Social Psychology Vocabulary (4.1-4.2)

Dispositional Attribution

Explaining behavior using internal factors like personality, effort, or ability.

Situational Attribution

Explaining behavior using external factors like the environment, luck, or circumstances.

Actor-Observer Bias

The tendency to blame our own bad behavior on the situation (we are the "actor") but blame other people's behavior on their disposition (we are the "observer").

Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overestimate disposition and underestimate the situation when judging other people's behavior.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency to take personal credit for our successes (disposition) and blame our failures on the situation (situation).

Internal Locus of Control

The belief that you control your own outcomes and destiny.

External Locus of Control

The belief that outside forces (like luck, fate, or other people) control your outcomes.

Optimistic Explanatory Style

View negative events as temporary, specific, and external.

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

View negative events as permanent, global, and internal.

Upward Social Comparison

Comparing yourself to people who seem better than you. (Can be motivating or discouraging).

Downward Social Comparison

Comparing yourself to people who are worse off than you. (Often used to boost self-esteem).

Relative Deprivation

The feeling of being "worse off" that comes from comparing yourself to a group you believe you should be equal to.

Just-World Phenomenon

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

Mere Exposure Effect

The tendency to like something (or someone) more simply because you've been exposed to it repeatedly.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

An expectation or belief that influences your behavior, which then causes the belief to come true.

Prejudice

A negative ATTITUDE (emotion + belief) toward a person or group. (A feeling).

Discrimination

A negative ACTION (behavior) toward a person or group based on prejudice.

Implicit Attitudes

Unconscious, unacknowledged attitudes that can still influence our behavior.

Stereotype

A generalized BELIEF about a group of people. (A thought).

Out-Group Homogeneity

The tendency to see members of other groups ("them") as all being very similar to each other.

In-Group Bias

The tendency to favor our own group ("us") over other groups.

Ethnocentrism

Using your own culture as the "default" standard and believing it is superior to others.

Cognitive Dissonance

The uncomfortable tension you feel when your actions don't match your beliefs, or when you hold two contradictory beliefs.

Belief Perseverance

Clinging to your initial belief even after it has been proven wrong or discredited.