AP Psych Unit 4A

Person perception

how we form impressions of ourselves and others, including attributions of behavior.

Attribution theory

the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation (a situational attribution) or the person’s stable, enduring traits (a dispositional attribution).

Fundamental attribution error

the tendency for observers, when analyzing others’ behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and overestimate the impact of personal disposition.

Actor observer bias

the tendency for those acting in a situation to attribute their behavior to external causes, but for observers to attribute others’ behavior to internal causes.

Prejudice

an unjustifiable and usually negative attitude toward a group and its members, generally involving negative emotions, stereotyped beliefs, and a predisposition to discriminatory action.

Stereotypes

a generalized belief about a group of people, sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized.

Discrimination

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group or its members.

Just world phenomenon

the tendency to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get.

Social identity

the we aspect of our self concept that comes from our group memberships.

Ingroup

people with whom we share a common identity.

Outgroup

those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup.

Ingroup bias

the tendency to favor our own group.

Scapegoat theory

the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.

Other race effect

the tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races, also called the cross race effect or own race bias.

Attitudes

feelings, often influenced by beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events.

Foot in the door phenomenon

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.

Role

a set of expectations about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.

Cognitive dissonance theory

the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent.

Persuasion

changing people’s attitudes, potentially influencing their actions.

Peripheral route persuasion

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness.

Central route persuasion

occurs when interested people’s thinking is influenced by considering evidence and arguments.

Norms

a society’s understood rules for accepted and expected behavior.

Conformity

adjusting behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

Normative social influence

influence resulting from a desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.

Informational social influence

influence resulting from a willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality.

Obedience

complying with an order or command.

Social facilitation

improved performance on simple well learned tasks and worsened performance on difficult tasks in the presence of others.

Social loafing

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling efforts toward a common goal than when individually accountable.

Deindividuation

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

Group polarization

the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group.

Groupthink

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision making group overrides realistic appraisal of alternatives.

Culture

the enduring behaviors, ideas, attitudes, values, and traditions shared by a group and transmitted from one generation to the next.

Tight culture

a place with clearly defined and reliably imposed norms.

Loose culture

a place with flexible and informal norms.

Aggression

any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally.

Frustration aggression principle

the principle that frustration, the blocking of an attempt to achieve a goal, creates anger that can generate aggression.

Social scripts

culturally modeled guides for how to act in various situations.

Mere exposure effect

the tendency for repeated exposure to novel stimuli to increase liking of them.

Passionate love

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually at the beginning of a romantic relationship.

Companionate love

deep affectionate attachment felt for those with whom our lives are intertwined.

Equity

a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give.

Altruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others.

Bystander effect

the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.

Social exchange theory

the theory that social behavior is an exchange process aimed at maximizing benefits and minimizing costs.

Reciprocity norm

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them.

Social responsibility norm

an expectation that people will help those who need their help.

Conflict

a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.

Social trap

a situation in which two parties pursuing self interest become caught in mutually destructive behavior.

Mirror image perceptions

mutual views held by conflicting parties in which each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and the other as evil and aggressive.

Self fulfilling prophecy

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment.

Superordinate goals

shared goals that override differences and require cooperation.

GRIT

Graduated and Reciprocated Initiatives in Tension Reduction, a strategy designed to decrease international tensions.