AP PSYCH UNIT 4 (4.1-4.3e)

social psychology

the scientific study of how we think, about influence, and relate to one another

person perception

how we form impressions of ourselves and others, including attributions of behavior

attribution theory

we explain someone's behavior by crediting either the situation (situational) or the person's stable, enduring traits (dispositional)

fundamental attribution error

the tendency for observers, when analyzing another's behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition

self-serving bias

a readiness to perceive oneself favorably; take credit for positive events and blame external factors on negative events

actor-observer bias

our tendency of attributing the other person's behavior to their personal disposition and their own behavior to the situation they are facing

social comparison

by comparing ourselves to others, we judge whether we're succeeding or failing

Attitude

feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events; attitudes affect actions AND actions affect attitudes

foot-in-the-door phenomenom

the tendency of people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request

door-in-the-face phenomenon

persuasive strategy that involves making a large, unreasonable request first, followed by a smaller, more acceptable one

role

a set of expectations about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave

cognitive dissonance

the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent; changing attitudes when our attitudes and actions clash

persuasion

changing people's attitudes, potentially influencing their actions

central route persuasion

others evidence and arguments that aim to trigger favorable thoughts, 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

generalize positive qualities to other aspects, even if there is no direct evidence to support it

norms

a society's understood rules for accepted and expected behavior; "proper" behavior in individual and social situations

social contagion

behavior is contagious, humans are natural mimics

conformity

adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard

normative social influence

influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

informative social influence

influence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality

obedience

complying with an order or command

social facilitations

in the presence of others, improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks, and worsened performance on difficult tasks

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

deindividualization

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

group polarization

the enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within a group; like minds polarize

groupthink

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

culture

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group of people and transmitted from one generation to the next

tight culture

a place with clearly defined and reliably imposed norms

loose culture

a place with flexible and informal norms

aggression

any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally (genetic, neural, biochemical)

frustration-aggression principle

frustration creates anger, which can generate aggression

social script

a culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

proximity

geographic nearness

mere exposure effect

the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli improves the liking of them

similarity

the more alike people are, the more their liking endures

3 ingredients of our liking for one another

proximity, physical attractiveness, similarity

the reward theory of attraction

we will like those whose behavior is rewarding to us, and we will continue relationships that offer more rewards than costs

passionate love

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship

companionate love

the deep attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwines, as love matures it becomes this

equity

a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it

self-disclosure

revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others

key elements of gratifying and enduring relationships

equity and self-disclosure

altruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

bystander effect

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

social exchange theory

the theory that our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximise benefits and minimise costs

reciprocity norm

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, people who have helped them

social responsibility norm

an expectation that people will help those needing their help

conflict

a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas

social traps

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

mirror-image perceptions

mutual views often held by conflicting people, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive

self-fulfilling prophecy

belief that leads to its own fulfillment

4 c's of promoting peace

contact, cooperation, communication, conciliation

superordinate goals

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

GRIT

Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension-Reduction; a strategy designed to decrease international tensions

industrial-organizational psychologist (I/O)

apply psychology principles in the workplace, might use these techniques to improve relationships among people working together or for a common company or program