Unit 4- Social Psychology

Attributions

explanations we make about why someone behaved a certain way (either because of the person or the situation)

Dispositional attributions

explaining behavior based on internal traits like personality, character, or effort (ex: “he failed because he’s lazy”)

Situational attributions

explaining behavior based on external factors like environment or circumstances (ex: “he failed because the test was unfair”)

Explanatory style

the way someone usually explains good and bad events in their life

Optimistic explanatory style

seeing bad events as temporary and specific, and good events as lasting (ex: “I did bad this time, but I’ll do better next time”)

Pessimistic explanatory style

seeing bad events as permanent and personal, and good events as temporary (ex: “I always mess up, I’m just bad at this”)

Actor/observer bias

when you explain your own behavior with situations but explain others’ behavior with personality

Fundamental attribution error

when you focus too much on someone’s personality and ignore the situation when explaining their behavior

Self

serving bias

Internal locus of control

believing you control your own success and outcomes through your actions

External locus of control

believing outside forces like luck, fate, or other people control your life

Mere exposure effect

the more you are exposed to something, the more you tend to like it (even if you didn’t at first)

Self

fulfilling prophecy

Social comparison

evaluating yourself by comparing yourself to others

Upward social comparison

comparing yourself to someone better than you, which can motivate you or make you feel worse

Downward social comparison

comparing yourself to someone worse than you, which can boost your confidence

Relative deprivation

feeling like you have less or are worse off compared to others, even if you’re actually doing okay

Stereotype

a generalized belief about a group of people that may not be accurate but is applied to everyone in that group

Cognitive load

the amount of mental effort being used

when it’s high, people rely more on shortcuts and stereotypes

Prejudice

a negative attitude or feeling toward a group based on stereotypes, not actual experience

Discrimination

acting on prejudice by treating people unfairly or differently

Implicit attitudes

unconscious beliefs or feelings that affect behavior without you realizing it

Just

world phenomenon

Out

group homogeneity bias

In

group bias

Ethnocentrism

believing your culture or group is better than others

Belief perseverance

continuing to believe something even after being shown evidence that it’s wrong

Confirmation bias

only paying attention to information that supports your existing beliefs and ignoring the rest

Cognitive dissonance

the uncomfortable feeling when your beliefs and actions don’t match, causing you to change one to feel better

Social norms

unwritten rules about how people are expected to behave in a group or society

Social influence theory

the idea that people’s thoughts and behaviors are affected by others around them

Normative social influence

conforming because you want to fit in or be accepted by others

Informational social influence

conforming because you think others know the correct answer

Persuasion

the process of trying to change someone’s attitudes or beliefs

Elaboration likelihood model

explains two ways people are persuaded: through deep thinking or surface

Central route

persuasion that happens through careful thinking, logic, and strong arguments

Peripheral route

persuasion based on things like attractiveness, popularity, or emotions instead of logic

Halo effect

when one positive trait (like attractiveness) makes you assume other positive traits

Foot

in

Door

in

Conformity

changing your behavior or opinions to match a group

Obedience

following orders from someone in a position of authority

Individualism

a culture that values independence and personal achievement

Collectivism

a culture that values group goals and teamwork over individual success

Multiculturalism

respecting and accepting different cultures within a society

Group polarization

when group discussions make opinions stronger or more extreme

Groupthink

when a group values agreement so much that it ignores better ideas or alternatives

Diffusion of responsibility

when people feel less responsible to act because others are present

Social loafing

putting in less effort when working in a group than when working alone

Deindividuation

losing self

Social facilitation

performing better on simple tasks when others are watching, but worse on difficult tasks

False consensus effect

overestimating how much other people agree with your opinions

Superordinate goals

shared goals that require different groups to work together to achieve them

Social traps

situations where people act in their own interest but it ends up hurting the group

Industrial

organizational (I/O) psychologists

Burnout

extreme physical and mental exhaustion caused by long

Altruism

helping others without expecting anything in return

Prosocial behavior

any action intended to benefit or help others

Social debt

the feeling that you owe someone after they help you

Social reciprocity norm

the expectation that people will return favors and help those who helped them

Social responsibility norm

the belief that people should help those who are in need

Bystander effect

people are less likely to help someone when others are around

Situational variables

aspects of the environment that influence behavior (like number of people or setting)

Attentional variables

factors that affect whether you notice something and decide to act (like being distracted or not noticing a problem)