AP Psychology Unit 14 Test

Attribution Theory

A theory explaining how individuals determine the cause of behavior and events, distinguishing between dispositional and situational attributions.

Dispositional Attributions

Attributions that ascribe others' behavior to their personal traits or characteristics.

Situational Attributions

Attributions that ascribe behavior to external factors or circumstances.

Fundamental Attribution Error

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

Peripheral Route Persuasion

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

Central Route Persuasion

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

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

A theory by Leon Festinger suggesting that the discomfort experienced when holding conflicting thoughts motivates a change in attitude or behavior.

Normative Social Influence

The influence of other people that leads us to conform to be liked and accepted by them.

Informational Social Influence

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

Asch’s Conformity Experiments

A series of studies that demonstrated the extent to which social pressure from a majority group could affect a person to conform.

Milgram’s Obedience Study

A famous experiment that investigated the willingness of participants to obey authority figures, even when it involved harming others.

Social Facilitation

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

Social Loafing

The tendency for individuals in a group to put forth less effort than when working alone.

Deindividuation

A loss of self-awareness and individual accountability in group situations.

Group Polarization

The tendency for group discussions to amplify the prevailing attitudes of group members.

Groupthink

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

Ingroup vs. Outgroup

Ingroup refers to a group with which an individual identifies, while outgroup refers to any group with which they do not identify.

Scapegoat Theory

A theory suggesting that prejudice provides an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.

Just-World Phenomenon

The cognitive bias that assumes people get what they deserve, leading to victim-blaming.

Frustration-Aggression Principle

A principle stating that frustration leads to aggression.

Attraction

The feeling of being drawn to another person, influenced by proximity, physical attractiveness, and similarity.

Mere Exposure Effect

The phenomenon whereby individuals tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them.

Altruism

Unselfish concern for the welfare of others, often leading to helping behaviors.

Bystander Effect

A social psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to help a victim when other people are present.

Diffusion of Responsibility

The reduction of personal responsibility experienced by individuals in a group; the more bystanders there are, the less personal responsibility individuals feel to act.

Social Traps

Situations in which individuals or groups become caught in mutually destructive behavior.

Mirror-Image Perceptions

Mutual views often held by conflicting people, where each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and the other as evil and aggressive.

Superordinate Goals

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