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
an unfair and usually negative attitude toward a group and its members. It generally involves negative feelings, stereotyped beliefs, and a predisposition to discriminatory action.
prejudice
a generalized belief about a group of people
stereotype
unfair negative behavior toward a group or its members.
discrimination
the tendency to believe that the world is just and people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get.
just-world phenomenon
“us” people with who we share a common identity
ingroup
“them”- those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup
outgroup
the tendency to favor our own group
ingroup bias
the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.
scapegoat theory
the tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races.
other-race effect
any act intended to harm someone physically or emotionally
aggression
the principle that frustration- blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal- creates anger, which can generate aggression.
frustration-aggression principle
a culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations
social script
the tendency for repeated exposure to novel stimuli to increase our liking of them.
mere exposure effect
an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of romantic love.
passionate love
the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined.
companionate love
a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it.
equity
revealing intimate aspects of ourselves to others.
self-disclosure
unselfish concern for the welfare of others
altruism
the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present.
bystander effect
an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them
reciprocity norm
an expectation that people will help those needing their help
social-responsibility norm
a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas.
conflict
mutual views often held by conflicting groups, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive.
mirror-image perceptions
a belief that leads to its own fulfillment
self-fulfilling prohpecy
shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation.
superordinate goals
