Psychology 350 Final Exam Study Guide

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards based on key concepts and definitions from the Psych 350 final exam study guide.

Correlational Research

Identifies relationships between variables, without manipulation.

Experimental Research

Manipulates factors to determine their effects on variables.

Culture

Shared behaviors, attitudes, and traditions of a group, passed down generations.

Debriefing

Explaining the deception of a study to participants after it has occurred.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to exaggerate one's ability to foresee an outcome after knowing it.

Self-efficacy

The belief in one's competence and effectiveness, differing from self-esteem.

Self-serving Bias

The tendency to view oneself favorably.

Heuristic

A thinking strategy that allows for quick and efficient judgments.

System 1 Thinking

Intuitive and automatic thought processes.

System 2 Thinking

Deliberate and controlled thought processes.

Belief Perseverance

The persistence of one's initial beliefs despite evidence to the contrary.

Representativeness Heuristic

The assumption that something belongs to a category based on its resemblance.

Cognitive Dissonance

The discomfort felt when one's actions contradict their beliefs.

Compliance

Conforming to a request while internally disagreeing with it.

Normative Influence

Conformity based on the desire to fulfill others' expectations.

Informational Influence

Conformity occurring when evidence provided by others is accepted as reality.

Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon

The tendency for people who agree to a small request to later comply with a larger request.

Primacy Effect

Information presented first tends to have the most influence.

Recency Effect

More recent information may have more influence, but is less common than primacy.

Persuasion

The process by which a message induces change in beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors.

Peripheral Route of Persuasion

Influence by incidental cues rather than the argument's content.

Central Route of Persuasion

Carefully considering the merits of an argument and focusing on its logic.

Social Loafing

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

Deindividuation

A loss of self-awareness in groups, leading to actions not typically performed alone.

Group Polarization

The tendency for group discussions to enhance the prevailing opinions of group members.

Groupthink

A mode of thinking that happens when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group leads to irrational outcomes.

Stereotype

A generalized statement or belief about a group of people.

Social Aggression

Harming someone's feelings or threatening their relationships.

Aversive Situations

Circumstances that trigger aggressive behavior due to discomfort.

Frustration-Aggression Theory

Frustration leads to a readiness to aggress.

Reciprocity Norm

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

Bystander Effect

The phenomenon where the presence of others discourages an individual from intervening in an emergency.

Proximity

Geographical nearness that predicts liking.

Matching Phenomenon

The tendency to choose partners with similar attractiveness and traits.

Social Comparison

Evaluating oneself in relation to others to enhance self-esteem.

Altruism

Helping others without expecting anything in return.

Social Responsibility Norm

The belief that we should help those who depend on us.

Learned Helplessness

The behavior of giving up when repeated efforts to improve a situation fail.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Believing others' behavior is a result of their character, not the situation.

Feel Good, Do Good Principle

When we feel good, we are more likely to help others.