Chapter 16

Question 1

Social perception

Answer 1

The way we seek to know and understand other persons and events; also known as social cognition

Question 2

Impression formation

Answer 2

The process of integrating various sources of information about a person into an overall judgement

Question 3

Stereotypes

Answer 3

fixed sets of beliefs about people that put them into categories and does not allow for individual variation

Question 4

Ingroup

Answer 4

A group to which we belong and that forms a part of our social identity

Question 5

Outgroup

Answer 5

Any group with which we do not share membership

Question 6

Physical attractiveness stereotype

Answer 6

The belief that physically attractive individuals possess socially desirable personality traits and lead happier, more fulfilling lives than less attractive persons

Question 7

Prejudice

Answer 7

attitudes towards members of specific groups that directly or indirectly suggest they deserve an inferior social status

Question 8

discrimination

Answer 8

a negative and/or patronizing action toward members of a specific social group

Question 9

Realistic group conflict theory

Answer 9

a theory of prejudice contending that when 2 groups compete for scarce resources, this competition creates a breeding ground for prejudice

Question 10

Ethnocentrism

Answer 10

A pattern of increased hostility toward outgroups, accompanied by increased loyalty to one’s group

Question 11

Ambivalent sexism

Answer 11

Sexism directed against women based on both positive and negative attitudes rather than uniform dislike

Question 12

Intergroup anixety

Answer 12

The tension and distress that is sometimes experienced when interacting with a person from different social group

Question 13

Attribution

Answer 13

the process by which people use information to make inferences about the causes of behaviors or events

Question 14

Internal attribution

Answer 14

an attribution that locates the cause of an event as factors internal to the person, such as personality traits, moods, attitudes, abilities, or effort

Question 15

External Attribution

Answer 15

An attribution that locates the cause of an event as factors external to the person, such as luck, other people, or the situation

Question 16

Covariation model

Answer 16

a theory of attribution asserting that people rely on consensus, consistency, and distinctiveness information when assigning causes for events

Question 17

Fundamental attribution error

Answer 17

The tendency to make internal attributions rather than external attributions in explaining the behavior of others

Question 18

Attitudes

Answer 18

positive or negative evaluations of objects

Question 19

Mere exposure effect

Answer 19

The tendency to develop more positive feelings towards objects and individuals the more frequently we are exposed to them

Question 20

persuasion

Answer 20

the process of consciously attempting to change attitudes through the transmission of some message

Question 21

Elaboration likelihood model

Answer 21

A theory that there are two ways in which persuasive messages can cause attitude change, each differing in the amount of cognitive effort or elaboration they require

Question 22

Cognitive dissonance

Answer 22

A feeling of discomfort caused by performing an action inconsistent with one’s attitudes

Question 23

Social Influence

Answer 23

the exercise of social power by a person or group to change the attitudes or behavior of others in a certain direction

Question 24

conformity

Answer 24

a yielding to perceived group pressure

Question 25

Compliance

Answer 25

publicly acting in accord with a direct request

Question 26

reciprocity norm

Answer 26

the expectation that one should return a favor or a good deed

Question 27

Obedience

Answer 27

the performance of an action in response to a direct order

Question 28

aggression

Answer 28

any form of behavior that is intended to harm a person, oneself, or an object

Question 29

instrumental aggression

Answer 29

the intentional use of harmful behavior behavior in order to achieve some other goal

Question 30

hostile aggression

Answer 30

the intentional use of harmful behavior with the goal of causing injury or death to the victim

Question 31

Cognitive-neoassociationist model

Answer 31

a theory of aggression stating that aversive events produce negative affect, which stimulates the inclination to aggress

Question 32

Audience inhibition effect

Answer 32

a situation in which people are inhibited from helping due to a fear of being negatively evaluated by other bystanders if they do intervene and it turns out not to be an emergency

Question 33

Diffusion of responsibility

Answer 33

the belief that the presence of others in a situation makes one less personally responsible for events that occur in that situation

Question 34

matching hypothesis

Answer 34

the proposition that people are attracted to others who are similar to them in certain characteristics, such as attitude, and physical attractiveness

Question 35

balance theory

Answer 35

the theory that people desire cognitive consistency, or “balance,” in their thoughts, feelings, and social relationships

Question 36

passionate love

Answer 36

a state of intense longing for union with another that we typically experience most intensely during the early stages of a romantic relationship

Question 37

Companionate love

Answer 37

the affection we feel for those with whom our lives are deeply entwined