Psychology: Persuasion, Social Influence, and Group Dynamics

Elaboration-Likelihood Model (ELM)

A theory of persuasion suggesting that attitude change occurs on a continuum of elaboration and may be a result of relatively extensive or relatively little scrutiny of attitude-relevant information.

Central Route Persuasion

Occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts.

Peripheral Route Persuasion

Occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness.

Halo Effect

A rating bias in which a general evaluation (usually positive) of a person influences judgments of that person on other specific dimensions.

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

The tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.

Door-in-the-Face Effect

An extreme initial request is presented immediately before a more moderate target request. Rejection of the initial request makes people more likely to accept the target request.

Ingratiation

Efforts to win the liking and approval of other people. Ingratiation is usually regarded as strategic, insincere, and manipulative.

Low-Ball Technique

First obtaining agreement to a request and then revealing the hidden costs of this request.

Conformity

Adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

Obedience

Behavior in compliance with a direct command, often one issued by a person in a position of authority.

Individualism

Giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications.

Collectivism

Giving priority to the goals of one's group and defining one's identity accordingly.

Multiculturalism

A society in which different ethnic and cultural groups have equal status and access to power but each maintains its own identity, characteristics, and mores.

Group polarization

The enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.

Groupthink

The mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.

Diffusion of Responsibility

The diminished sense of responsibility often experienced by individuals in groups and social collectives.

Social Loafing

The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable.

Deindividuation

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

Social Facilitation

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

False Consensus Effect

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

Superordinate Goals

Shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation.

Social Trap

A situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behavior.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

The application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces.

Tragedy of the Commons

When a course of action benefiting individual members of a community in the short term is detrimental to the long-term welfare of the community.

Prisoners Dilemma

Each participant in the game must choose between a self-beneficial course of action that could be costly for the other players and an action that would bring a smaller individual payoff but would lead to some benefits for all the players.

Prosocial Behavior

Positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior.

Altruism

Unselfish regard for the welfare of others.

Social Responsibility Norm

The socially determined standard that one should assist those in need when possible.

Reciprocity Norm

The social standard that people who help others will receive equivalent benefits from them in return.

Bystander effect

The tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.