Chapter 13: Social Psychology

Question 1

social psychology

Answer 1

the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another

Question 2

attribution theory

Answer 2

the theory that we explain someone’s behaviour by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition

Question 3

fundamental attribution error

Answer 3

the tendency, for observers, when analyzing other’s behaviour, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition

Question 4

attitude

Answer 4

feelings, often influenced by our beliefs, that predispose us to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events

Question 5

peripheral route persuasion

Answer 5

occurs when people are influenced by incidental cues, such as a speaker’s attractiveness

Question 6

central route persuasion

Answer 6

occurs when interested people focus on the arguments and respond with favourable thoughts

Question 7

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

Answer 7

the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request

Question 8

role

Answer 8

a set of expectations (norms) about a social position, defining how those in the position ought to behave

Question 9

cognitive dissonance theory

Answer 9

the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. For example, when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes

Question 10

conformity

Answer 10

adjusting our behaviour or thinking to coincide with a group standard

Question 11

normative social influence

Answer 11

influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval

Question 12

informational social influence

Answer 12

influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality

Question 13

social facilitation

Answer 13

improved performance on simple or well-learned tasks in the presence of others

Question 14

social loafing

Answer 14

the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal than when individually accountable

Question 15

deindividuation

Answer 15

the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity

Question 16

group polarization

Answer 16

the enhancement of a group’s prevailing inclinations through discussion within the group

Question 17

groupthink

Answer 17

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives

Question 18

prejudice

Answer 18

an unjustifiable (and usually negative) attitude toward a group and its members. Prejudice generally involves stereotyped beliefs, negative feelings, and a predisposition to discriminatory action

Question 19

stereotype

Answer 19

a generalized (sometimes accurate but often overgeneralized) belief about a group of people

Question 20

discrimination

Answer 20

unjustifiable negative behaviour toward a group and its members

Question 21

just-world phenomenon

Answer 21

the tendency for people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get

Question 22

ingroup

Answer 22

“us” - people with whom we share a common identity

Question 23

outgroup

Answer 23

“them” - those perceived as different or apart from our ingroup

Question 24

ingroup bias

Answer 24

the tendency to favour our own group

Question 25

scapegoat theory

Answer 25

the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame

Question 26

other-race effect

Answer 26

the tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races. Also called the cross-race effect and the own-race bias

Question 27

aggression

Answer 27

any act intended to harm someone physically or emotionally

Question 28

frustration-aggression principle

Answer 28

the principle that frustration - the blocking of an attempt to achieve some goal - creates anger, which can generate aggression

Question 29

social script

Answer 29

culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

Question 30

mere exposure effect

Answer 30

the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them

Question 31

passionate love

Answer 31

an aroused state of intense positive absorption in another, usually present at the beginning of a love relationship

Question 32

companionate love

Answer 32

the deep affectionate attachment we feel for those with whom our lives are intertwined

Question 33

equity

Answer 33

a condition in which people receive from a relationship in proportion to what they give to it

Question 34

self-disclosure

Answer 34

the act of revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others

Question 35

altruism

Answer 35

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Question 36

bystander effect

Answer 36

the tendency for any given bystander to be less likely to give aid if other bystanders are present

Question 37

social exchange theory

Answer 37

the theory that our social behaviour is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs

Question 38

reciprocity norm

Answer 38

an expectation that people will help, not hurt, those who have helped them

Question 39

social-responsibility norm

Answer 39

an expectation that people will help those needing their help

Question 40

conflict

Answer 40

a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas

Question 41

social trap

Answer 41

a situation in which the conflicting parties, by each pursuing their self-interest rather than the good of the group, become caught in mutually destructive behaviour

Question 42

mirror-image-perceptions

Answer 42

mutual views often held by conflicting people, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and views the other side as evil and aggressive

Question 43

self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 43

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment

Question 44

superordinate goals

Answer 44

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

Question 45

GRIT

Answer 45

Graduated and Reciprocal Initiatives in Tension-Reduction - a strategy designed to decrease international tensions