Attribution Theories and Social Psychology Concepts

Attributions

Explanations for why people behave the way they do.

Dispositional attributions

Attributing behavior to internal traits or personality.

Situational attributions

Attributing behavior to external factors or circumstances.

Explanatory style

A person's habitual way of explaining events, often either optimistic or pessimistic.

Optimistic explanatory style

Attributing bad outcomes to temporary, external, and specific causes.

Pessimistic explanatory style

Attributing bad outcomes to internal, stable, and global causes.

Actor/observer bias

Attributing others' behavior to their personality while attributing your own behavior to external factors.

Fundamental attribution error

Overemphasizing personality traits and underestimating situational factors when explaining others' behavior.

Self-serving bias

Attributing successes to yourself and failures to external factors.

Internal locus of control

Belief that you control your own destiny through effort and choices.

External locus of control

Belief that external forces, like fate or luck, control your destiny.

Mere exposure effect

Increased liking for something due to repeated exposure.

Self-fulfilling prophecy

When an expectation about a person causes them to act in ways that confirm the expectation.

Social comparison

Evaluating yourself relative to others.

Upward social comparison

Comparing yourself to someone better off.

Downward social comparison

Comparing yourself to someone worse off.

Relative deprivation

Feeling deprived when comparing yourself to others.

Stereotype

Generalized beliefs about a group of people.

Cognitive load

The mental effort required to process information.

Prejudice

A negative attitude toward a group based on stereotypes.

Discrimination

Unfair treatment of individuals based on their group membership.

Implicit attitudes

Unconscious beliefs or feelings about a group.

Just-world phenomenon

Belief that the world is fair, and people get what they deserve.

Out-group homogeneity bias

Belief that members of an out-group are more similar to each other than they actually are.

In-group bias

Favoring your own group over others.

Ethnocentrism

Judging other cultures based on the standards of your own culture.

Belief perseverance

Maintaining a belief despite evidence contradicting it.

Confirmation bias

Favoring information that supports your preexisting beliefs.

Cognitive dissonance

Psychological discomfort from holding conflicting thoughts or beliefs.

Social norms

Accepted rules of behavior in a group or society.

Social influence theory

Explains how individuals change behavior in response to social influence.

Normative social influence

Changing behavior to fit in or avoid rejection.

Informational social influence

Changing behavior based on others' perceived knowledge.

Persuasion

The process of changing someone's beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors.

Elaboration likelihood model

Explains two routes to persuasion: central and peripheral.

Central route

Persuasion through thoughtful consideration of arguments and evidence.

Peripheral route

Persuasion through superficial cues like appearance or emotions.

Halo effect

Allowing one positive trait of a person to influence overall impressions.

Foot-in-the-door technique

Agreeing to a small request makes you more likely to agree to a larger one.

Door-in-the-face technique

Refusing a large request makes you more likely to agree to a smaller one.

Conformity

Changing behavior to match the group.

Obedience

Following orders from an authority figure.

Individualism

Emphasizing personal goals and individual rights over group goals.

Collectivism

Emphasizing group goals and relationships over individual goals.

Multiculturalism

Valuing and respecting diverse cultural perspectives.

Group polarization

Group discussions lead to stronger opinions in the direction of the group's initial leanings.

Groupthink

Group harmony is prioritized over critical analysis, leading to poor decisions.

Diffusion of responsibility

Feeling less personal responsibility in a group.

Social loafing

Exerting less effort in a group task compared to working alone.

Deindividuation

Losing self-awareness and restraint in group settings.

Social facilitation

Improved performance 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 groups.

Social traps

Situations where individuals or groups harm collective well-being by pursuing their own interests.

Industrial-organizational (I/O) psychologists

Study workplace behavior to improve productivity and well-being.

Burnout

Emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion caused by prolonged stress.

Altruism

Unselfish concern for the well-being of others.

Prosocial behavior

Actions intended to benefit others.