psy235 final vocab

Attitude

A way of thinking or feeling about a target that is often reflected in a person’s behavior.

Attraction

The psychological process of being sexually interested in another person.

Blind to the research hypothesis

When participants in research are not aware of what is being studied.

Conformity

Changing one’s attitude or behavior to match a perceived social norm.

Culture of honor

A culture in which personal or family reputation is especially important.

Discrimination

Behavior that advantages or disadvantages people based merely on their group membership.

Fundamental attribution error

The tendency to emphasize personality traits when explaining others' behavior while overlooking situational factors.

Hypothesis

A possible explanation that can be tested through research.

Levels of analysis

Complementary views for analyzing and understanding a phenomenon.

Need to belong

A strong natural impulse in humans to form social connections and to be accepted by others.

Obedience

Responding to an order or command from a person in a position of authority.

Observational learning

Learning by observing the behavior of others.

Prejudice

An evaluation or emotion toward people based merely on their group membership.

Reciprocity

The act of exchanging goods or services, creating a sense of obligation to return a favor.

Research confederate

A person working with a researcher, posing as a research participant or bystander.

Research participant

A person being studied as part of a research program.

Social attribution

The way a person explains the motives or behaviors of others.

Social cognition

The way people process and apply information about others.

Social influence

When one person causes a change in attitude or behavior in another person.

Social psychology

The branch of psychological science that studies how the presence of others affects our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Stereotyping

Using information shortcuts about a group to navigate social situations or make decisions.

Stigmatized group

A group that suffers from social disapproval based on some characteristic.

Anecdotal evidence

An argument based on personal experience, not considered reliable.

Archival research

Research analyzing records instead of collecting new data from participants.

Basking in reflected glory

The tendency to associate with successful people or groups.

Big data

The analysis of large data sets.

Complex experimental designs

Experiments with two or more independent variables.

Confederate

An actor working with the researcher, often used to deceive participants.

Correlational research

Research measuring the association between two variables.

Cover story

A fake description of a study used when deception is necessary.

Demand characteristics

Cues that make participants aware of the expected behavior in an experiment.

Dependent variable

The variable that is measured in an experiment.

Ecological validity

The extent to which study findings generalize to real-life conditions.

Electronically activated recorder (EAR)

A methodology where participants wear a device that records ambient sounds.

Experience sampling methods

Ways of having participants provide samples of their ongoing behavior.

Field experiment

An experiment conducted in a real-world setting.

Implicit association test (IAT)

A task measuring the strength of associations between concepts.

Independent variable

The variable that is manipulated and controlled in an experiment.

Laboratory environments

Controlled settings for conducting experiments.

Manipulation check

A measure to determine the effect of an independent variable on participants.

Naturalistic observation

Observing people unobtrusively in their natural environments.

Operationalize

To specifically measure a concept in research.

Participant variable

The individual characteristics of research subjects.

Priming

The process of making certain thoughts or behaviors more accessible.

Random assignment

Assigning participants to conditions by chance.

Samples of convenience

Participants chosen based on ease of access rather than representativeness.

Scientific method

An investigative method involving systematic observation and experimentation.

Social facilitation

Improvement in performance on tasks when in the presence of others.

Social neuroscience

The study of the neural processes underlying social behavior.

Social or behavioral priming

Research examining how activating one social concept can change behavior.

Survey research

Administering questionnaires to gather data from respondents.

Terror management theory (TMT)

The theory proposing people embrace cultural values to manage death anxiety.

WEIRD cultures

Cultures that are Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic.

Ambulatory assessment

Methodologies that assess behavior and environment in natural settings.

Daily Diary method

Participants report on their daily thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Day reconstruction method (DRM)

Participants reconstruct their day’s experiences retrospectively.

Ecological momentary assessment

Repeated real-time sampling of participants’ experiences and behaviors.

External validity

The degree to which findings generalize to broader populations.

Full-cycle psychology

A research approach combining field studies and lab experiments.

Generalize

To arrive at broad conclusions from a smaller sample.

Internal validity

The certainty of cause-effect relationships in an experiment.

Linguistic inquiry and word count

A method that analyzes text for grammatical and psychological insights.

Lived day analysis

Documenting an individual's daily life using video recordings.

White coat hypertension

Elevated blood pressure in clinical settings but normal elsewhere.

Adaptations

Evolved solutions to historical problems affecting reproductive success.

Error management theory (EMT)

A theory on cognitive biases minimizing costly errors.

Evolution

Change over time.

Gene Selection Theory

Theory of evolution through differential gene replication.

Intersexual selection

Sexual selection based on one sex's mate preferences.

Intrasexual competition

Competition among one sex for mating access to the opposite sex.

Natural selection

Differential reproductive success due to heritable differences.

Psychological adaptations

Cognitive mechanisms evolved to solve survival problems.

Sexual selection

Evolution of traits providing mating advantages.

Sexual strategies theory

Theory outlining human mating strategies and their challenges.

Collectivism

Cultural emphasis on group obligations over personal aspirations.

Cross-cultural psychology

Research approach making meaningful cultural comparisons.

Cultural differences

Understanding culture through unique and distinctive features.

Cultural intelligence

Ability to apply cultural awareness practically.

Cultural psychology

Research approach understanding culture from its perspective.

Cultural relativism

Objection to ethnocentric judgments on other cultures.

Cultural script

Guides for appropriate behavior reflecting cultural norms.

Cultural similarities

Understanding culture through common features.

Culture

Patterns of shared meaning and behavior passed through generations.

Enculturation

Learning culturally through generational teaching.

Ethnocentric bias (or ethnocentrism)

Undue bias rooted in one's home culture.

Ethnographic studies

Research examining culture from its own context.

Independent self

Defining self in stable characteristics, often asserting individuality.

Individualism

Cultural emphasis on the individual over the group.

Interdependent self

Defining self in relation to social contexts.

Observational learning

Acquiring knowledge by observing others.

Open ended questions

Questions allowing participants to respond freely.

Ritual

Prescribed actions performed for specific purposes.

Self-construal

Defining self as independent or in relation to others.

Situational identity

Guidance by cultural influences in varying situations.

Standard scale

Common scale used for participant responses.

Value judgment

Assessment based on personal preferences regarding goodness or badness.

Value-free research

Research unaffected by researchers' personal values.

Attachment behavioral system

Evolutionarily selected system maintaining proximity to attachment figures.

Attachment behaviors

Signals attracting attention of primary attachment figures.

Attachment figure

Primary individual providing safety and security.