midterm 2 (social psychology) Flashcards
What is social psychology?
The study of the way in which people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people.
* this focuses on how social influences push someone into one direction and how we change what we do and how we act based on how others will see and react to us
What is social influence?
Affects thoughts, feelings, and behaviours
* this is done through peer pressure, political leaders, clothing choices, and sale people
What is the need-to-belong theory?
The theory that explains why we belong to groups, emphasizing survival.
What are the types of attributions?
- Internal: behavior due to personal factors
- External: behavior due to situational factors
What is the Fundamental Attribution Error (FAE)?
The tendency to overestimate dispositional influences and underestimate situational factors in others’ behavior.
What is conformity?
A change in behaviour resulting from the real or imagined influences of other people.
What did Asch’s studies demonstrate?
Approximately 75% of participants conformed on at least 1/12 trials.
What is deindividuation?
The tendency of people to engage in atypical behaviour when stripped of their usual identities.
What are social roles?
Expectations shared by group members about how individuals should behave.
What is groupthink?
An emphasis on group unanimity at the expense of critical thinking.
What defines a cult?
A group exhibiting intense and unquestioning devotion to a single cause, often with deviant practices.
What is obedience?
Adherence to instructions from authority figures.
What was the primary finding of Milgram’s study on obedience?
26 out of 40 participants obeyed until the maximum shock was administered.
