Psychology Semester 2

Social Cognition

The process of interpreting, analyzing, remembering, and using information about the social world, including decision-making and interpersonal interactions.

Person Perception

Mental processes used to form impressions and draw conclusions about the personal characteristics of others.

Schemas

Pre-existing mental ideas that help us organize and interpret new information.

Halo Effect

The tendency to perceive physically attractive individuals as having other positive traits.

Horn Effect

The assumption that a negative characteristic is associated with other negative traits.

Salience

Personal characteristics that are distinctive and attract attention.

Attribution

The explanation of the causes of behavior, either personal or situational.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overestimate personal factors and underestimate situational factors in others' behavior.

Actor-Observer Bias

The tendency to attribute one's own behavior to situational influences while attributing others' behavior to personal factors.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to take credit for successes and attribute failures to situational factors.

Attitudes

Consistent and enduring evaluations about objects, people, groups, and events.

Affective Component

Emotional reactions or feelings towards an object, person, event, or issue.

Behavioral Component

The way an attitude is expressed through actions.

Cognitive Component

Thoughts or beliefs that form the attitude based on life experiences.

Cognitive Dissonance

Mental conflict that occurs when a person's behavior, attitude, or beliefs do not align.

Heuristics

Problem-solving strategies based on experience that can lead to cognitive biases.

Availability Heuristic

Making judgments based on how easily specific examples come to mind.

Representativeness Heuristic

Categorizing based on how closely something matches a typical category.

Social Categorization

Grouping people based on common characteristics.

Prejudice

Holding negative attitudes towards members of a group based on their group membership.

Discrimination

Positive or negative behavior directed towards a social group and its members.

Intergroup Contact

Reducing prejudice by increasing direct contact between groups.

Social Influence

The effects of the presence or actions of others on individual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Group Size

The number of people in a group, which affects conformity levels.

Social Loafing

The tendency to exert less effort in a group than when working alone.

Anonymity

Feeling unrecognizable in a group, leading to reduced accountability for actions.

Psychological Reactance

The desire to restore freedom in response to perceived threats to independence.

Need for Uniqueness

A psychological state motivating individuals to restore a sense of uniqueness.

Social Identity Theory

The tendency to favor one's in-group over an out-group to enhance self-esteem.

Group Norm

A standard or rule that outlines appropriate behavior within a group.