Introduction to Psychology: Social Psychology

These flashcards cover key terms and definitions related to social psychology, important for understanding how people influence one another.

Social Psychology

Examines how people impact or affect each other, with a focus on the power of the situation.

Dispositionism

Asserts that behavior is determined by internal factors, such as personality traits and temperament.

Situationism

The perspective that behavior and actions are determined by the immediate environment and surroundings.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Tendency to overemphasize internal factors as attributions for behavior and underestimate the power of the situation.

Actor-Observer Bias

The phenomenon where we explain other people’s behaviors due to internal factors but our own behaviors due to situational forces.

Self-Serving Bias

The tendency for individuals to take credit for positive outcomes and blame situations for negative outcomes.

Just-World Hypothesis

The ideology that people get the outcomes they deserve, which can lead to victim-blaming.

Social Norm

Group expectations regarding appropriate thoughts and behavior of its members.

Social Role

Socially defined pattern of behavior expected of a person in a given setting or group.

Script

A person's knowledge about the sequence of events in a specific setting.

Stanford Prisoner Experiment

An experiment demonstrating the power of social roles, social norms, and scripts, where guards became authoritarian and prisoners became submissive.

Cognitive Dissonance

Psychological discomfort arising from conflicts in behaviors, attitudes, or beliefs that are counter to one's positive self-perception.

Central Route to Persuasion

A method of persuasion where the audience is motivated and analytical, leading to lasting change in attitude.

Peripheral Route to Persuasion

A method of persuasion that results in temporary attitude change, relying on cues outside of the message.

Conformity

Changing behavior to align with the group, even without agreement.

Compliance

Going along with a request or demand.

Groupthink

When group members modify their opinions to reflect the group consensus.

Altruism

The principle of selflessly helping others, often with consideration of potential risks.

Bystander Intervention

The phenomenon where individuals intervene to help a stranger, influenced by factors such as pluralistic ignorance and diffusion of responsibility.

Reciprocal Altruism

The evolutionary psychology concept where individuals are predisposed to help those who have helped them.

Social Exchange Theory

The concept that humans act like naïve economists, weighing costs and benefits in relationships.

Stereotype

Overgeneralized beliefs about people that may lead to prejudice.

Prejudice

Feelings, both positive and negative, that influence treatment of others.

Discrimination

Positive or negative treatment of others based on stereotypes and prejudice.

Aggression

Seeking to cause harm or pain to another person.

Hostile Aggression

Aggression motivated by anger with intent to cause pain.

Instrumental Aggression

Aggression motivated by achieving a goal without intent to cause pain.