Chapter 18: Social Psychology Flashcards
Social Psychology
the scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.
Attribution Theory
the theory that we tend to give a casual explanation for someone’s behavior, often by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition.
Fundamental Attribution Error
the tendency for observers, when analyzing another’s behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition.
Foot-In-The-Door Phenomenon
the tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request.
Cognitive Dissonance Theory
the theory that we act to reduce the discomfort we feel when two of our thoughts are inconsistent.
Normative Social Influence
influence resulting from a person’s desire to gain approval or avoid disapproval.
Informational Social Influence
influence resulting from one’s willingness to accept others’ opinions about reality.
Social Facilitation
improved performance of tasks in the presence of others.
Social Loafing
the tendency for people in a group to exert less effort when pooling their efforts toward attaining a common goal then when individually accountable.
Deindividuation
the loss of self-awareness and self-restraint occurring in group situations that foster arousal and anonymity.
Group Polarization
the enhancement of a group’s prevailing attitudes through discussion within the group.
Groupthink
the mode of thinking that occurs when the desire for harmony in a decision-making group overrides a realistic appraisal of alternatives.
Ingroup Bias
the tendency to favor one’s own group.
Scapegoat Theory
the theory that prejudice offers an outlet for anger by providing someone to blame.
Just-World Phenomenon
the tendency of people to believe the world is just and that people therefore get what they deserve and deserve what they get.