psych 111 exam 4 Flashcards
altruism
behavior that benefits another without benefiting oneself. Scientists and philosophers have debated whether people are every truly altruistic. common among animals.
asch study methods and results
asch had participants sit in a room with 7 other people who were actors. say which line matched a standard line that was printed on another card. 75% of participants conformed and gave the same wrong answer as the actors. the participants didn’t actually misperceive the length of the lines but were instead succumbing to normative influence.
conformity
the tendency to do what others do simply because others are doing it. it results in part from normative influence.
cooperation
behavior by 2 or more individuals that leads to mutual benefit. cooperation is risky, the prisoner’s dilemma illustrates why. ex: if everyone pays his/her taxes then the tax rate stays low.
deindividualization
why we behave so badly when we assemble in groups. when immersion in a group causes people to become less concerned with their personal values.
diffusion of responsibility
another reason why we behave badly in groups. individuals feel diminished responsibility for their actions because they are surrounded by others who are acting the same way.
discrimination
a positive or negative behavior toward another person based on their group membership
dutton and aron’s 1974 research results
men who met woman in the middle of the swaying bridge were much more likely to call than were the men who had met the woman only after they had crossed the bridge. men can misinterpret physiological arousal as a sign of attraction. the men experience more physiological arousal on the swinging vridge.
frustration-aggression hypothesis
animal aggress when and only when their goals are frustrated. some psychologists believe it is incomplete. they argue that the real cause of aggressive behavior is negative affect, the inability to reach a goal is just one of many things that bring about negative effect.
informational influence
occurs when another person’s behavior provides information about what is good or right. if you stop and stare at the top of a building, other people will also stop and stare.
mere exposure effect
the tendency for the frequency of exposure to a stimulus to increase liking. participants liked old stimuli better than new. acquired taste. why coworkers fall in love.
milgram study methods and results
shocking experiment. 62% of participants went all the way shocking nearly the highest possible voltage.
murder rates in the US
males are responsible for 90% of murders, murder rates are much lower now than a century ago.
predictors of aggression
has decreased throughout recent generations. gender is the single best predictor of aggression. also culture. more prevalent in the south.
predictors of online dating research
mostly based on appearances.
prejudice
a positive or negative evaluation of another person based on their group membership.
reasons men and women get married
love
reciprocity
the unwritten rule that people should benefit those who have benefited them. when a friend buys you lunch, you feel obligated to return the favor.
research findings concerning attraction
in one study, students who had been randomly assigned to university housing were asked to name their 3 closest friends and nearly half named their next door neighbor. best predictor is physical proximity of people involved.
body shape, symmetry, age.
social psychology
study of the causes and consequences of sociality