Chapter 13: Social Psychology

Question 1

Social Psychology

Answer 1

The study of how social situations affect peoples thoughts and behaviors, and how we relate to other people

• social cognition
• social behavior

Question 2

Stereotypes

Answer 2

A generalization about a groups characteristics that does not consider any variations from one individual to another

Question 3

Attribution Theory

Answer 3

The process by which we come to understand the causes of others’ behaviors and form an impression of them

Question 4

Fundamental Attribution Error

Answer 4

The tendency to overestimate the importance of internal traits and underestimate the importance of external situations

Question 5

Positive Illusions

Answer 5

Positive views of oneself that are not necessarily deeply rooted in reality

Question 6

Self-Serving Bias

Answer 6

The tendency to take credit for one’s successes and to deny responsibility for one’s failures

Question 7

Self-Objectification

Answer 7

The tendency to see oneself primarily as an object in the eyes of others

Question 8

Social Comparison

Answer 8

The process by which individuals evaluate their thoughts, feelings, behaviors and abilities in relation to other people

Question 9

Egoism

Answer 9

Giving to another person to ensure reciprocity; to gain self-esteem; to present oneself as powerful, competent, or caring; or to avoid social self-censure for failing to live up to society’s expectations

Question 10

Bystander Effect

Answer 10

The tendency of an individual who observes an emergency to help less when other people are present than when the observer is alone

Question 11

Conformity

Answer 11

A change in behavior to coincide more closely with a group standard

Question 12

Informational Social Influence

Answer 12

The influence other people have on use because we went to be right

Question 13

Normative Social Influence

Answer 13

The influence that other people have on us because we want them to like and approve us

Question 14

Obedience

Answer 14

Behavior that complies with the explicit demands of the individual in authority

Question 15

Social Facilitation

Answer 15

Improvement in an individual’s performance because of the presence of others

Question 16

Social Cognition

Answer 16

• how we think in social situations
• how people select, interpret, remember and use social information
• — Heuristics: cognitive shortcuts that speed decision making
• ——- stereotypes: often based on irrelevant information

Question 17

Social Cognition

Attributions

Answer 17

• explanations for why people behave the way they do
• attribution theory: attempt to discover underlying causes of behavior
• internal: personality, temperament, development, beliefs, self-efficacy
• external: society, social pressure, situation, money, weather
• Fundamental Attribution Error
• — overestimate the importance of internal traits
• — underestimate the importance of external causes

Question 18

Social Behavior

Answer 18

• how we behave in social situations
• we tend to explain social behavior in terms of…
• — the personalities of the people
• — rather than the situation of the people

Question 19

Social Behavior

Pre-Social Behavior

Answer 19

• The Bystander Effect
• — individuals are less likely to help in an energy when others are present
• — diffusion of responsibility
• — Kitty Genovese

Question 20

Social Behavior

Social Influence

Answer 20

• how our behavior is influenced by others
• Conformity
• — a change in behavior to coincide more closely with a group standard
• — Asch’s Experiment (1951)
• — informational social influence
• ——- we think they know more
• ——- we want to be right
• — normative social influence
• ——- we want others to like us
• ——- we want approval
• ——- we want to be a part of a group

Question 21

Social Behavior

Obedience

Answer 21

• behavior that complies with the explicit demands of the individual in authority
• milgram’s experiment (1960’s)