AP Psych Unit 4

Attribution Theory

We explain others behavior is caused by internal, stable traits or external attributions. Leads to the Fundamental Attribution Error.

Fundamental Attribution Error (AKA Actor-Observer Bias)

When other people do bad stuff - we say it’s BECAUSE of WHO THEY ARE

When WE do bad stuff we say it’s because of lots of reasons (like the situation, a bad teacher, your boss, etc)

Influences On Attributions

Culture: Individualists (western culture) more often attribute behavior to personal traits (like they’re lazy or dumb). Collectivist cultures consider the situation more

Self Serving Bias

We attribute our success to personal/internal factors but attribute our failures to situational/external factors. We discount the efforts of external factors when we do well.

Ex. Pass a test, it’s because you worked hard. If you fail a test it’s the teachers fault

Self Fulfilling Prophecy

A belief that leads to its own fulfillment

Ex. If you decide you’re going to fail the exam when walking in on test day, you’re more likely to and then look back on it and say “I knew that was going to happen” no you didn’t, you just self fulfilled your own prophecy

Social Comparisons

We evaluate ourselves based on comparisons to society and social circles

Upward Comparison

Compare to people you think are better than you. “I want to be like them.”

Downward Comparison

Compare yourself to someone you think is worse off than you

Relative Deprivation

Judge what we are lacking relative to others

Optimistic

Explaining good and bad with a positive attitude

Pessimistic

Explaining good and bad with a negative attitude

The Locus of Control

A view of where the events in our life are controlled

Internal Locus of Control

“I have control over my life and choices, I can steer my own fate.”

External Locus of Control

“Life happens to me, I don’t have control, and chance/fate/outside forces are in charge of my life.”

Stereotypes

Generalized Concepts about a group (a label)

Prejudice

Prejudice is a negative reaction towards a person/group without any advance experience with that group. Prejudice is an attitude/belief/emotion

Explicit Bias

You KNOW you are prejudiced, and you’re fine with it

Implicit Bias

Unthinking knee jerk response to people or groups

Ingroup Bias

Tendency to favor our own group

Outgroup Homogeneity Bias

Everyone outside of our group is the same

Ethnocentrism

Tendency to see your own group as more important than others

Just World Phenomenon

Tendency to believe that the world is just, and people get what they deserve

Cognitive Dissonance

People want to have consistent attitudes and behaviors when they are not they experience dissonance (unpleasant tension). Usually they will change their attitude to match their actions

Ways your brain tries to reduce dissonance

-Change your attitude or behavior to make it consistent

-Get new info that cancels out the belief

-Reduce the importance of the belief

The Forced Compliance Study

Forced to do something publicly, people will commit to their belief that it was justified, or a good decision

Belief Perseverance

People will stick to their original belief even if given evidence to disprove it

Peripheral Route Persuasion

Getting people to do what you want by using things that get them emotionally

Halo Effect

A singular trait in a person influences our overall impression of them

Ex. They’re attractive, so they must be smart

Central Route of Persuasion

• Using evidence and arguments that trigger people to THINK

• Using facts to change people’s minds

• This works well for people who are more analytical OR already involved in an issue

Door In The Face (Persuasion Technique)

Ask for something big then ask for something small

Lowball (Persuasion Technique)

Underestimate the time/cost. Once they’ve agreed to commit, you can switch it up and people still kiely to buy it anyway

Wait There’s More (Persuasion Technique)

If they say no, I’ll throw in 2 for the price of one JUST FOR YOU right NOW

Reciprocity (Persuasion Technique)

Charities give you something like return address stickers hoping you will donate to their cause

Social Norms

The rules of society that everyone just knows. It’s how you’re expected to behave in situations

Social Contagion

We do what others do without even thinking about it.

The Asch Experiment

As long as you have a unanimous group of 3, you can get a subject to go along with them

Social Influence Theory

People’s thoughts and actions are influenced by others

Normative Social Influence

We conform to gain approval from others or not stand out from a group

Informational Social Influence

We conform to others because we think their opinions must be right

Group Polarization

When people within a group discuss an idea that a majority either favor or oppose their opinions tend to strengthen

Groupthink

When the group all goes along with an idea even if they individually have different opinions because no one wants to upset somebody else

Bystander Effect

People are less likely to help when other people are around

Deindividualization

The loss of self awareness and self restraint in group situations

Social Loafing

Tendency for people in a group to give less effort than if they were individually doing it

Social Reciprocity Norm

We help so when we need help people will help us

Social Responsibility Norm

Act in ways that benefit the community

Social Facilitation

We perform better in the presence of others UNLESS it’s a hard or unfamiliar task

False Consensus Effect

We overestimate how much people agree with us

Superordinate Goals

2 or more groups that work together to achieve something

Social Trap

People have a tendnecy to put their own needs before the group needs