Chapter 4 Terms Flashcards
Temporal Discounting
In decision making, the greater weight given to the present over the future
Certainty Effect
In decision making, the greater weight given to definite outcomes than to probabilities
Error Management Theory
The idea that men and women both seek to minimize the costliest type of error, but that men’s and women’s goals, and hence worst errors, differ
Status Quo Bias
The preference to keep things the way they are rather than change
Omission Bias
The tendency to take whatever course of action does not require you to do anything (also called the default option)
Reactance Theory
The idea that people are distressed by loss of freedom or options and seek to reclaim or reassert them
Entity Theorists
Those who believe that traits are fixed, stable things (entities) that are not subject to change
Incremental Theorists
Those who believe that traits are subject to change and improvement
Learned Helplessness
Belief that one’s actions will not bring about desired outcomes, leading one to give up and quit trying
Self-determination theory
The theory that people need to feel at least some degree of autonomy and internal motivation
Panic button effect
A reduction in stress or suffering due to the belief that one has the option of escaping or controlling the situation, even if one doesn’t exercise it
Goal
An idea of some desired future state
Zeigarnik Effect
A tendency to experience automatic, intrusive thoughts about a goal whose pursuit has been interrupted
Goal Shielding
Occurs when the activation of a focal goal the person is working on inhibits the accessibility of alternate goals
Planning Fallacy
The tendency for plans to be overly optimistic because the planner fails to allow for unexpected problems
Self-regulation
The self’s capacity to alter its own responses; self-control
Monitoring
Keeping track of behaviors or responses to be regulated
TOTE
An acronym for the self-regulation feedback loop of Test, Operate, Test, Exit
Capacity for Change
The active phase of self-regulation; willpower
Decision Fatigue
A state of depleted willpower caused by making decisions, which can affect subsequent decisions by causing people to fail to think and choose carefully
Habit
An acquired behavior that, if followed regularly, will become almost automatic
Self-defeating Behavior
Any action by which people bring failure, suffering, or misfortune on themselves
Capacity to Delay Gratification
The ability to make immediate sacrifices for later rewards
