UNIT 4 PSYCH - Social and Personality Pillar

Attribution Theory

Explaining behaviors by crediting either the situation or a person's disposition.

Dispositional Attribution

A person's internal qualities or personality.

Situational Attribution

External circumstances influencing behavior.

Fundamental Attribution Error

Tendency to blame a person’s actions on their disposition and not consider the situation.

Actor-Observer Bias

When blaming others, attribute their actions to their disposition; when blaming oneself, attribute actions to the situation.

Self-Serving Bias

Tendency to attribute our successes to our own abilities and our failures to external factors.

Social Comparison

Evaluating ourselves based on comparisons to society and social circles.

Upward Comparison

Comparing oneself to others who are better off.

Downward Comparison

Comparing oneself to others who are worse off.

Relative Deprivation

Judging what we lack relative to others.

Ethnocentrism

Tendency to see one's own group as more important than others.

Outgroup Homogeneity Bias

Perception that out-group members are similar while in-group members are diverse.

Just-World Phenomenon

Belief that the world is just and people get what they deserve.

Cognitive Dissonance

Conflicting thoughts create discomfort, leading people to justify their situation (ex. smoker who knows smoking is bad).

Normative Social Influence

Conforming to gain approval from a group.

Informational Social Influence

Conforming because we think others' opinions are correct.

Central Route to Persuasion

Changing people's attitudes through logical arguments for long-term behavior change.

Peripheral Route to Persuasion

Changing attitudes through incidental cues or emotional appeals for temporary behavior change.

Group Polarization

The enhancement of a group's attitudes through more time spent with like-minded individuals.

Groupthink

Desire for harmony in a group leads to consensus without critical reasoning.

Social Loafing

When individuals exert less effort in a group than when alone.

Social Facilitation

Performance improves on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others.

False-Consensus Effect

Overestimating the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors.

Superordinate Goals

Goals that require two or more groups to work together, fostering cohesion.

Social Trap

When individuals prioritize their own needs over the group's, leading to negative outcomes.

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

The study of behavior in the workplace and relationships within a business context.

Id

The part of the mind associated with hidden desires and instincts.

Superego

The moral conscience that oversees ethical considerations.

Ego

The part of the mind dealing with reality.

Displacement

Redirecting feelings from one target to another when they cannot be expressed.

Projection

Attributing one’s own unwanted feelings or shortcomings onto others.

Reaction Formation

Transforming an unacceptable impulse into its opposite behavior.

Sublimation

Channeling unacceptable impulses into socially acceptable activities.

Projective Tests

Ambiguous stimuli used to reveal unconscious thoughts, but they lack reliability.

Openness

Willingness to embrace change.

Conscientiousness

Being organized and dependable.

Extraversion

The degree to which someone is sociable.

Agreeableness

Characteristics of being trusting and helpful.

Neuroticism

Tendency to experience mood swings and emotional instability.

Self-Actualization

The fulfillment of one's potential as a person.

Reciprocal Determinism

The interactions of behavior, cognition, and environment that shape personality.

Self-Efficacy

Belief in one’s ability to succeed.

Self-Concept

How one views oneself in relation to others.

Instinct Theory

The idea that certain behaviors are innate and fixed in response to stimul (for animals).

Drive Reduction Theory

The notion that psychological needs create an urge to reduce the discomfort of those needs.

Arousal Theory

The pursuit of thrill-seeking experiences.

Yerkes-Dodson Law

The relationship between arousal levels and performance; optimum levels of arousal are ideal.

Sensation Seeking Theory

The need for variety and novelty in experiences for happiness.

Facial Feedback Hypothesis

The idea that facial expressions can influence emotional experiences.

Broaden and Build Theory

Positive emotions broaden cognitive processes and build social resources.

Universal Emotions

Emotions such as happiness, anger, sadness, disgust, surprise, and fear that are recognized across cultures.

Display Rules

Social norms regarding the appropriate expression of emotions.