Intro to Psych- Week 9 Flashcards

Causal Attributions

the process of trying to determine the causes of people's behavior, often attributing it to internal factors (dispositions) or external factors (situations

Situational Attributions

explains behavior or events by attributing them to factors outside the individual, such as the environment or circumstances

Dispositional Attributions

explains behavior by attributing it to someone's internal characteristics or traits, rather than external situational factors

Fundamental attribution error

the tendency to overemphasize internal factors (personality, character) and underestimate external factors (situational influences) when explaining the behavior of others, while doing the opposite when explaining our own behavior. 

Biases

a tendency, inclination, or prejudice toward or against something or someone

Just World Hypothesis

the tendency to believe that the world is inherently fair and that people get what they deserve, leading to a belief that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people. 

Implicit Theories of Personality

the unconscious assumptions people make about the relationships between personality traits and behaviors, often leading to quick judgments about others based on limited information

Out-group homogeneity effect

a psychological phenomenon where individuals perceive members of other groups (out-groups) as more similar to each other than members of their own group (in-group), leading to the generalization and stereotyping of out-group members. 

Stereotype Threat

the anxiety or fear that an individual experiences when they feel they might confirm a negative stereotype about their group, which can negatively impact their performance

Actor/Observer bias

a cognitive bias where individuals tend to attribute their own actions to situational factors while attributing others' actions to their personality or disposition. 

Locus of Control

a psychological concept that describes an individual's perception of the extent to which they have control over events in their life

Pluralistic ignorance

a social phenomenon where a majority of individuals privately hold a certain belief or attitude, but falsely believe that the majority of others hold a different belief or attitude.