culturally shared beliefs of how an individual ought to behave to be accepted within that group

Cultural Dimension

The trends of behavior in a given culture that reflect the values of that culture

Dispositional Factors

the trends of behavior in a given culture that reflect the values of that culture

Dispositional Factors

Individual characteristics that influence behavior and actions in a person, like personality or temperament

Emic approach

Looking at behaviors of a group from the perspective of one member of that group

Enculturation

the process of adopting or internalizing the schemas of your culture

Etic Approach

Behavior is compared across specific cultures, involves drawing on the universal properties of cultures, which share common perceptual, cognitive, and emotional structures

Global Culture

The culture that we come to learn adapt to by contact with other cultures (via travel, working in international companies, or through media and social networking)

Globalization

The process of interaction and integration among people of different nations and cultures

Illusory Correlation

People seeing a relationship between two variables even when there is none

Informational Social Influence

When people look to the actions of others in an attempt to determine how to behave in a given situation

In-group bias

Favoring members of one’s in-group over out-group members

Integration

When there is an interest in adopting the behaviors and values of a new culture while still maintaining one’s original culture

Local culture

The culture that we grow up in and share with others in the same environment

Marginalization

When it is not really possible to maintain one’s original culture, but because of exclusion or discrimination, it is not possible to assimilate into a new culture

Normative Social Influence

When a person conforms to be liked or accepted by members of a group

Salience

When one is highly aware of one of their membership in a social group

Self-efficacy

One’s belief in one’s ability to succeed in accomplishing a task

Social Comparison

A drive within individuals to gain accurate self-evaluations by comparing oneself to others

Social Context

How someone reacts to something depending on their immediate social or physical environment

Stereotype

a mental schema of an individual in terms of group membership or physical attributes

Stereotype Threat

When worry about conforming to a negative stereotype leads to underperformance on a test or other task by a member of the stereotyped group

Vicarious Reinforcement

Our tendency to repeat or imitate behaviors for which others are rewarded

Social Cognitive Theory

By Bandura, emphasizes the critical role of self-beliefs in human cognition, motivation, and behavior. Argues that we learn from observing models that are rewarded and punished

Social Identity Theory

The study of the interplay between personal and social identities. Aims to predict the circumstances under which individuals think of themselves as individuals or as group members, also considers the consequences of personal and social identities for group behavior

Vulnerability Models

Models that show that environmental and social risk factors play a role in negative mental and physical health outcomes