AP Psychology - Unit 4.1-4.3

Attribution theory

Process of explaining the causes of people’s behavior by crediting SITUATION or DISPOSITION

Dispositional Attribution

Personality; Internal factors

Situational Attribution

External factors

Optimistic Explanatory Style

The habit of explaining GOOD things as LIKELY to happen again & BAD things as one-time events

Pessimistic Explanatory Style

The habit of explaining BAD things as LIKELY to happen again & GOOD things as one-time events

Fundamental attribution error

(JUDGING OTHERS)

the tendency to OVER-ATTRIBUTE the behavior of others DISPOSITIONAL factors and ignore the SITUATIONAL factors

Actor-Observer bias

(DOUBLE STANDARD/OTHERS VS. MYSELF)

the tendency to explain someone else’s failures because of DISPOSITION and explain our own failures due to SITUATIONAL

Self-serving Bias

(JUDGING YOURSELF)

the tendency to attribute ones SUCCESS to DISPOSITION and one’s FAILURES to SITUATIONAL

INTERNAL Locus of control

You control your own destiny (personal efforts, hard work)

EXTERNAL locus of control

I am NOT in control (fate, luck)

Mere exposure effect

Our tendency to develop preferences for things simply because we are FAMILIAR with them (ex. If you are dating someone ugly, just look at them more!)

Self-fulfilling prophecy

(BEHAVIORS MATCH BELIEFS)

A belief that leads to its own fulfillment (ex. I’m going to get straight A’s…studying)

Social comparison

individuals evaluate themselves by comparing themselves to others

UPWARD comparison

comparing yourself to someone BETTER off than you

(Ex. I scored than John on the test ☹)

DOWNWARD comparison

comparing yourself to someone WORSE off than you

(Ex. I scored better than Sarah on the test! ☺)

Relative deprivation

Not about absolute lack but the perception of being WORSE OFF compared to a reference group

(Ex. I have a two story house, but Kim Kardashian has a 5 story-house )

Stereotype

FALSE assumptions concerning a group

Prejudice

(BELIEF)

Internalized Attitude (PRE-judgement)

Discrimination

(ACTION)

Acting on prejudice

Just-World phenomenon

the world is JUST…people get what they deserve 💔

[results in victim-blaming]

(Ex. Cheating on a test → getting punished)

Out-group Homogeneity bias

(WE DONT ASSOCIATE WITH THAT GROUP)

The tendency to see members of an out group as more similar to each other than they really are (thinking they are less varied)

(Ex. All football players are the same)

In-group Bias

(YOUR OWN GROUP)

the tendency to FAVOR & EXTEND LOYALTY to members of one’s own group OVER those in other groups

(Ex. All AP Psych students are so smart!)

Ethnocentrism

the belief that one’s OWN ETHNIC GROUP/CULTURE is SUPERIOR…contempt for other cultural groups

Belief Perseverance

contradicting evidence is OBVIOUS and you can acknowledge it…but you still STICK to your ORIGINAL BELIEF

(Ex. 5-second rule is not real…but we still do it)

Cognitive dissonance

ACTION doesn’t align with your ATTITUDE (beliefs) and that causes ANXIETY…to relieve the anxiety, you try to JUSTIFY it

(Ex. “I ate beef, but I’m a vegan” 😔)

Social norms

Unwritten rules about acceptable behavior in a society or group

Stanford Prison Experiment

Phillip Zombardo

→ “could a person’s role affect their behavior”

→ very controversial/terminated early

Social Influence Theory

WHY WE CONFORM

Informational social influence

Conforming by accepting other’s information as evidence when UNSURE of the correct action/belief

(Ex. My friend went to UIUC and liked it…so I will too)

Normative social influence

Conforming to be liked/accepted by others

(Ex. Other people are wearing Lululemon, so I should too…)

Persuasion

process of influencing others attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors through communication often involving appeals to reason, emotions, or authority

Central route to persuasion

(DIRECT)

FACTS/DATA/LOGIC → Persuasion!

(Ex. We should go to New York instead of LA because it’s so much cheaper!)

Peripheral Route to persuasion

(DISTRACT)

EMOTION/CELEBRITY/HUMOR → Persuasion!

(Ex. We should go to New York because Kim K went there and had so much fun!)

Halo Effect

(PRETTY PRIVILEGE)

ATTRACTIVE people are perceived to be more likeable than LESS attractive people

Horn Effect

LESS ATTRACTIVE people are perceived to be bad/unfunny

Foot-in-the-door technique

persuasive strategy where agreement to SMALL initial request INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD of compliance with a LARGER subsequent request

(Ex. Can I go to McDonalds?…also can I have $20 dollars?)

Door-in-the-face technique

LARGE initial request is made KNOWING it will be refused followed by a SMALLER (more reasonable) request that is more likely to be accepted

(Ex. Can you buy me a house?…can you give me $50?)

Conformity

(LINE STUDY) Solomon Asch: whole group giving wrong answer for the line and then when it’s your turn, you do the same

Obedience

Prestige (Authority level), Presence of others, Personality characteristics

(MILGRAM EXPERIMENT) Stanley Milgram: shocking experiment with wrong answers

Individualism

importance of the INDIVIDUAL over the group (Ex. people not wearing masks during COVID-19)

Collectivism

importance of the GROUP/community over individual goals (Ex. marrying someone for your family)

Multiculturalism

respect of diverse cultural background & traditions (Ex. IFAIR)

Group Polarization

(LIKE MINDED GROUP) group discussions often lead to STRONGER & MORE EXTREME opinions (Ex. In a group full of democrats, talking about politics)

Groupthink

the desire for HARMONY in a group leads to POOR DECISIONS, as disagreeing opinions are SUPPRESSED (Ex. I hate Burger King, but I don’t want drama and want to keep harmony with the group..so I won’t say anything)

Diffusion of Responsibility

if MORE people are present, the responsibility for helping spreads amongst ALL present (causes BYSTANDER EFFECT)

Social Loafing

the tendency for people in a group to exert LESS EFFORT than when working individually (Ex. person in group project that doesn’t do anything)

Deindividuation

(MOB MENTALITY) Loss of self-awareness & restraint in GROUP SITUATIONS that foster arousal & anonymity (Ex. Mean girls fight scene or The purge)

Social facilitation

IMPROVED performance in front of a group (Ex. the basketball player that plays better when there are attractive people in the crowd)

False Consensus Effect

(THINKING EVERYONE FEELS THE SAME WAY)

bias where people tend to OVERESTIMATE the extent to which their own opinions, beliefs….are NORMAL/typical

(Ex. milk before cereal…it’s not normal?!)

Superordinate goals

(HOW ENEMIES CAN GET ALONG…SHARED GOALS)

Share goals that require cooperation among individuals/groups that have conflicts between each other…collaboration

(Ex. Robber Cave Study…2 groups of boys, failed water source)

Social Trap/Dilemmas

(SELF INTEREST OVER UNITY)

IMMEDIATE NEEDS (person) OVER LONG-TERM NEEDS (group)

Situations in which selfish behavior that benefits people in the short run, may be a disaster for an entire group in the long run.

(Ex. In Beast games, choosing $$ & eliminating your entire group)

Industrial-Organizational Psychology

Psychologists that apply principles & research to the WORKPLACE to improve productivity, promote employees, & better the culture/structure

Burnout

(OVERWORKED) Can’t do more for company

Altruism

(SELFLESS BEHAVIOR)

Promote someone else’s welfare, even @ the risk/cost to OURSELVES (Ex. Guy on subway train tracks)

Social RECIPROCITY norm

(RECIPROCATE FAVORS)

Everyday social exchanges are mutual, equal, short term

(Ex. I send you the math notes, if you send me physics)

Social RESPONSIBILITY norm

(RESPONSIBILITY TO HELP OTHERS)

It’s your responsibility to help other people

(Ex. helping a random grandma cross the street or blood drive)

Bystander Effect

(INVERSE RELATIONSHIP)

As the # of people present ⬆, the likelihood that even ONE person will help ⬇

(Ex. Who’s going to call 911?)

Attentional Variables

factors that influence whether a person notices or focuses on the situation requiring help

Situational Variables

External/Environmental factors that influence the likelihood of intervention

Social Debt

(BIG FAVORS)

Involves BIG factors b/c one person owes more to the other…more sense of guilt/moral obligation & LONG-TERM until “debt” is repaid.

(Ex. My friend gave me $1000 and I need to pay them back)