final social psych

Conformity

Changing one’s behavior or beliefs to match those of others.

Informational Conformity (Informational Social Influence)

Conforming because others are seen as a source of accurate information, especially in ambiguous situations.

Normative Conformity (Normative Social Influence)

Conforming to be liked, accepted, or to avoid social rejection.

Social Norms

Shared rules or expectations about how members of a group should behave.

Injunctive Norms

Perceptions of what behaviors are approved or disapproved by others.

Descriptive Norms

Perceptions of what most people actually do in a given situation.

Social Impact Theory

The idea that social influence depends on the strength, immediacy, and number of people exerting influence.

Minority Influence

Influence exerted by a consistent, confident minority that can lead to private acceptance.

Obedience

Compliance with direct orders from an authority figure.

Self-Justification

Rationalizing one’s behavior to reduce cognitive dissonance, often after harmful or immoral actions.

Prestige

Influence gained by being respected or admired, leading others to imitate.

Synchrony (Behavioral, Physiological, Neural)

Coordination of actions, bodily states, or brain activity between people that increases bonding and conformity.

Simple Contagion

The spread of behaviors or ideas through single exposures (e.g., yawning).

Complex Contagion

The spread of behaviors or ideas that require reinforcement from multiple sources (e.g., social movements).

Tipping Points

Critical thresholds where small changes lead to rapid, large-scale social change.

Normative Tightness/Looseness

The extent to which cultures have strict norms and punish deviance (tight) versus flexible norms (loose).

Social Roles

Expected behaviors associated with a particular position in a group.

Group Cohesiveness

The strength of bonds linking group members to each other and the group.

Group Diversity

Variation in backgrounds, perspectives, and identities within a group.

Social Facilitation

Improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others.

Social Loafing

Reduced effort when working in a group compared to working alone.

Deindividuation

Loss of self-awareness and accountability in group settings, often leading to impulsive behavior.

Wisdom of the Crowds

The idea that group averages can be more accurate than individual judgments.

Process Loss

Performance losses in groups due to coordination problems or reduced motivation.

Transactive Memory

A shared system for encoding, storing, and retrieving information within a group.

Groupthink

Faulty decision-making caused by pressure for consensus and suppression of dissent.

Group Polarization

The tendency for group discussion to strengthen the group’s initial attitudes.

Risky Shift

Groups making riskier decisions than individuals would alone.

Cultural Evolution

How ideas, norms, and behaviors spread and change over time through social learning.

Partially-Connected Groups

Networks where some members are connected but information does not fully circulate.

Echo Chambers (Network Clusters)

Social networks where people are mainly exposed to like-minded views.

Homophily

The tendency to associate with others who are similar to oneself.

Acrophily

The tendency to associate with others who are perceived as higher status or better.

Misinformation

False or misleading information spread unintentionally or intentionally.

Applied Research

Research designed to solve real-world problems using psychological theory.

Psychological Distance

The perception that an issue is far away in time, space, or relevance, reducing concern.

Learned Helplessness

The belief that one’s actions cannot make a difference, leading to inaction.

Pluralistic Ignorance

Mistakenly believing one’s attitudes differ from others’, even when they are similar.

Dynamic Norms

Information about how norms are changing over time, emphasizing growing adoption.

Negative Spillover

When doing one positive behavior reduces motivation to do additional positive behaviors.

Applying Social Psychology – Happiness

Affective Forecasting

Predicting how future events will make us feel, often inaccurately.

Three Versions of the Good Life

Happiness (pleasure), meaning (purpose), and psychological richness (novelty and complexity).

Ideal Affect

The emotions people want to feel, shaped by culture.

Emotion Contagion Susceptibility

The tendency to automatically mimic and feel others’ emotions.

Maximizing

Striving to make the absolute best choice, often leading to regret or dissatisfaction.

Satisficing

Choosing an option that is “good enough,” often leading to greater satisfaction.

Rumination

Repetitive, negative thinking about past events or feelings.