AP PSYCH - Unit 4 Vocabulary

Dispositional Attributions

Connect behavior to internal qualities like intelligence or personality.

Explanatory Style

A person's predictable pattern of attributions for good and bad events in their own life and other's lives.

Optimistic Explanatory Style

Attributes good events to internal stable, global causes and bad events to external, unstable, specific causes.

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

Attributes good events to external, unstable specific causes and bad events to internal, stable, global causes.

Actor-Observer Bias

People tend to attribute their own behavior to situational factors, but attribute others' behavior to dispositional factors.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Overestimating the influence of dispositional factors and underestimating the influence of situational factors when explaining other's behavior.

Self-Serving Bias

Tendency to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external factors to maintain self-esteem.

Locus of Control

Extent to which people believe they have control over events in their lives.

Relative Deprivation

Perception of being deprived of something one feels entitled to, often based on social comparisons.

Feigned Scarcity

Creating an illusion of rarity to increase perceived value and demand.

Validity Effect

The tendency to believe something is true after repeated exposure.

Implicit Attitudes

Unconscious or unacknowledged evaluations individuals hold about others.

Out-Group Homogeneity Bias

Perceives members of other groups as more similar to each other than members of one's own group.

Ethnocentrism

Judges other cultures based on the standards of one's own culture.

Belief Perseverance

The tendency to cling to a belief even when presented with contradictory evidence. Is very difficult to overcome.

Valence

The emotional value (positive or negative) associated with a stimulus.

Normative Influence

Stems from the desire to be accepted and fit in with a group.

Informational Influence

Occurs when individuals rely on others for guidance in ambiguous situations.

Superordinate Goals

Shared objectives that require cooperation among different groups. They reduce intergroup conflict and promote positive interactions.

Social Traps

Occur when individuals prioritize short-term self-interest over long-term collective well-being.

Social Reciprocity Norm

Suggests that people help others with the expectation of future reciprocation. Helping behavior creates a sense of social debt that the recipient feels obligated to pay.

Social Responsibility Norm

Dictates that people should assist those in need without expecting anything in return. It is reinforced by societal values and the belief that helping is the right thing to do.

Pluralistic Ignorance

Arises when individuals mistakenly believe that others are interpreting the situation differently. Leads to a collective failure to recognize the need for help or intervention.

Evaluation Apprehension

The fear of being judged negatively by others for one's actions. It inhibits helping behavior due to concerns about appearing foolish or overreacting.

Social Facilitation

Improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks when in the presence of others.

Social Loafing

The tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal then when individually accountable.

Group Polarization

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

Group Think

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

Social Control

The power of the situation over the individual.

Personal Control

The power of the individual over the situation.

Altruism

Dealing with stress through dedication.

Bystander Effect

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

Social Exchange Theory

States our social behavior is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs.

Mirror-Image Perceptions

Mutual views often held by conflicting people. Each side sees itself as ethnical and peaceful.

GRIT

A strategy to reduce conflict through gradual, mutual cooperation.

Psychodynamic Theory

Emphasizes unconscious processes in personality development. It explores how the id, ego, and superego interact, shaping behavior and emotions.

Humanistic Theory

Focuses on individual potential growth. It emphasizes unconditional positive regard and self-actualization as key factors in personality development.

Id

Operates on the pleasure principle, seeking immediate gratification of desires.

Ego

Mediates between the demands of the id and the constraints of reality, operating on the reality principle.

Superego

Represents internalized moral standards and values, acting as the conscience.

Denial

Blocking out or disowning painful thoughts or feelings.

Dissociation

Breaking off part of memory, consciousness, or perception of self or the environment to avoid a problem situation.

Compartmentalization

Lesser form of dissociation; parts of self are separated from awareness of other parts and behaving as if one had separate sets of values.

Regression

Reversion to an earlier stage of development when faced with unacceptable, fearful, threatening thoughts or impulses.

Suppression

Voluntary exclusion from awareness, anxiety-producing feelings, ideas, and situations.

Displacement

The transfer of negative emotion from one person or thing to an unrelated person or thing.

Reaction Formation

Converting unwanted or dangerous thoughts, feelings, or impulses into their opposites.

Projection

Taking our own unacceptable qualities or feelings and ascribing them to other people.

Rationalization

Occurs when we tell an element of the truth, but deny the larger truth of the matter.

Sublimation

Channeling of unacceptable and potentially disruptive impulses, thoughts, or emotions into socially acceptable behavior.

Compensation

A person tries to make up for his/her weaknesses by developing strengths in other areas.

Identification

When a person tries to assume the qualities of someone that is admired.

Neurotic Trends

Irrational strategies for coping with emotional problems and minimizing anxiety.

Compliant Type

A personality type that seeks approval and affection from others.

Detached Type

A personality type that avoids relationships and seeks independence.

Aggressive Type

A personality type that seeks power and control over others.

Social-Cognitive Theory

Views personality as shaped by interactions between thoughts, behaviors, and environment. It emphasizes self-concept, self-efficacy, and self-esteem as key factors in self-perception.

Reciprocal Determinism

A key concept in social-cognitive theory, suggests that personality is shaped by the dynamic interplay between personal factors and biological/environmental factors.

Self-Efficacy

The belief in one's ability to succeed or accomplish tasks, contributes to self-concept and personality development.

Self-Esteem

The overall evaluation of one's worth or value, also plays a role in shaping self-concept and personality.

Trait Theories

Propose that personality consists of a set of stable, enduring characteristics that influence an individual's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors across various situations.

Big Five Theory

Proposes that personality can be described by five broad dimensions or traits: agreeableness, openness to experience, extraversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability.

Person-Situation Controversy

Theoretical dispute concerning the relative contribution of personality factors and situational factors in controlling behavior.

Drive-Reduction Theory

Suggests behaviors are motivated by the need to maintain homeostasis and reduce physiological tension.

Arousal Theory

Proposes people seek an optimal level of psychological arousal and engage in behaviors to maintain that level.

Yerkes-Dotson Law

Demonstrates the relationship between arousal and performance follows and inverted U-shaped curve. Moderate levels of arousal lead to optimal performance while too much or too little hinders it.

Self-Determination Theory

Distinguishes between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations.

Incentive Theory

Focuses on the motivating power of external rewards. The value and likelihood of attaining the incentive influence its motivational strength.

Ventromedial Hypothalamus

The brain region that suppresses hunger when activated.

Lateral Hypothalamus

The brain region that triggers hunger when activated.

Basal Metabolic Rate

The rate at which the body burns energy while at rest.

Facial-Feedback Hypothesis

Proposes that facial expressions influence the experience of emotion.

Broaden-and-Rebuild Theory

Suggests positive and negative emotions have different effects on awareness and thinking.

Display Rules

Govern how emotions should be expressed in different social contexts.