Chapter 11 Flashcards
the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another
social psychology
the tendency, when analyzing others’ behavior, to overestimate the influence of personal traits and underestimate the influence of the situation.
fundamental attribution error
feelings, often based on our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events
attitude
the tendency for people who have first agreed to small request to comply later with a larger request.
foot-in-the-door phenomenon
a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave.
role
the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts clash.
cognitive dissonance theory
occurs when people are influenced by unimportant cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness
peripheral route persuasion
occurs when interested people’s thinking is influenced by considering evidence and arguments
central route persuasion
adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard
conformity
influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval
normative social influence
influence resulting from a person’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality
informational social influence
in the presence of others, improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks, and worsened performance on difficult tasks.
social facilitation
the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable
social loafing
the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
deindividuation
strengthening of a group’s preexisting attitudes through discussions within the group.
group polarization
the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.
groupthink