AP Psychology Unit 4a

Attribution

the process of explaining one's own behavior and the behavior of others

Dispositional Attributions

attributions that explain someone's behavior in terms of factors internal to the person, such as traits or preferences

Situational Attributions

explanations of people's behavior that refer to external events, such as the weather, luck, accidents, or other people's actions

Explanatory Style

A person's characteristic way of explaining his experiences. Consistently attributing bad experiences to internal, global, and stable causes may increase vulnerability to depression.

Actor-Observer Bias

the tendency to blame our actions on the situation and blame the actions of others on their personalities

Fundamental Attribution Error

the tendency for observers, when analyzing another's behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition

Self-Serving Bias

the tendency for people to take personal credit for success but blame failure on external factors

Mere Exposure Effect

the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment

Social Comparison

evaluating one's abilities and opinions by comparing oneself with others

Relative Deprivation

the perception that one is worse off relative to those with whom one compares oneself

Stereotype

A generalized belief about a group of people

Cognitive Load

The amount of a person's cognitive resources needed to carry out a particular cognitive task.

Prejudice

preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience

Discrimination

unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and its members

Implicit Attitudes

attitudes that influence a person's feelings and behavior at an unconscious level

Just-World Phenomenon

the tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get

Out-Group Homogeneity Bias

our tendency to see out-group members as being pretty much all alike

In-Group Bias

the tendency to favor one's own group

Ethnocentrism

Belief in the superiority of one's nation or ethnic group.

Belief Perserverance

clinging to one's initial conceptions after the basis on which they were formed has been discredited

Confirmation Bias

a tendency to search for information that supports our preconceptions and to ignore or distort contradictory evidence

Cognitive Dissonance

Inner tension that a consumer experiences after recognizing an inconsistency between behavior and values or opinions

Social Norms

expected standards of conduct, which influence behavior

Social Influence Theory

theory that powerful social influences can produce a state of hypnosis

Normative Social Influence

influence resulting from a person's desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

Informational Social Influence

influence resulting from one's willingness to accept others' opinions about reality

Persuasion

A kind of speaking or writing that is intended to influence people's actions.

Elaboration Likelihood Model

model of persuasion stating that people will either elaborate on the persuasive message or fail to elaborate on it and that the future actions of those who do elaborate are more predictable than those who do not

Central Route of Persuasion

occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favorable thoughts

Peripheral Route Persuasion

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker's attractiveness

Halo Effect

tendency of an interviewer to allow positive characteristics of a client to influence the assessments of the client's behavior and statements

Foot-in-the-Door Technique

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request

Door-in-the-Face Technique

asking for a large commitment and being refused and then asking for a smaller commitment

Conformity

Adjusting one's behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.

Obedience

A form of compliance that occurs when people follow direct commands, usually from someone in a position of authority

Culture

Beliefs, customs, and traditions of a specific group of people.

Collectivism

giving priority to the goals of one's group (often one's extended family or work group) and defining one's identity accordingly

Individualism

giving priority to one's own goals over group goals and defining one's identity in terms of personal attributes rather than group identifications

Multiculturalism

a condition in which ethnic groups exist separately and share equally in economic and political life

Group Polarization

the enhancement of a group's prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group

Groupthink

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives

Diffusion of Responsibility

the tendency for individuals to feel diminished responsibility for their actions when they are surrounded by others who are acting the same way

Social Loafing

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

Deindivuation

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

Social Facilitation

stronger responses on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

False Consensus Effect

the tendency to overestimate the extent to which others share our beliefs and behaviors

Social Trap

a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each rationally pursuing their self-interest, become caught in mutually destructive behavior

Superordinate Goals

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

the application of psychological concepts and methods to optimizing human behavior in workplaces

Prosocial Behavior

positive, constructive, helpful behavior. The opposite of antisocial behavior

Altruism

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Social Responsibility Norm

an expectation that people will help those dependent upon them

The Bystander Effect

the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

Reciprocity Norm

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them