Chapter 7 - Terms & Definitions

Question 1

process of forming impressions of others

Answer 1

person perception

Question 2

inferences that people draw about the causes of their own behaviour, others’ behaviours, and events

Answer 2

attributions

Question 3

tendency to seek information that supports one’s beliefs while not pursuing disconfirming information

Answer 3

confirmation bias

Question 4

when expectations about a person cause him or her to behave in ways that confirm the expectations

Answer 4

self-fulfilling prophecy

Question 5

widely held beliefs that people have certain characteristics because of their membership in a particular group

Answer 5

stereotypes

Question 6

tendency to explain other people’s behaviour as the result of personal, rather than situational, factors

Answer 6

fundamental attribution error

Question 7

tendency to blame victims for their misfortune, so that one feels less likely to be victimized in a similar way

Answer 7

defensive attribution

Question 8

when initial information carries more weight than subsequent information

Answer 8

primary effect

Question 9

negative attitude toward members of a group

Answer 9

prejudice

Question 10

behaving differently, usually unfairly, toward members of a group

Answer 10

discrimination

Question 11

predisposition to divide the social world into ingroups and outgroups

Answer 11

social categorization

Question 12

communication of arguments and information intended to change another person’s attitudes

Answer 12

persuasion

Question 13

beliefs and feelings about people, objects, and ideas

Answer 13

attitudes

Question 14

the person who sends a communication

Answer 14

source

Question 15

the person to whom the message is sent

Answer 15

receiver

Question 16

the information transmitted by the source

Answer 16

message

Question 17

medium through which the message is sent

Answer 17

channel

Question 18

tendency to seek out and enjoy effortful thought, problem-solving activities, and in-depth analysis

Answer 18

need for cognition

Question 19

individual’s thoughts about a persuasive message (rather than the actual message itself) determine whether attitude change will occur

Answer 19

elaboration likelihood model

Question 20

people yield to real or imagined social pressure

Answer 20

conformity

Question 21

people yield to social pressure in their public behaviour, even though their private beliefs have not changed

Answer 21

compliance

Question 22

people conform to social norms for fear of negative social consequences

Answer 22

normative influence

Question 23

people look to others for how to behave in ambiguous situations

Answer 23

informational influence

Question 24

tendency for individuals to be less likely to provide help when others are present than when they are alone

Answer 24

bystander effect

Question 25

a form of compliance that occurs when people follow direct commands, usually from someone in a position of authority

Answer 25

obedience

Question 26

getting people to agree to a small request to increase the chances that they will agree to a larger request later

Answer 26

foot-in-the-door (FITD)

Question 27

getting someone to commit to an attractive proposition before its hidden costs are revealed

Answer 27

lowball

Question 28

one should pay back in kind what one receives from others

Answer 28

reciprocity

Question 29

making a large request that is likely to be turned down in order to increase the chances that people will agree to a smaller request later

Answer 29

door-in-the-face (DITF)