AP Psychology Unit 7: Social Psychology

actor-observer bias

tendency to attribute one’s own behavior to situational factors while attributing others’ behavior to dispositional factors

altruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

attribution

process of explaining behavior by assigning causes to it

attitudes

feelings, beliefs, and predispositions to act toward people or objects in certain ways

attribution theory

theory that explains how people infer causes of behavior

belief perseverance

tendency to hold onto beliefs even after they have been discredited

bystander effect

decreased likelihood of helping when others are present

central route persuasion

attitude change resulting from careful and thoughtful consideration of arguments

cognitive dissonance theory

theory that discomfort from conflicting thoughts motivates people to change attitudes or behaviors

cognitive load

mental effort being used in working memory

collectivism

prioritizing group goals over individual goals

confirmation bias

tendency to seek and interpret information that confirms existing beliefs

conflict

perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas

conformity

adjusting behavior or thinking to match a group standard

deindividuation

loss of self-awareness and restraint in group situations leading to impulsive actions

diffusion of responsibility

reduced sense of personal responsibility when others are present

discrimination

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

dispositional attribution

explaining behavior based on internal traits or personality

door-in-the-face technique

persuasion strategy where a large request is followed by a smaller one

ethnocentrism

belief in the superiority of one’s own ethnic or cultural group

explanatory style

habitual way of explaining events as stable or unstable, global or specific, internal or external

external locus of control

belief that outcomes are controlled by external forces

foot-in-the-door technique

persuasion strategy where a small request is followed by a larger one

fundamental attribution error

tendency to overestimate dispositional causes and underestimate situational causes in others’ behavior

group polarization

enhancement of a group’s prevailing attitudes through discussion

groupthink

tendency for group members to suppress dissent to maintain harmony

halo effect

tendency to let one positive trait influence overall judgment of a person

implicit attitudes

unconscious beliefs and feelings toward an object or group

individualism

prioritizing personal goals over group goals

industrial-organizational psychology

application of psychology to workplace behavior and productivity

informational social influence

conformity based on accepting others’ opinions as reality

ingroup

group with which a person identifies

ingroup bias

tendency to favor one’s own group

internal locus of control

belief that one controls their own fate

just-world phenomenon

belief that people get what they deserve

mere exposure effect

increased liking for things due to repeated exposure

multiculturalism

appreciation and preservation of different cultural backgrounds

normative social influence

conformity to be liked or accepted by a group

norms

shared expectations about behavior

obedience

following orders from an authority figure

other race effect

tendency to more easily recognize faces of one’s own race

out-group

group to which a person does not belong

out-group homogeneity

perception that members of an out-group are more similar than they actually are

peripheral route persuasion

attitude change based on superficial cues rather than strong arguments

person perception

process of forming impressions of others

persuasion

process of changing attitudes or beliefs

prejudice

unjustifiable negative attitude toward a group and its members

prosocial behavior

positive, helpful, or constructive actions toward others

reciprocity norm

expectation that people will help those who have helped them

relative deprivation

feeling of deprivation compared to others

role

set of expectations about behavior for a position

scapegoat theory

tendency to blame another group for one’s problems

self

organized system of thoughts, feelings, and beliefs about oneself

self-fulfilling prophecy

belief that leads to its own fulfillment

self-serving bias

tendency to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external factors

situational attribution

explaining behavior based on external circumstances

social comparison

evaluating oneself by comparing to others

social influence theory

theory explaining how individuals change behavior due to presence of others

social exchange theory

theory that social behavior is based on cost-benefit analysis

social facilitation

improved performance on simple tasks in presence of others

social identity

sense of self derived from group membership

social loafing

reduced effort when working in a group

social norms

expected standards of behavior within a group

social psychology

scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate to others

social reciprocity norm

expectation that people respond to positive actions with positive actions

social responsibility norm

expectation that people help those who depend on them

social script

culturally defined sequence of expected behaviors

social trap

situation where individuals pursue self-interest at expense of group

stereotype

generalized belief about a group

superordinate goals

shared goals that require cooperation to achieve