Social Psychology: Social Thinking & Influence

These flashcards cover key concepts, theories, and findings related to social psychology as discussed in the lecture notes.

Social Psychology

The study of how we think about the self and others, influence each other, and relate to one another.

Attribution Theory

A theory explaining how we make inferences about the causes of behavior, either situationally or dispositionally.

Situational Attribution

Inferring that a person's behavior is influenced by external factors or the situation.

Dispositional Attribution

Inferring that a person's behavior is influenced by their personality or internal characteristics.

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overemphasize dispositional factors in explaining others' behavior while underemphasizing situational factors.

Cognitive Dissonance Theory

A theory suggesting that discomfort arises from holding conflicting beliefs or attitudes, leading to attitude change.

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

The tendency to comply more readily with a large request after first agreeing to a small request.

Central Route Persuasion

Persuasion that occurs through careful and thoughtful consideration of the content of the message.

Peripheral Route Persuasion

Persuasion that occurs through superficial cues rather than through the content of the message.

Conformity

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to align with the standards of a group.

Normative Social Influence

Influence that leads to conformity based on the desire to be liked or accepted by the group.

Social Facilitation

The tendency for people to perform differently when in the presence of others than when alone.

Social Loafing

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

Deindividuation

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

Groupthink

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