Social Psych

Attribution

The process of explaining the causes of behavior or events.

Dispositional Attribution

Explaining behavior based on internal traits or personality.

Situational Attribution

Explaining behavior based on external circumstances or environment.

Explanatory Style

A person's characteristic way of explaining why events happen.

Optimistic Explanatory Style

Seeing negative events as temporary, specific, and external.

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

Seeing negative events as permanent, pervasive, and personal.

Actor/Observer Bias

Attributing our own actions to situations, but others' actions to their personality.

Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE)

Overestimating personality traits and underestimating situational factors when judging others.

Self-Serving Bias

Taking credit for successes and blaming external factors for failures.

Internal Locus of Control

Believing you control your own destiny.

External Locus of Control

Believing outcomes are controlled by fate, luck, or outside forces.

Mere Exposure Effect

Developing a preference for things simply because they are familiar.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

A belief that causes itself to come true through expected behavior.

Social Comparison

Evaluating oneself by comparing against others.

Upward Social Comparison

Comparing yourself to people who are better off.

Downward Social Comparison

Comparing yourself to people who are worse off.

Relative Deprivation

Feeling deprived because you compare yourself unfavorably to others.

Stereotype

A generalized belief about a group of people.

Cognitive Load

The amount of mental effort being used in working memory.

Prejudice

An unjustified negative attitude toward a group.

Discrimination

Unjustified negative behavior toward a group.

Implicit Attitudes

Automatic, unconscious beliefs or attitudes.

Just-World Phenomenon

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

Out-Group Homogeneity Bias

Viewing out-group members as 'all the same.'

In-Group Bias

Favoring members of your own group over others.

Ethnocentrism

Judging another culture solely by the standards of your own.

Belief Perseverance

Sticking to a belief even after it has been disproven.

Confirmation Bias

Seeking out information that proves what you already believe.

Cognitive Dissonance

Mental discomfort caused by holding conflicting beliefs or actions.

Social Norms

Unwritten rules for acceptable behavior in a society.

Social Influence Theory

The study of how individuals adjust their thoughts and actions due to social pressure.

Normative Social Influence

Conforming to gain approval or avoid rejection.

Informational Social Influence

Conforming because you believe others have accurate information.

Persuasion

The process of guiding people toward adopting an attitude or behavior.

Elaboration Likelihood Model

A theory explaining how attitudes are formed via central or peripheral routes.

Central Route

Persuasion based on strong arguments, evidence, and logic.

Peripheral Route

Persuasion based on superficial cues like attractiveness or emotional appeal.

Halo Effect

Letting one positive trait bias your overall impression of a person.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Getting agreement to a small request before asking for a larger one.

Door-in-the-Face Technique

Making a large, unreasonable request first so a smaller follow-up request is accepted.

Conformity

Adjusting behavior or thinking to match group standards.

Obedience

Complying with direct orders from an authority figure.

Individualism

Prioritizing personal goals over group goals.

Collectivism

Prioritizing group goals and harmony over personal goals.

Multiculturalism

Coexistence and equal respect for diverse cultural backgrounds.

Group Polarization

Group discussions making pre-existing attitudes more extreme.

Groupthink

Prioritizing group consensus over realistic decision-making.

Diffusion of Responsibility

Feeling less personally responsible when others are present.

Social Loafing

Exerting less effort when working in a group than when alone.

Deindividuation

Loss of self-awareness and restraint in anonymous group settings.

Social Facilitation

Performing better on simple tasks when others are watching.

False Consensus Effect

Overestimating how much others agree with your beliefs.

Superordinate Goals

Shared goals that require cooperation between competing groups.

Social Traps

Situations where conflicting parties pursue self-interest, leading to mutual harm.

Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychologists

Psychologists who study human behavior in workplace settings.

Burnout

Physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged stress.

Altruism

Unselfish concern for the welfare of others.

Prosocial Behavior

Actions intended to help or benefit others.

Social Debt

Feeling obligated to repay someone who has helped you.

Social Reciprocity Norm

The expectation to help those who have helped you.

Social Responsibility Norm

The expectation to help those in need, regardless of payback.

Bystander Effect

Being less likely to help someone when other onlookers are present.

Situational Variability

Changes in behavior depending on the specific context or setting.

Attentional Variability

Differences in how individuals allocate focus or attention across situations.