AP PSYCH - Social Psych, Personality, Motivation and Emotion (Unit 4)
Got it! Here's the full set of simplified definitions for ALL the terms you provided, broken into sections for clarity.
Attribution & Social Psychology
1. Attribution Theory:
Explains behavior as caused by personality (internal) or situation (external).
Example: She’s late because she’s lazy (internal), not because of traffic (external).
2. Fundamental Attribution Error:
Overestimating personality and underestimating the situation.
Example: Thinking someone’s rude for not waving when they’re just stressed.
3. Prejudice, Stereotype, Discrimination:
Prejudice: A feeling (e.g., disliking tattoos).
Stereotype: A thought (e.g., all artists are broke).
Discrimination: An action (e.g., not hiring someone with tattoos).
4. Just-World Phenomenon:
Belief that people get what they deserve.
Example: Assuming the poor deserve to be poor.
5. Ingroup vs. Outgroup & Ingroup Bias:
Ingroup: “Us” (your group).
Outgroup: “Them” (others).
Ingroup Bias: Favoring your group (e.g., thinking your team is best).
6. Scapegoat Theory:
Blaming others for your problems.
Example: Immigrants being blamed for unemployment.
7. Other-Race Effect:
Better recognizing faces of your own race.
8. Attitudes:
Beliefs that influence behavior.
Example: If you believe exercise is good, you work out.
9. Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon:
Agreeing to a small request leads to agreeing to a bigger one.
Example: “Can you sign this petition?” → “Can you donate $10?”
10. Cognitive Dissonance (Festinger):
Feeling uncomfortable when actions and beliefs conflict.
Example: You say cheating is wrong but cheat and justify it.
11. Peripheral vs. Central Routes of Persuasion:
Peripheral: Using emotions or looks. Example: A celebrity ad.
Central: Using facts and logic. Example: A study-backed ad.
12. Solomon Asch (Norms & Conformity):
People conform to group pressure even if the group is wrong.
Example: Agreeing with others’ wrong answer about line lengths.
13. Normative vs. Informational Social Influence:
Normative: Fitting in (laughing at a joke you don’t get).
Informational: Thinking the group knows better (following locals).
14. Obedience (Milgram):
People follow authority, even against their morals.
Example: Giving shocks because a scientist tells you to.
15. Social Facilitation:
Performing better on simple tasks when others watch.
16. Social Loafing:
Putting in less effort in a group.
Example: Slacking off in group projects.
17. Deindividuation:
Losing self-awareness in a group.
Example: Acting wild at a protest.
18. Group Polarization:
Group discussions strengthen opinions.
Example: Talking politics with like-minded friends makes views stronger.
19. Groupthink:
Groups avoid conflict but make bad decisions.
Example: NASA launched a shuttle despite engineer concerns.
20. Tight vs. Loose Culture:
Tight: Strict rules. Example: Japan.
Loose: Flexible rules. Example: USA.
21. Frustration-Aggression Principle:
Frustration leads to anger and aggression.
22. Social Script:
Expected behavior in situations.
Example: Shaking hands in an interview.
23. Mere Exposure Effect:
Liking something because you see it often.
Example: A song grows on you after hearing it repeatedly.
24. Passionate vs. Companionate Love:
Passionate: Intense attraction (new relationships).
Companionate: Deep bond (long-term relationships).
25. Equity & Self-Disclosure:
Equity: Equal give-and-take in relationships.
Self-Disclosure: Sharing personal info to strengthen trust.
26. Altruism:
Helping others selflessly.
27. Social Exchange Theory:
Relationships weigh costs vs. benefits.
Example: Helping others because it feels good.
28. Bystander Effect (Darley & Latané):
People are less likely to help in groups.
29. Reciprocity Norm:
Helping people who help you.
30. Social Trap:
Short-term rewards lead to long-term harm.
Example: Overfishing ruins the ocean.
31. Mirror-Image Perceptions:
Conflicting groups view each other as evil.
32. Superordinate Goals:
Shared goals unite groups.
Example: Rival teams working together to fix a field.
33. GRIT:
Gradual steps to reduce conflict and build trust.
Personality (38–61)
34. Freud’s Psychodynamic Theory:
Personality comes from unconscious drives and childhood experiences.
35. Psychoanalysis:
Freudian therapy: free association (saying whatever comes to mind) explores the unconscious.
36. Id, Ego, Superego:
Id: Instincts (wants it now).
Ego: Balances id and reality.
Superego: Morals.
Example: Id wants cake; superego says no; ego finds a compromise (small piece).
37. Defense Mechanisms:
Repression: Blocking bad memories.
Projection: Blaming others for your feelings.
38. Alfred Adler:
Focused on overcoming feelings of inferiority.
39. Karen Horney:
Criticized Freud; focused on relationships and coping with fear (Terror Management).
40. Carl Jung:
Believed in a shared unconscious (archetypes).
41. T.A.T. (Thematic Apperception Test):
Projective test where people tell stories about pictures.
42. Rorschach Test:
Inkblot test to explore thoughts and feelings.
43. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs:
Pyramid of needs: basic (food) to self-actualization (full potential).
44. Self-Actualization vs. Self-Transcendence:
Self-Actualization: Personal growth.
Self-Transcendence: Focusing on helping others.
45. Carl Rogers (Unconditional Positive Regard):
Accepting people without judgment helps them grow.
46. Self-Concept:
How you see yourself.
47. Traits:
Consistent patterns in behavior.
48. Personality Inventory (MMPI):
Questionnaire to assess traits.
49. Empirically Derived Test:
Created by testing a large pool of items and selecting the best ones.
50. Big Five:
Traits: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism (OCEAN).
51. Albert Bandura (Social-Cognitive):
Personality shaped by thinking, environment, and actions.
52. Reciprocal Determinism:
Behavior, environment, and thoughts influence each other.
53. Spotlight Effect:
Overestimating how much people notice you.
54. Self-Esteem vs. Self-Efficacy:
Self-Esteem: Confidence in yourself.
Self-Efficacy: Belief in your ability to succeed.
55. Self-Serving Bias vs. Narcissism:
Self-Serving Bias: Taking credit for success, blaming failures on others.
Narcissism: Extreme self-focus and arrogance.
56. Individualism vs. Collectivism:
Individualism: Focus on self.
Collectivism: Focus on the group.
Motivation (63–74)
57. Motivation:
Desire to act.
58. Instinct:
Inborn behavior patterns.
59. Drive-Reduction Theory & Homeostasis:
Drives (e.g., hunger) push us to satisfy needs and maintain balance.
60. Incentive:
External rewards that motivate.
61. Yerkes-Dodson Law:
Performance is best at moderate arousal.
62. Affiliation Need:
Desire to belong.
63. Self-Determination Theory:
Motivation improves when we feel autonomy, competence, and connection.
64. Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation:
Intrinsic: For yourself (passion).
Extrinsic: For a reward (money).
65. Ostracism:
Being excluded socially.
66. Achievement Motivation:
Desire for success and goals (grit).
67. Glucose, Set Point, Basal Metabolic Rate:
Glucose (sugar) and metabolism control hunger and weight.
Emotion (76–82)
68. Schachter’s Two-Factor Theory:
Emotion = arousal + label.
69. Zajonc & LeDoux:
Some emotions happen instantly, without thinking.
70. Richard Lazarus:
We evaluate events, even if unconsciously.
71. Polygraph:
Lie detector that measures physiological responses.
72. Paul Ekman:
Facial expressions reveal emotions (e.g., fake vs. real smiles).
73. Facial Feedback Effect:
Smiling makes you feel happier.
74. Behavior Feedback Effect:
Acting a certain way changes your mood.
This should now include everything you listed! Let me know if you need flashcards or deeper examples for anything.