Chapter 10 - Social Psychology

Question 1

Social psychology

Answer 1

The scientific study of how a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior influence and are influenced by social groups; area of psychology in which psychologists focus on how human behavior is affected by the presence of other people.

Question 2

Social influence

Answer 2

The process through which the real or implied presence of others can directly or indirectly influence the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of an individual.

Question 3

Conformity

Answer 3

Changing one’s own behavior to match that of other people

Question 4

Groupthink

Answer 4

Kind of thinking that occurs when people place more importance on maintaining group cohesiveness than on assessing the facts of the problem with which the group is concerned

Question 5

Consumer psychology

Answer 5

Branch of psychology that studies the habits of consumers in the marketplace

Question 6

Compliance

Answer 6

Changing one’s behavior as a result of other people directing or asking for the change

Question 7

Foot-in-the-door technique

Answer 7

Asking for a small commitment and, after gaining compliance, asking for a bigger commitment.

Question 8

Door-in-the-face technique

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Low-ball technique

Answer 9

Getting a commitment from a person and then raising the cost of that commitment

Question 10

Elaboration likelihood model

Answer 10

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

Question 11

Central-route processing

Answer 11

Type of information processing that involves attending to the content of the message itself

Question 12

Peripheral-route processing

Answer 12

Type of information processing that involves attending to factors not involved in the message, such as the appearance of the source of the message, the length of the message, and other noncontent factors.

Question 13

Cognitive dissonance

Answer 13

Sense of discomfort and distress that occurs when a person’s behavior does not corresponds to that person’s attitude

Question 14

Impression formation

Answer 14

The forming of the first knowledge that a person has concerning another person

Question 15

Social categorization

Answer 15

The assignment of the person one has just met to a category based on characteristics the new person has in common with other people with whom one has had experience in the past

Question 16

Implicit personality theory

Answer 16

Sets of assumptions about how different types of people, personality traits, and actions are related to each other.

Question 17

Attribution

Answer 17

The process of explaining one’s own behavior and the behavior of others

Question 18

Situational cause

Answer 18

Cause of behavior attributed to external factors, such as delays, the action of others, or some other aspect of the situation.

Question 19

Dispositional cause

Answer 19

Cause of behavior attributed to internal factors such as personality or character

Question 20

Fundamental attribution error

Answer 20

The tendency to overestimate the influence of internal factors in determining behavior while underestimating situational factors

Question 21

In-groups

Answer 21

Social groups with whom a person identifies; “us.”

Question 22

Out-groups

Answer 22

Social groups with whom a person does not identify; “them.”

Question 23

Social cognitive theory

Answer 23

Referring to the use of cognitive processes in relation to understanding the social world

Question 24

Realistic conflict theory

Answer 24

Theory stating that prejudice and discrimination will be increased between the groups that are in conflict over a limited resource

Question 25

Social identity theory

Answer 25

Theory in which the formation of a person’s identity within a particular social group is explained by social categorization, social identity, and social comparison.

Question 26

Social identity

Answer 26

The part of the self-concept including one’s view of self as a member of a particular social category

Question 27

Social comparison

Answer 27

The comparison of oneself to others in ways that raise one’s self-esteem

Question 28

Stereotype vulnerability

Answer 28

The effect that people’s awareness of the stereotypes associated with their social group has on their behavior

Question 29

Self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 29

The tendency of one’s expectations to affect one’s behavior in such a way as to make the expectations more likely to occur

Question 30

Equal status contact

Answer 30

Contact between groups in which the groups have equal status with neither group having power over the other

Question 31

Jigsaw classroom

Answer 31

Educational technique in which each individual is given only part of the information needed to solve a problem, causing the separate individuals to be forced to work together to find the solution.

Question 32

Acculturative stress

Answer 32

Stress resulting from the need to change and adapt a person’s ways to the majority culture

Question 33

Social support system

Answer 33

A network of family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and other who can offer support, comfort, or aid to a person in need

Question 34

Interpersonal attraction

Answer 34

Liking or having the desire for a relationship with another person

Question 35

Reciprocity of liking

Answer 35

Tendency of people to like other people who like them in return

Question 36

Romantic love

Answer 36

Type of love consisting of intimacy and passion

Question 37

Companionate love

Answer 37

Type of love consisting of intimacy and commitment

Question 38

Prosocial behavior

Answer 38

Socially desirable behavior that benefits others

Question 39

Altruism

Answer 39

Prosocial behavior that is done with no expectation of reward and may involve the risk of harm to oneself

Question 40

Bystander effect

Answer 40

Referring to the effect that the presence of other people has on the decision to help or not help, with help becoming less likely as the number of bystanders increases

Question 41

Diffusion of responsibility

Answer 41

Occurs when a person fails to take responsibility for actions or for inaction because of the presence of other people who are seen to share the responsibility