Chapter 16 - Behaviour in a Social Context Flashcards
attribution
Judgments about the cause of our own and other people’s behavior and outcomes
fundamental attribution error
A tendency to underestimate the impact of the situation and over estimate the role of personal factors on explaining other people’s behavior
self-serving bias
The tendency to make relatively more personal attributions for success and situation attributions for failure
primacy effect
(Impression formation) our tendency to attach more importance to the initial information that we learn about a person
stereotype
A generalized belief about a group or category of people
self-fulfilling prophecy
When people erroneous expectations lead them to act in a way that brings about the expected behaviors, thereby confirming the original impression
attitude
A positive or negative evaluative reaction towards a stimulus
theory of planned behaviour
View that our own intentions to engage in behavior is strongest when we have a positive attitude towards that behaviour, when subjective norms support our attitudes, and when we believe that the behaviors under our control
theory of cognitive dissonance
The theory that people strive to maintain consistency in their beliefs and actions, and that inconsistency creates dissonance: unpleasant arousal that motivates people to restore balance by changing their cognition
self-perception theory
The theory that we make inferences about our own attitude for observing how we behave
communicator credibility
How believable the communicator is. credibility has two major components: expertise and trustworthiness
central route to persuasion
Occurs when people think carefully about a message and are influenced because they find the arguments compelling
peripheral route to persuasion
Occurs when people do not scrutinize a message, but are influenced mostly by the other factors such as a speakers attractiveness or a messages emotional appeal
social facilitation
An increased tendency to perform one’s dominant response in the mere presence of others
social norms
Shared expectations about how people should think, feel, and behave
social role
A set of norms that characterizes how people in a given social position ought to behave
informational social influence
Following the opinions or behaviors of other people because we believe they have accurate knowledge and what they are doing is “right”
normative social influence
Conformity motivated by gaining social acceptance and avoiding social rejection
compliance tecniques
Strategies that may manipulate you into saying yes when you really want to say no
door-in-the-face technique
A manipulation technique in which a persuader makes a large request, expecting you to reject it, and then presents a smaller request
foot-in-the-door technique
A manipulation technique in which the persuader gets someone to comply with small request first and later presents a larger request
lowballing
And manipulation technique in which persuader get someone to commit to some behavior and then increases the “cost” of the same behaviour
norm of reciprocity
The norm that when other people treat us well, we should respond in kind
deindividuation
A state of increased anonymity in which a person, often as part of a group or crowd, engages in disinhibited behavior
social loafing
The tendency for people to expend less individual effort when working in a group when working alone
group polarizaiton
The tendency for the “average” opinion of group members to become more extreme when like-minded people discuss an issue
groupthink
The tendency of group members to suspend critical thinking because they are motivated to seek agreement
social comparison
The act of comparing one’s personal attributes, abilities, and opinion to those of other people
mere exposure effect
The tendency to evaluate a stimulus more favorably after repeated exposure to it
matching effect
In romantic relationships, the tendency for partners to have a similar level of physical attractiveness
social structure theory
Theory that men and women behave differently because society directs them into different social and economic roles
social penetration theory
The theory proposing that, as a relationship deepens, exchanges become broader and more intimate
social exchange theory
The theory proposing that a social relationship can best be described in terms of exchanges of rewards and cost between the two partners
companionate love
An affectionate relationship characterized by commitment and caring about the partners well-being; sometimes contrasted with passionate love, which is more intensely emotional
triangular theory of love
The view that various types of love results from different combinations of three core factors: intimacy, commitment, and passion
cognitive-arousal model of love
The view that passionate love has interacting cognitive and physiological components
transfer of excitation
A misinterpretation of one state of arousal that occurs when arousal actually is caused by one source, but the person attributed to another source
prejudice
A negative attitude of people based on their membership of a group
discrimitation
Over of behaviors: it involves treating people unfairly based on the group they belong
social identity theory
This Theory that prejudice stems from the need to enhance our self-esteem
stereotype threat
Stereotypes create a fear and self-consciousness among stereotyped group members that they will “live up” to other people stereotypes
equal status contact
Prejudice between two people is most likely to be reduced when they:
1) engage in sustained close contact
2) have equal status
3) work to achieve a common goal that requires cooperation, and
4) our supported by my pride or social norms
empathy-altruism hypothesis
The theory that pure altruism doesn’t exist, and that it is produced by empathy
negative state relief model
The view that empathy does not lead to pure I’ll truism, but instead, that high empathy causes us to feel distressed when we learn of others suffering, so that by helping them we reduce our own personal distress
bystander effect
Finding about the presence of multiple bystanders inhibits each person’s tendency to help, largely due to social comparison or diffusion of responsibility
just world hypothesis
Holds that Because people want to view the world’s fair, they perceive that people get what they deserve and deserve what they get
frustration-aggression hypothesis
The view that:
1) frustrations inevitably leads to a aggression, and
2) all aggression is the result of frustration
Catharsis
Performing an act of aggression discharges aggressive energy and temporarily reduces our impulse to aggress
Realistic conflict theory
The theory that competition for limited resources fosters prejudice
