AP Psychology - Social Psychology

Social Psych

Attribution Theory

How we think of the causes of our own and other’s behaviors.

Fundamental Attribution Error

“I’m always right, they’re always wrong”. Using different criteria to attribute our behavior and others’ behaviors

Dispositional Attribution

attributing behavior to internal factors such as personality traits or beliefs. Permanent characteristics, saying someone acts a certain way because they’re a certain race, religion, sex, etc.

Situational Attribution

based on external factors such as environmental influences or circumstances affecting behavior. “theyre not a bad person, they just had a bad day”

Just World Theory

the false belief that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get, leading to the perception that social outcomes are fair and deserved.

Social Comparison

A tool, comparing yourself to others. This can be good or bad.

Cognitive Dissonance

Occurs when an individual experiences discomfort or tension due to holding conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes, often leading to a change in one of the conflicting elements reduce discomfort.

One way to justify this is to keep doing it, because it is uncomfortable to not have an excuse for a bad action.

Actor/Observer Bias

We judge others by different criteria than we judge ourselves. The actor is judged differently than the observer.

Self-Serving bias

Crediting personal success to internal factors, and failures to external factors. “I got an A on my test because I studied hard”

“I only failed the test because the teacher hates me”

Robbers Cave Study

An unethical observational study that studied how to reduce conflict. It showed that competitive activities increased hostility between groups, while cooperative tasks led to reduced conflict and improved intergroup relations.

You cannot hate someone who just did you a favor

Superordinate goal

A goal that needs cooperation, this does work for reducing group hatred

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend”

Mere exposure effect

The more often you do or see something/someone, the more we like them. This works for attraction, but does not work for reducing group hatred.

Implicit attitudes

unconscious prejudices/bias that affect our thoughts and behaviors without our awareness.

In-group bias

“Us vs Them”, we like “us”, but we don’t like “them”. Favoring members of one's own group over those in others, often resulting in discriminatory behavior.

Outgroup homogeneity

The belief that “They’re all like that”. The perception that members of a different are more similar to each other than they actually are. (Leads to stereotypes and generalization)

False consensus effect

The wrong belief that others think like we do. Creates a false impression of widespread agreement.

Explanatory style

The way that someone explains things as positive or negative. It reflects the habitual way individuals interpret events in their lives, influencing their emotional responses and overall outlook.

Pessimists vs Optimists.

Self fulfilling prophecy

A belief that leads to its own fulfillment.

If you think someone doesn’t like you, and you act cold towards them, they may start to dislike you and fulfill your belief.

Zero Sum Game

A situation where one person’s gain is another person’s loss

Social Trap

Tragedy of commons, where everyone acts in their own self interest and the collective interest is compromised over time.

Prosocial behavior

Cooperative behaviors, this is transactional.

Actions intended to benefit others or society, but expecting something back.

Altruism

Unselfish regard for the wellfare of others. Not transactional.

Reciprocity norm

If someone helps you, you help them.

(Social Debt is another term for this)

Belief perseverance

Clinging to a belief even after it’s been discredited.

Elaboration likelihood model

How deeply will you think about a message? It suggests there are two routes, central and peripheral, that influence persuasion based on the level of thought.

Central Route

A pursuation technique using facts, logic, and evidence.

Peripheral Route

A pursuation technique using emotional cues like attractiveness, fear, anger, or popularity.

Halo effect

We tend to trust people who are more good looking, and they are also valued more, and believed to be smart or successful simply due to their looks. We assume positive traits due to positive traits.

Door in the face

You ask for something big first, expecting rejection, then ask for something smaller to get what you really want.

Foot in the door

You start with a small request before making a larger one to get what you really want.

Conformity

Doing what others do because it feels good. This is not weakness, we need this to survive.

Solomon Ash

Studied conformity, showing how often people go along with a group.

Informational Social influence

When people conform because others may have more information.

Normative social influence

conforming for approval and to fit in.

Cults

The most extreme form of conformity

These start as people looking for answers, and may end terribly with power hungry leaders.

Stanley Milgram Obedience Study

Showed people are willing to follow orders even if they harm others, even if they themselves are not put under any present harm.

Group polarization

When a group becomes a more extreme version of itself

Groupthink

When a group prioritizes agreeing, over what is right. This can lead to poor decision-making as dissenting opinions are suppressed.

Bystander effect

People are less likely to help when they are in a group

Social Loafing

People slack off in a group, overlaps with diffusion of responsibility.

Diffusion of responsibility

When responsibility is so spread out that each person doesn’t even do it. Occurs when individuals feel less accountable in a group setting, leading to reduced effort or action.

Deindivudation

Losing self awareness in a group. Leads to behavior that people would not usually do alone. This may either be positive or negative.

Social Facilitation

Performing better on simple tasks when in the presence of others or when being observed. This phenomenon occurs due to increased arousal and motivation.