Chapter Eighteen Flashcards
Social Psychology
The scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another.
Attribution Theory
Suggests how we explain someone’s behavior- 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
Attitude
Feelings, often based on our beliefs, that predispose u to respond in a particular way to objects, people, and events
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 (dissonance) we feel when two of our thoughts (cognitions) are inconsistent. For example, when our awareness of our attitudes and of our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes.
Chameleon Effect
Where we unconsciously mimic others’ expressions, postures, and voice tones to help us feel what they are feeling
Mood Linkage
Sharing up and down moods
Conformity
Adjusting one’s behavior or thinking to coincide with a group standard.
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
Stronger responses on simple or well-learned 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 than 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 inclinations 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