Chapter 12- Social Psychology 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 effects 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 a small request to comply later with a larger request
foot-in-the-door phenomenon
a set of expectations about social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave
role
the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) clash. For example, when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions don’t match
cognitive dissonance theory
adjusting our behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard
conformity
an understood rule for accepted and expected behavior in a given group
norm
improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others
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 unjustifiable and usually negative attitude toward a group and its members. It generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action
prejudice
a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people
stereotype
unjustifiable negative behavior toward a group and 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 whom we share a common identity
ingroup
“them”— those perceived as different or apart from our group
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— the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal— creates anger, which can generate aggression
frustration- aggression principle
