Chapter 13

Question 1

Social psychology

Answer 1

study of how people influence others’ behavior, beliefs, and attitudes

Question 2

social comparison theory

Answer 2

theory that states we seek to evaluate our abilities and beliefs by comparing them with those of others

Question 3

mass hysteria

Answer 3

outbreak of irrational behavior that is spread by social contagion

Question 4

social facilitation

Answer 4

enhancement of performance brought about by the presence of others

Question 5

attribution

Answer 5

process of assigning causes to behavior

Question 6

fundamental attribution error

Answer 6

tendency to overestimate the impact of dispositional influences on other people’s behavior

Question 7

conformity

Answer 7

tendency of people to alter their behavior as a result of group pressure

Question 8

deindividuation

Answer 8

tendency of people to engage in uncharacteristic behavior when they are stripped of their usual identities

Question 9

groupthink

Answer 9

emphasis on group unanimity at the expense of critical thinking

Question 10

group polarization

Answer 10

tendency of group discussion to strengthen the dominant positions held by individual group members

Question 11

cult

Answer 11

group of individuals who exhibit intense and unquestioning devotion to a single individual or cause

Question 12

inoculation effect

Answer 12

approach to convincing people to change their minds about something by first introducing reasons why the perspective might be correct and then debunking these reasons

Question 13

obedience

Answer 13

adherence to instructions from those of higher authority

Question 14

pluralistic ignorance

Answer 14

error of assuming that no one in a group perceives things as we do

Question 15

diffusion of responsibility

Answer 15

reduction in feelings of personal responsibility in the presence of others

Question 16

enlightenment effect

Answer 16

learning about psychological research can change real-world behavior for the better

Question 17

social loafing

Answer 17

phenomenon whereby individuals become less productive in groups

Question 18

altruism

Answer 18

helping others for unselfish reasons

Question 19

aggression

Answer 19

behavior intended to harm others, either verbally or physically (or both)

Question 20

relational aggression

Answer 20

form of indirect aggression prevalent in girls, involving spreading rumors, gossiping, and using nonverbal putdowns for the purpose of social manipulation

Question 21

attitude

Answer 21

belief that includes an emotional component

Question 22

self-monitoring

Answer 22

personality trait that assesses the extent to which people’s behavior reflects their true feeling and attitudes

Question 23

cognitive dissonance

Answer 23

unpleasant mental experience of tension resulting from two conflicting thoughts or beliefs

Question 24

self-perception theory

Answer 24

theory that we acquire our attitudes by observing our behaviors

Question 25

impression management theory

Answer 25

theory that we don't really change our attitudes, but report that we have so that our behaviors appear consistent with our attitudes

Question 26

foot-in-the-door technique

Answer 26

persuasive technique involving making a small request before making a bigger one

Question 27

door-in-the-face technique

Answer 27

persuasive technique involving making an unreasonable large request before making the small request we're hoping to have granted

Question 28

low-ball technique

Answer 28

persuasive technique in which the seller of a product starts be quoting a low sales price and then, mentions all of the add-on costs once the customer has agreed to purchase the product

Question 29

"but you are free" technique

Answer 29

persuasive technique in which we convince someone to perform a favor for us by telling them that they are free not to do it

Question 30

prejudice

Answer 30

the drawing of negative conclusions about a person, group of people, or situation prior to evaluating the evidence

Question 31

stereotype

Answer 31

a belief--positive or negative--about the characteristics of a group that is applied generally to most members of the group

Question 32

ultimate attribution error

Answer 32

assumption that behaviors among individual members of a group are due to their internal dispositions

Question 33

adaptive conservatism

Answer 33

evolutionary principle that creates a predisposition toward distrusting anything or anyone unfamiliar or different

Question 34

in-group bias

Answer 34

tendency to favor individuals within our group over those from outside our group

Question 35

out-group homogeneity

Answer 35

tendency to view all individuals outside of our group as highly similar

Question 36

discrimination

Answer 36

negative behavior toward members of out-groups

Question 37

scapegoat hypothesis

Answer 37

claim that prejudice arises from a need to blame other groups for our misfortunes

Question 38

just-world hypothesis

Answer 38

claim that our arributions and behaviors are shaped by a deep seated assumption that the world is fair and all things happen for a reason

Question 39

explicit prejudice

Answer 39

unfounded negative belief of which we're aware regarding the characteristics of an out-group

Question 40

implicit prejudice

Answer 40

unfounded negative belief of which we're unaware regarding the characteristics of an out-group

Question 41

jigsaw classroom

Answer 41

educational approach designed to minimize prejudice by requiring all children to make independent contribution stop a shared project