Key Concepts in Social and Industrial Psychology

Situationism

Behavior influenced by environment.

Dispositionism

Behavior driven by internal traits.

Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE)

Overemphasizing dispositional factors (e.g., 'They're rude') while ignoring situational factors (e.g., 'They're having a bad day').

Self-Serving Bias

Attributing success to internal factors ('I'm smart') and failures to external factors ('The test was unfair').

Social Roles

Positions in a group (e.g., teacher).

Social Norms

Rules for behavior (e.g., shaking hands).

Scripts

Expected behaviors in specific situations (e.g., a first date).

Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment

Role adoption (guards/prisoners) led to extreme behavior.

Ethical issues: Lack of informed consent, psychological harm.

Cognitive Dissonance

Mental discomfort when actions contradict beliefs (e.g., smoking despite knowing risks).

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

Small request → compliance → larger request (e.g., signing a petition → donating money).

Conformity (Asch Effect)

Adjusting behavior to match group opinion, even if incorrect (e.g., line-length experiment).

Milgram's Obedience Experiment

65% administered lethal shocks under authority. Key takeaway: People obey authority despite moral conflicts.

Groupthink

Suppressing dissent for harmony (e.g., Bay of Pigs).

Group Polarization

Group decisions become more extreme (e.g., political discussions).

Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love

Intimacy + Passion + Commitment = Consummate Love.

Social Exchange Theory

Relationships based on cost-benefit analysis.

Industrial Psychology

Hiring, training, performance.

Organizational Psychology

Workplace culture, motivation.

Hawthorne Effect

Behavior changes when observed (e.g., productivity increases under scrutiny).

Job Analysis

Task-Oriented: Focus on job duties. Worker-Oriented: Focus on required skills.

EEOC Laws

Title VII: Prohibits discrimination (race, sex, religion). Equal Pay Act: Equal pay for equal work. ADA: Protects individuals with disabilities.

McGregor's Theories

Theory X: Employees need control (pessimistic). Theory Y: Employees are self-motivated (optimistic).

Transactional Leadership

Rewards/punishments (e.g., bonuses).

Transformational Leadership

Inspires vision (e.g., Steve Jobs).

Stress Definitions

Stimulus-Based: External stressors (e.g., exams). Response-Based: Body's reaction (e.g., sweating).

Eustress vs. Distress

Eustress: Positive (e.g., wedding planning). Distress: Negative (e.g., illness).

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

Alarm (fight-or-flight) → Resistance (coping) → Exhaustion (breakdown).

Physiology of Stress

Sympathetic Nervous System: Immediate response. HPA Axis: Releases cortisol (long-term stress).

Type A vs. Type B Personalities

Type A: Competitive, high heart disease risk. Type B: Relaxed, lower risk.

Coping Styles

Problem-Focused: Solve the issue (e.g., time management). Emotion-Focused: Manage emotions (e.g., meditation).

Mindfulness

Present-moment awareness.

Flow

Deep engagement in an activity (e.g., painting).

Sex

Biological (male/female).

Gender

Social/cultural roles (masculine/feminine).

Sexual Orientation

Attraction (e.g., heterosexual, LGBTQ+).

Kinsey Scale

0 (exclusively heterosexual) to 6 (exclusively homosexual).

Masters & Johnson's Sexual Response Cycle

Excitement → Plateau → Orgasm → Resolution.

Hypothalamus

Controls sexual motivation.

Dopamine

Drives pleasure/reward (e.g., orgasm).

Consent

Freely given, reversible, informed.

Paraphilic Disorder

Harmful/non-consensual urges (DSM-5).

Kinks

Consensual, safe practices (e.g., **** with safe words).