Psychology Module 9

Lev Vygotsky

Proposed a sociocultural theory about human development.

Cultural Competence

Understanding factors like race, ethnicity, and cultures

Conformity

Follow group behavior as a result of an unspoken pressure, whether real or not.

Soloman Asch

Creator of the line experiment.

Line Experiment

An experiment that demonstrated normative social influence.

Normative Social Influence

Results from the desire to have group approval.

Informational Social Influence

Results from the belief that a group is knowledgeable.

Groupthink

Not wanting to disrupt group harmony, which results in overriding other considerations. This was part of the Challenger Explosion

Obedience

Compliance that occurs when people follow direct commands.

Milgram Experiment

An experiment that demonstrated obedience. The experiment involves administering a shock.

Deindividualism

Giving up normal behavioral restraints in a group due to a sense of anonymity.

Stanford Prison Experiment

Experiment that ended early due to excessive violence.

Social Clock

Set of norms/timeline for life stages.

Attitude

An affect or feeling about something.

Self-Perception Theory

Theory states that people infer their emotions from their behavior.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overestimating someone’s internal involvement and underestimating external factors when judging someone else’s behavior.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency for one to credit themselves. For example, when something goes right it is credited as a result of internal involvement, but when something goes wrong it is credited as a result of external factors.

Prejudice

Negative attitude towards people because they are members of a certain group.

Stereotype

Assumption of someone’s traits because they are part of a certain group.

Discrimination

Harmful or negative actions towards people of a certain group.

Instrumental Aggression

A form of aggression that is used as a tool.

Superordinate Goal

A goal that requires groups/individuals to work together.

Egoist Motivation

Helping others because it is beneficial to you.

Altruistic Motivation

Helping others for the sake of helping, even if it results in a more negative outcome for you.

Social Exchange

Weighing the costs and benefits of social interactions or relationships.

Bystander Effect

When a group of people collectively don’t do something (usually helping someone), because they think someone else will instead.

Cognitive Dissonance

A discomfort that arises from having two conflicting attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, etc. May results in a change of behavior or beliefs (etc.) in order to eliminate the discomfort.

Elaboration Likelihood Model

Model that includes two routes of persuasion: Central and Peripheral.

Central Route of Persuasion

Focuses on the quality of the information. Requires audience to be more discerning and attentive. Results in a longer lasting change in attitude.

Peripheral Route of Persuasion

It focuses on associating with celebrities or positive emotions. It requires little effort or processing on the audience’s end, but it results in an attitude change that doesn’t last as long.

Effective Persuasion Theory

Theory of persuasion that includes: Foot-in-the-Door and Door-in-the-Face.

Foot in the Door

Start off by offering a more reasonable, small thing, then request a larger thing.

Door in the Face

Start by offering an unreasonable, large thing (which will be denied), then offer a much more reasonable small thing.