Social Psychology review

foot in the door

strategy where securing compliance with a small, initial request increases the likelihood of agreement to a subsequent, larger request

door in the face

strategy where a person makes an initial large, often unreasonable request that is expected to be refused

normative social influence

the conformity to group norms to gain approval, fit in, or avoid social rejection

informational social influence

individuals conform to the behavior or opinions of others because they believe the group possesses more accurate information, especially in ambiguous or crisis situations.

social facilitation

the tendency for people to perform simple or well-practiced tasks better in the presence of others

social loafing

the tendency for individuals to exert less effort when working collectively than when working alone

group polarization

tendency for group discussion to strengthen the initial inclinations of individual members, resulting in a riskier or more extreme group decision than the average pre-discussion view.

just-world phenomenon

a cognitive bias where people believe the world is inherently fair, "good" actions are rewarded, and "bad" actions are punished.

groupthink

where the desire for group cohesion and conformity overrides critical analysis, leading to irrational or poor decisions.

in-group bias

human tendency to favor, trust, and allocate more resources to members of one's own group over outsiders.

out-group bias

the tendency to view people outside one’s own group negatively, treating them with less empathy or fairness, often driven by the need to boost self-esteem via social identity theory.

scapegoat

an individual or group unfairly blamed for others' faults, mistakes, or collective problems, often to deflect responsibility or relieve tension.

other-race effect

the tendency for people to more easily recognize and distinguish faces of their own race compared to faces of another race.