Lesson 18: Components of Groups

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts from Lesson 18 on group components in psychology.

Social Psychology

The study of how people interact with others and how group dynamics influence behavior.

Group Cohesion

The degree to which group members stick together and remain united in the pursuit of goals.

Social Identity Theory

A theory that posits that a person's sense of who they are is based on their group membership.

Attributions

Explanations for why people behave in certain ways.

The Fundamental Attribution Error

The tendency to overemphasize personal traits and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behaviors.

Cognitive Dissonance

The mental discomfort experienced when holding two or more conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes.

Social Facilitation

The phenomenon where individuals perform better on tasks when in the presence of others.

Social Loafing

The tendency for individuals to put forth less effort when working in a group than when working alone.

Conformity

The act of aligning attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors to match those of a group.

Social Norms

Expected standards of behavior that are established and enforced by a society or group.

Deindividuation

A psychological state characterized by a loss of self-awareness and reduced social identity in groups.

Coercion

The practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats.

Self-Handicapping

The process whereby individuals create obstacles to their own success to protect their self-esteem.

Groupthink

A psychological phenomenon wherein the desire for harmony in a decision-making group results in irrational or dysfunctional decision-making.

“A Door in the Face”

A technique that suggests we might go along with a smaller request when the first ask was too demanding.

“The foot in the door”

A strategy means that if we agree to a small request, we might go along with something more demanding.

In-group bias

In-group members favor each other.

Attitudes

How a person feels about something; they may be simple or complex.

Social power

How much a member can influence others.

Social status

Has to do with how much others like a group member.