Chapter 13 Textbook

Question 1

Attribution Theory

Answer 1

the theory that we explain someone’s behaviour by crediting either the situation of the persons predisposition

Question 2

Fundamental attribution error

Answer 2

the tendency for observers, when analyzing others behaviour, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition (whether we attribute homelessness to social circumstances or to personal disposition)

Question 3

foot-in-the-door phenomenon

Answer 3

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

Question 4

role

Answer 4

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

Question 5

cognitive dissonance theory

Answer 5

the theory that we act to reduce discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts 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
ex: if Jamal (shy) acts confident , his behaviour will contradict his negative self-thoughts, creating cognitive dissonance.

Question 6

conformity

Answer 6

adjusting our behaviour or thinking to coincide with a group standard

Question 7

normative social influence

Answer 7

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

Question 8

informational social influence

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Stanley Migram’s experiment

Answer 9

65% of the adult male ‘teachers’ fully obeyed the experimenter’s commands to continue. Shock

Question 10

social facilitation

Answer 10

improved performance on tasks in the presence of others

Question 11

social loafing

Answer 11

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 12

deindividuation

Answer 12

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

Question 13

group polarization

Answer 13

beliefs and attitudes we bring to a group grow stronger as we discuss them with like-minded others

Question 14

groupthink

Answer 14

the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives
ex: to preserve the good feeling, group members suppressed of self-censored their dissenting views

Question 15

prejudice

Answer 15

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 16

Stereotype

Answer 16

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

Question 17

discrimination

Answer 17

unjustifiable negative behaviour toward a group and its members

Question 18

just-world phenomenon

Answer 18

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

Question 19

ingroup

Answer 19

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

Question 20

outgroup

Answer 20

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

Question 21

ingroup bias

Answer 21

the tendency to favour our own group

Question 22

scapegoat theory

Answer 22

the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame. Blaming an undeserving person for a problem

Question 23

other-race effect

Answer 23

the tendency to recall faces of one’s own race more accurately than faces of other races

Question 24

frustration-aggresion principle

Answer 24

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

Question 25

social script

Answer 25

culturally modelled guide for how to act in various situations

Question 26

mere exposure effect

Answer 26

the phenomenon that repeated exposure to novel stimuli increases liking of them (people tend to marry someone who lives or works nearby)

Question 27

passionate love

Answer 27

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

Question 28

compassionate love

Answer 28

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

Question 29

equity

Answer 29

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

Question 30

self-disclosure

Answer 30

the act of revealing intimate aspects of oneself to others

Question 31

altruism

Answer 31

unselfish regard for the welfare of others

Question 32

bystander effect

Answer 32

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

Question 33

social exchange theory

Answer 33

the theory that our social behaviour is an exchange process, the aim of which is to maximize benefits and minimize costs
ex: if you are deciding whether to donate blood or not, you may weight the costs of doing so (time, discomfort, anxiety) agains the benefits (reduced guilt, social approval, good feeling) If the rewards exceed the costs, you will help

Question 34

reciprocity norm

Answer 34

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

Question 35

social-responsibility norm

Answer 35

an expectation that people will help those needing their help

Question 36

conflict

Answer 36

a perceived incompatibility of actions, goals, or ideas

Question 37

social trap

Answer 37

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

Question 38

mirror-image perceptions

Answer 38

mutual views often held by conflicting people, as when each side sees itself as ethical and peaceful and view the other side as evil and aggressive
ex: as we see “them” as untrustworthy with evil intentions - so “they” see us

Question 39

self-fulfilling prophecy

Answer 39

a belief that leads to its own fulfillment

Question 40

superordinate goals

Answer 40

shared goals that override differences among people and require their cooperation

Question 41

GRIT

Answer 41

graduated and reciprocated initiatives in tension-reduction - a strategy designed to decrease international tensions