Psych Unit

Attribution Theory

A framework for understanding how people explain the causes of their own and others' behaviors.

Dispositional Attributions

Attributions that ascribe someone's behavior to their personality or character.

Situational Attributions

Attributions that ascribe someone's behavior to external circumstances or factors.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overemphasize dispositional factors and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behavior.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to attribute positive outcomes to oneself and negative outcomes to external factors.

Locus of Control

The degree to which individuals feel they have control over the outcome of events in their lives.

Mere Exposure Effect

The phenomenon where people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are exposed to them repeatedly.

Self Fulfilling Prophecy

A belief that leads to its own fulfillment; when an expectation about a person causes that person to behave in ways that confirm the expectation.

Cognitive Dissonance

The psychological discomfort experienced when holding conflicting beliefs or behaviors.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one's own culture is superior to others and the tendency to use one's own cultural norms to judge other cultures.

In-Group Bias

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

Prejudice

A preconceived opinion or judgment about an individual or group that is not based on reason or actual experience.

Social Norms

The rules or expectations regarding behavior within a group or society.

Groupthink

A phenomenon where the desire for harmony in a decision-making group leads to irrational or dysfunctional outcomes.

Self-Efficacy

An individual's belief in their capability to execute behaviors necessary for producing specific performance attainments.

The Spotlight Effect

The tendency to overestimate how much others notice or pay attention to us.

Drive-Reduction Theory

A theory that suggests that motivation arises from biological needs that demand fulfillment.

Homeostasis

The state of steady internal, physical, and chemical conditions maintained by living systems.

Universal Emotions

Emotions that are recognized and expressed by all humans regardless of culture, including happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and disgust.

Facial-Feedback Hypothesis

The theory that facial expressions can influence emotional experiences.

Self-Actualizing Tendency

The inherent drive to realize one's full potential and achieve personal growth.

Reciprocal Determinism

The theory that a person's behavior is influenced by personal factors, environmental factors, and behavior itself.