Chapter 12 Key Terms

https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/12-key-terms

actor-observer bias

The phenomenon of explaining other people's behaviors as due to internal factors while attributing our own behaviors to situational forces.

ageism

Prejudice and discrimination toward individuals based solely on their age.

aggression

Seeking to cause harm or pain to another person.

altruism

Humans’ desire to help others even if the costs outweigh the benefits of helping.

Asch effect

The influence of group majority on an individual's judgment, even when that judgment is inaccurate.

attitude

Evaluations of or feelings toward a person, idea, or object, typically positive or negative.

attribution

Explanation for the behavior of other people.

bullying

A person, often an adolescent, being treated negatively repeatedly and over time.

bystander effect

A situation in which a witness or bystander does not volunteer to help a victim or person in distress.

central route persuasion

Logic-driven arguments using data and facts to convince people of an argument's worthiness.

cognitive dissonance

Psychological discomfort arising from a conflict in a person’s behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs counter to one’s positive self-perception.

collectivist culture

Culture that focuses on communal relationships with others such as family, friends, and community.

companionate love

Type of love consisting of intimacy and commitment, but not passion; associated with close friendships and family relationships.

confederate

A person who works for a researcher and is aware of the experiment, acting as a participant to manipulate social situations.

confirmation bias

Seeking out information that supports our stereotypes while ignoring inconsistent information.

conformity

Changing one's behavior to align with the group even if in disagreement.

consummate love

Type of love that occurs when intimacy, passion, and commitment are all present.

cyberbullying

Repeated behavior intended to cause psychological or emotional harm online.

diffusion of responsibility

The tendency for no one in a group to help because responsibility to help is spread throughout the group.

discrimination

Negative actions toward individuals due to their membership in a particular group.

dispositionism

Perspective asserting that behavior is determined by internal factors like personality traits.

empathy

The capacity to understand another person’s perspective—to feel what they feel.

foot-in-the-door technique

Persuasion technique encouraging a person to agree to a small favor first, leading to a larger request.

fundamental attribution error

Tendency to overemphasize internal factors for behavior and underestimate situational influences.

group polarization

Strengthening of the original group attitude after discussing views within the group.

groupthink

Modification of opinions by group members to match perceived group consensus.

homophily

Tendency for people to form relationships with others who are similar.

homophobia

Prejudice and discrimination against individuals based solely on their sexual orientation.

hostile aggression

Aggression motivated by anger with intent to cause pain.

in-group

A group that we identify with or see ourselves as belonging to.

in-group bias

Preference for our own group over other groups.

individualistic culture

Culture that focuses on individual achievement and autonomy.

informational social influence

Conformity prompted by the belief that the group has correct information.

instrumental aggression

Aggression motivated by achieving a goal that does not necessarily involve intent to cause pain.

internal factor

Internal attribute of a person, such as personality traits.

just-world hypothesis

Belief that people get the outcomes they deserve.

justification of effort

Theory that people value goals more when they have put effort into them.

normative social influence

Conformity to fit in and feel accepted by the group.

obedience

Change in behavior to please an authority figure or avoid consequences.

out-group

Group that we do not belong to and view as fundamentally different.

peripheral route persuasion

Indirect persuasion that relies on peripheral cues to associate positivity with a message.

persuasion

Process of changing our attitude based on communication.

prejudice

Negative attitudes and feelings toward individuals based on group membership.

prosocial behavior

Voluntary behavior intended to help others.

racism

Prejudice and discrimination toward individuals based solely on their race.

reciprocity

The principle of give and take in relationships.

romantic love

Type of love consisting of intimacy and passion, but no commitment.

scapegoating

Blaming an out-group when the in-group experiences frustration.

script

Knowledge about the sequence of events in a specific setting.

self-disclosure

Sharing personal information in relationships.

self-fulfilling prophecy

Treatment of stereotyped group members according to biased expectations influencing individual behavior.

self-serving bias

Tendency to attribute positive outcomes to internal factors and negative outcomes to external factors.

sexism

Prejudice and discrimination against individuals based on their sex.

situationism

Perspective that behavior is determined by the immediate environment.

social exchange theory

Theory that humans act as naïve economists in maintaining relationships to maximize benefits.

social loafing

Exerting less effort in a group due to individual performance not being evaluated separately.

social norm

Group’s expectations for appropriate thoughts and behaviors of its members.

social psychology

Field examining how people impact each other, focusing on situational power.

social role

Socially defined behavior pattern expected of a person in a group.

stanford prison experiment

Mock prison experiment showing the power of social roles, norms, and scripts.

stereotype

Specific beliefs about individuals based solely on their group membership.

triangular theory of love

Model of love based on three components: intimacy, passion, and commitment.