AP Psychology Vocabulary Terms

A collection of important vocabulary terms and definitions relevant to AP Psychology.

Dispositional Attribution

The process of assigning the cause of a behavior to a person's character or personality.

Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE)

The tendency to overemphasize personal characteristics and ignore situational factors when judging others' behavior.

Just World Hypothesis

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

Attribution Theory

A theory that explains how individuals pinpoint the causes of their own and others' behavior.

Situational Attribution

Attributing a person's actions to their environment or external factors.

Actor-observer Bias

The tendency to attribute one's own actions to situational factors while attributing others' actions to their dispositions.

Out-group Homogeneity Bias

The tendency to view members of out-groups as more similar to each other than they really are.

Central Route Persuasion

A method of persuasion that uses logical arguments and factual evidence.

Person Perception

The process of forming opinions about others.

Explanatory Style

A person's habitual way of explaining events, which can influence mental health.

In-group Bias

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

Door-in-the-Face Phenomenon

A compliance technique where a large request is made and then a smaller request is presented.

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

A compliance technique that involves getting a person to agree to a large request by first setting them up with a smaller one.

Peripheral Route Persuasion

A method of persuasion that relies on superficial cues rather than logic.

Social Role

The expected behavior associated with a particular social position.

Social Norms

The accepted standards of behavior within a group.

Cognitive Dissonance

The psychological discomfort experienced when holding two conflicting beliefs.

Conformity

The change in a person's behavior or opinions to align with those of others.

Normative Social Influence

The influence of others that leads us to conform in order to be liked and accepted.

Social Contagion

The spread of behaviors, attitudes, and effects through a group.

Stanley Milgram

Psychologist known for his groundbreaking experiments on obedience.

Social Loafing

The tendency for people to put in less effort when they are part of a group.

Informational Social Influence

The influence of others that leads us to conform because we see them as a source of information.

Social Facilitation

The tendency for individuals to perform better on tasks in the presence of others.

Groupthink

A mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.

Discrimination

Unjust treatment based on categories like race or gender.

Group Polarization

The enhancement of a group's prevailing attitudes through discussion.

Stereotypes

Oversimplified and generalized beliefs about a particular group.

Prejudice

A preconceived opinion not based on reason or actual experience.

Ethnocentrism

The evaluation of other cultures based on the standards of one's own culture.

Deindividuation

A state in which individuals in groups lose self-awareness and can act in ways contrary to their norms.

Violence

Behavior involving physical force intended to hurt or kill.

Altruism

Selfless concern for the well-being of others.

Social Script

Expected behaviors and actions in social situations.

Reciprocity Norm

The expectation that people will respond favorably to each other by returning benefits for benefits.

Social-Responsibility Norm

An expectation that people will help those dependent upon them.

Grit

Perseverance and passion for long-term goals.

Expectancy-Value Theory

The model that suggests a person’s action is based on their expectations of success and the value of the success.

Self-Serving Bias

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

Social-Exchange Theory

A theory that posits human interactions are transactions aimed at maximizing one's rewards and minimizing costs.

Social Traps

Situations in which individuals or groups act to obtain short-term individual gains, which leads to long-term collective losses.

Diffusion of Responsibility

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

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

A belief that leads to its own fulfillment due to behaviors aligned with the belief.

Halo Effect

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

Bystander Effect

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

Superordinate Goals

Goals that require the cooperation of two or more people or groups to achieve.

False Consensus Effect

The tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors.

Cohesiveness

The degree to which group members bond and work together.

Social Comparison

The process of comparing ourselves to others to evaluate our own abilities or opinions.

Locus of Control

The extent to which individuals believe they can control events affecting them.

Relative Deprivation

The perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself.

Belief Perseverance

The tendency to maintain a belief even in the face of contrary evidence.

Collectivism

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

Individualism

A cultural value that emphasizes personal independence and the importance of individual rights.

Confirmation Bias

The tendency to search for, interpret, and remember information that confirms one’s preconceptions.

Multiculturalism

The presence of, or support for the presence of, multiple cultural groups within a society.