ch 9 Flashcards
Phillip Zimbardo
Stanford prison experiment, which was later severely criticized for both ethical and scientific reasons
Leon Festinger
known for cognitive dissonance and social comparison theory
Solomon Asch
Gestalt psychologist and pioneer in social psychology. He created seminal pieces of work in impression formation, prestige suggestion, conformity
Stanley Milgram
controversial experiments on obedience conducted in the 1960s during his professorship at Yale. Milgram was influenced by the events of the Holocaust, especially the trial of Adolf Eichmann, in developing the experiment
Attribution theory
the theory that we explain someone’s behavior by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition
Fundamental attribution error
the tendency for observers, when analyzing others’ behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition
attitude
feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events
foot in-the-door phenomenon
the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request
cognitive dissonance
the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent
conformity
adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard
social facilitation
improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others
deindividuation
the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity
groupthink
the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives
prejudice
an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. involved stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action
stereotype
a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people
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
ingroup
“us” - people with whom we share a common identity
outgroup
“them” - those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup
aggression
any physical or verbal behavior intended to harm someone physically or emotionally
mere-exposure effect
the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them
passionate love
an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a romantic relationship
companionate love
the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined
altruism
unselfish regard for the welfare of others
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
social exchange theory
the theory for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable
group polarization
the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group
