Social Psychology Study Guide

These flashcards cover key concepts and definitions from Social Psychology, focused on social thinking, social influence, aggression, attraction, and group behavior.

What does Attribution Theory explain?

It explains people’s behavior by attributing it to either the situation or their personality.

What is the Fundamental Attribution Error?

The tendency to blame a person’s behavior on their personality instead of considering the situation.

What does the Actor-Observer Bias refer to?

It refers to explaining our own behavior situationally but blaming others’ behavior on their disposition.

What is the Just-World Phenomenon?

The belief that people get what they deserve, often used to justify victim-blaming.

Define prejudice.

A biased, often negative attitude toward a group and its members.

What is discrimination in social psychology?

Unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group.

What does Scapegoat Theory illustrate?

It illustrates how prejudice can provide an outlet for anger by blaming others.

Explain the Other-Race Effect.

It refers to the tendency to recognize faces of our own race better than those of other races.

What are Mirror-Image Perceptions?

When opposing sides see themselves as good and the other side as evil.

What is a Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

A belief or expectation that brings about its own fulfillment.

Define Self-Serving Bias.

The tendency to attribute our successes to internal factors and our failures to external ones.

What does the Spotlight Effect describe?

The overestimation of how much others notice and judge our appearance or behavior.

What is the False Consensus Effect?

The tendency to overestimate how much others share our beliefs and behaviors.

What does the Central Route to persuasion involve?

Persuasion via logical arguments and evidence.

Explain Ethnocentrism.

Judging other cultures based on the values of your own.

What is Pluralistic Ignorance?

When people wrongly believe their thoughts are different from those of the group.

Define conformity based on Asch’s studies.

Adjusting behavior or thinking to match a group standard.

What is Obedience according to Milgram?

Complying with commands from an authority figure.

Describe Zimbardo's Prison Experiment.

It shows how people conform to roles in powerful ways.

What does Social Contagion refer to?

When behaviors and emotions spread through groups like the flu.

What is Normative Social Influence?

Conforming to be liked or accepted by the group.

Define Cognitive Dissonance.

Tension we feel when actions and beliefs do not align.

What is the Peripheral Route to Persuasion?

Persuasion via superficial cues like attractiveness or voice.

Explain the Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon.

Agreeing to a small request increases the likelihood of agreeing to a larger one later.

What is the Door-in-the-Face Phenomenon?

Starting with a large request makes a smaller one seem more reasonable.

What does Role Theory suggest?

We behave according to expectations associated with our social positions.

What is Role Conflict?

When two roles you hold demand incompatible behaviors.

Explain Social Norms.

Expected rules of behavior in social contexts.

What are Descriptive Norms?

What people actually do in social situations.

Define Injunctive Norms.

What people believe should be done in social circumstances.

What does Ingroup Bias refer to?

Favoring your own group over others.

What is Outgroup Bias?

Viewing those not in your group negatively.

Define Altruism.

Unselfish concern for others’ well-being.

What is the Bystander Effect?

The phenomenon where the presence of others decreases the likelihood of helping.

Explain Social Exchange Theory.

We weigh the costs and benefits before deciding to help.

What is the Reciprocity Norm?

Helping others who have helped us.

Define Social Responsibility Norm.

The belief that we should help those in need.

What does Social Identity Theory state?

Our identity is shaped by group memberships.

What are Social Traps?

Situations where pursuing self-interest leads to mutual harm.

What are Superordinate Goals?

Shared goals that override differences and require cooperation.

What is GRIT?

A strategy for reducing conflict by making small peacemaking gestures.

What does the Frustration-Aggression Principle suggest?

Blocking a goal leads to frustration, which can trigger aggression.

Define Biochemical Influences on aggression.

Hormones, alcohol, and genetics linked to aggressive behavior.

What are Social Scripts?

Culturally modeled guides for behavior.

What is Deindividuation?

Loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations.

What is the Diffusion of Responsibility?

Feeling less personal responsibility when others are present.

Explain the Mere Exposure Effect.

The phenomenon where increased exposure to something increases our liking for it.

Define Similarity in attraction.

The tendency to be attracted to people who share our interests, values, or traits.

What is Passionate Love?

Intense, emotional, and physical love often seen early in a relationship.

What is Companionate Love?

Deep, affectionate attachment that typically grows over time.

What is Social Facilitation?

Better performance on simple tasks when in the presence of others.

What is Social Loafing?

The tendency to exert less effort in a group than when alone.

Explain Group Polarization.

The strengthening of a dominant point of view in group discussions.

What does Groupthink refer to?

The desire for harmony in a group, leading to unrealistic group decisions.

Define Social Comparison Theory.

The theory that we evaluate ourselves by comparing ourselves to others.

What is Illusory Correlation?

Perceiving a relationship where none exists.

What is the Halo Effect?

The tendency to let an overall impression influence judgments about unrelated traits.

Explain Stereotype Threat.

Anxiety about confirming negative stereotypes about one’s group.

What is Social Desirability Bias?

The tendency to give socially acceptable answers in surveys.

What does Role Strain refer to?

Difficulty in meeting the responsibilities of a single role.

Differentiate between collectivist and individualist cultures.

Collectivist cultures value group harmony, whereas individualist cultures value independence.

What is the False Uniqueness Effect?

The belief that our qualities are more unique than they actually are.

What does the Diffusion of Innovation explain?

How new ideas or tech spread through society.