Flashcards for Social Psychology & Personality

A set of flashcards designed to reinforce vocabulary and concepts related to Social Psychology and Personality.

Group Polarization

The tendency for group discussions to enhance the group's prevailing tendencies, leading to more extreme positions.

Groupthink

The desire for harmony in a group leads to poor decision-making outcomes.

Diffusion of Responsibility

The phenomenon where individuals feel less personal responsibility to act when others are present.

Social Loafing

When individuals exert less effort on a task when working in a group than when working alone.

Deindividuation

The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.

Social Facilitation

Improvement in individual performance when working in the presence of others.

Altruism

Selfless concern for the well-being of others.

Prosocial Behavior

Behavior that benefits others or society as a whole.

Bystander Effect

The tendency for individuals to be less likely to help a victim when other people are present.

Attributions

Inferences made about the causes of events, others’ behavior, and one’s own behavior.

Dispositional Attributions

Attributions that explain a person's behavior in terms of internal characteristics.

Situational Attributions

Attributions that explain a person's behavior in terms of external factors.

Explanatory Style

How people typically explain events in their lives.

Optimistic Explanatory Style

Attribute good events to internal, stable, and global factors.

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

Attribute bad events to internal, stable, and global factors.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overemphasize personal characteristics and ignore situational factors in judging others.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to attribute personal successes to internal factors and failures to external factors.

Internal Locus of Control

The belief that one's own actions determine outcomes.

External Locus of Control

The belief that external factors determine outcomes.

False Consensus Effect

The tendency for people to overestimate how much others agree with their beliefs.

Social Norms

Unwritten rules that dictate acceptable behavior in a society.

Social Influence Theory

A theory that explains how a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can be shaped by the presence of others.

Conformity

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with group standards.

Obedience

Following direct orders, usually from an authority figure.

Collectivism

A cultural value that emphasizes the importance of the group over individual goals.

Multiculturalism

The view that embraces diversity and promotes respect for multiple cultural identities.

Ethnocentrism

The belief in the superiority of one's own culture.

Stereotype

A generalized belief about a particular group of people.

Prejudice

An unjustifiable and usually negative attitude toward a group and its members.

Discrimination

Negative behaviors directed toward a group or its members.

Implicit Attitudes

Unconscious beliefs or feelings that influence an individual’s behavior.

Just-World Phenomenon

The belief that the world is fair and people get what they deserve.

Out-Group Homogeneity Bias

The tendency to perceive members of an out-group as more similar than they are.

In-Group Bias

The tendency to favor one's own group over others.

Cognitive Dissonance

The psychological discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes.

Halo Effect

The tendency for an impression created in one area to influence opinion in another area.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

A persuasive strategy where agreement to a small request increases compliance with a larger request.

Door-in-the-Face Technique

A persuasive strategy where a large request is made expecting refusal, then a smaller request is presented.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

When a belief about a person leads to its own fulfillment.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs.

Social Taps

Situations in which individuals pursue immediate rewards that lead to negative consequences.

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists

Psychologists who apply psychological principles to workplace environments.

Superordinate Goals

Shared goals that require cooperation to achieve.