AP Psych Unit 4 pt 1

Actor/Observer Effect – The tendency to attribute one's own actions to external (situational) causes while attributing others' actions to internal (dispositional) factors.

Attribution Theory – The theory that explains how people determine the causes of behavior, either attributing it to internal (dispositional) or external (situational) factors.

Dispositional Attribution – Attributing behavior to an individual’s personality or internal traits rather than external circumstances.

Downward Social Comparison – Comparing oneself to others who are worse off to feel better about one’s own situation.

Explanatory Style – A person’s way of explaining life events, often categorized as optimistic or pessimistic.

External Locus of Control – The belief that external forces, such as luck or fate, control one's life.

Fundamental Attribution Error – The tendency to overemphasize dispositional factors and underestimate situational factors when explaining others' behavior.

Internal Locus of Control – The belief that one controls their own fate and outcomes through personal actions and choices.

Mere Exposure Effect – The tendency to develop a preference for things simply because they are familiar.

Optimistic Explanatory Style – A tendency to attribute negative events to external, unstable, and specific factors, leading to a positive outlook.

Pessimistic Explanatory Style – A tendency to attribute negative events to internal, stable, and global factors, leading to a more negative outlook.

Relative Deprivation – The feeling that one is worse off compared to others, which can lead to dissatisfaction.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy – When an expectation about a person or situation leads to behaviors that cause the expectation to come true.

Self-Serving Bias – The tendency to attribute successes to internal factors and failures to external factors to protect self-esteem.

Situational Attribution – Attributing behavior to external circumstances rather than personality traits.

Social Comparison – Evaluating oneself in relation to others.

Upward Social Comparison – Comparing oneself to people who are better off, which can be motivating or discouraging.

Belief Perseverance – Holding onto beliefs even after being presented with contradictory evidence.

Cognitive Dissonance – The discomfort experienced when holding conflicting thoughts or behaviors, leading to a motivation to resolve the inconsistency.

Cognitive Load – The amount of mental effort being used in working memory, affecting decision-making and problem-solving.

Confirmation Bias – The tendency to seek, interpret, and remember information that confirms existing beliefs while ignoring contradicting evidence.

Discrimination – Unjustified negative behavior toward individuals based on group membership (e.g., race, gender).

Ethnocentrism – The belief that one's own culture or ethnic group is superior to others.

Implicit Attitudes – Unconscious beliefs or biases that affect behavior.

Ingroup – A social group with which a person identifies.

Ingroup Bias – The tendency to favor one’s own group over others.

Just-World Phenomenon – The belief that the world is fair and people get what they deserve.

Outgroup – A social group with which a person does not identify.

Outgroup Homogeneity Bias – The perception that members of an outgroup are more similar to each other than they actually are.

Prejudice – A negative attitude toward a group and its members.

Stereotype – A generalized belief about a group of people.

Altruism – Unselfish concern for the welfare of others, often leading to helping behavior.

Attentional Variables – Factors that influence what individuals focus on in a given situation.

Burnout – Physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress, often in work or caregiving roles.

Bystander Effect – The tendency for individuals to be less likely to help someone in need when others are present.

Central Route of Persuasion – Persuasion that occurs when people focus on the arguments and respond with logical thinking.

Collectivism – A cultural value that prioritizes group goals over individual goals, common in many Eastern societies.

Conformity – Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to match a group standard.

Deindividuation – The loss of self-awareness and self-restraint in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.

Diffusion of Responsibility – The tendency for individuals to feel less responsible for taking action when others are present.

Door-in-the-Face Technique – A persuasion strategy where a large request is made first (likely to be refused), followed by a smaller request (more likely to be accepted).

Elaboration Likelihood Model – A theory explaining how persuasion occurs through two routes: central (logical arguments) and peripheral (superficial cues).

False Consensus Effect – The tendency to overestimate how much others share our beliefs and behaviors.

Foot-in-the-Door Technique – A persuasion strategy where agreeing to a small request increases the likelihood of agreeing to a larger request later.

Group Polarization – The strengthening of a group’s prevailing opinions after discussion with like-minded individuals.

Groupthink – A desire for harmony in a decision-making group that leads to poor decision-making due to suppression of dissenting views.

Halo Effect – The tendency to let one positive trait of a person influence overall impressions of them.

Individualism – A cultural value that prioritizes personal goals and independence, common in many Western societies.

Industrial-Organizational (I/O) Psychology – The study of human behavior in workplaces to improve productivity and employee well-being.

Informational Social Influence – Conforming because one believes others have accurate information, especially in ambiguous situations.

Multiculturalism – A perspective that values and encourages the coexistence of multiple cultural traditions.

Normative Social Influence – Conforming to fit in or gain social approval, even if one privately disagrees.

Obedience – Following direct commands, usually from an authority figure.

Peripheral Route of Persuasion – Persuasion that occurs through superficial cues like attractiveness or emotions rather than logic.

Persuasion – The process of changing attitudes or behaviors through communication.

Prosocial Behavior – Positive, helpful, and cooperative behavior.

Situational Variables – External factors that can influence behavior, such as environment or social context.

Social Debt – The idea that individuals owe a debt to society, often motivating prosocial behavior.

Social Facilitation – Improved performance on simple tasks in the presence of others, but impaired performance on complex tasks.

Social Influence Theory – The theory that people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the presence of others.

Social Loafing – The tendency for individuals to put in less effort when working in a group compared to working alone.

Social Norms – Unwritten rules about how to behave in social situations.

Social Reciprocity Norm – The expectation that people will help those who have helped them.

Social Responsibility Norm – The expectation that people will help others who depend on them, even with no personal gain.

Social Traps – Situations where individuals act in their own self-interest but end up harming the collective group.

Superordinate Goals – Shared goals that require cooperation between groups to achieve, reducing conflict.