unit 10 - social psychology

Dispositional attribution

Attributing behavior to a person's stable, enduring traits.

Situational attribution

Attributing behavior to the external environment or circumstances.

Explanatory styles

How people explain events (optimistic vs. pessimistic).

Actor-observer bias

The tendency to attribute our own actions to the situation while attributing others' actions to their personality.

Fundamental attribution error

Overestimating personality influences and underestimating situational influences when judging others.

Self-serving bias

The tendency to perceive oneself favorably, taking credit for success and blaming situations for failure.

Locus of control (Internal/External)

The degree to which one believes they have control (Internal) versus outside forces control (External) their outcome.

Mere exposure effect

The phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them.

Self-fulfilling prophecy

A belief that leads to its own fulfillment through behavior.

Social comparison (upward/downward)

Evaluating oneself by comparing to those perceived as better (upward) or worse (downward).

Relative deprivation

The perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself.

Stereotype

A generalized (often oversimplified) belief about a group of people.

Prejudice

An unjustifiable and usually negative attitude toward a group.

Discrimination

Unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members.

Implicit attitudes

Unconscious, automatic associations or beliefs.

Just-world phenomenon

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

Out-group homogeneity bias

The tendency to view members of out-groups as all the same.

In-group bias

The tendency to favor one's own group.

Ethnocentrism

The belief that one's own culture or ethnic group is superior to others.

Belief perseverance

Clinging to initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited.

Confirmation bias

The tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions.

Cognitive dissonance

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

Social norms

Understood rules for accepted and expected behavior.

Social influence theory

Explains how individuals change their behavior to meet the demands of a social environment.

Normative social influence

Influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.

Informational social influence

Influence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality.

Persuasion techniques

Strategies used to change attitudes, such as Central route (logic/facts) and Peripheral route (surface/emotional cues).

Halo effect

When one positive trait of a person influences our perception of their other traits.

Foot-in-the-door

A compliance strategy where a small favor is asked first.

Door-in-the-face

A compliance strategy where a large request is rejected, followed by a smaller request.

Conformity

Adjusting behavior to match a group.

Obedience

Following orders from authority.

Individualism

Prioritizing the self and personal goals.

Collectivism

Prioritizing the group's needs.

Multiculturalism

A perspective that recognizes and values diversity in society.

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 a realistic appraisal of alternatives.

Diffusion of responsibility

A phenomenon where a person is less likely to take responsibility for action when others are present.

Social loafing

The tendency for people to exert less effort in a group.

Social facilitation

The tendency to perform better on tasks in the presence of others.

Deindividuation

The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations.

False consensus effect

The tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs.

Social trap

A situation in which the conflicting parties, by each pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior.

I/O Psychology

Industrial-Organizational Psychology: applying psychological principles to the workplace.

Altruism

Unselfish regard for the welfare of others.

Social reciprocity

The expectation that people will help those who have helped them.

Responsibility norms

The expectation that people will help those in need.

Bystander effect

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