Psych exam 4 Flashcards
Mental categories our brain uses to quickly make a judgment about our surroundings in order to save processing power At their most basic level they help us assess our approach to stimuli, and more complex ones can infer personality characteristics of people around us and suggest how we should act
Schema
taking credit for our successes and externalizing our failures on situational factors in order to maintain a positive view of ourselves
Self serving bias
the notion that people can only process so much information at once, given their capabilities and the amount/intensity of the stimuli around them
Cognitive load
connecting with others you identify with in some way(ie ethnicity religiosity political beliefs or hobbies)
affliction
feeling interested or drawn to another person as a result of the individual’s characteristics ( i.e. Physical, intellectual, or emotional) or social standing ( i.e. Popularity, power,or affiliation )
Attraction
self-evaluation by comparison with others ( i.e. “I’m smarter than they are” or “I’m more attractive than her him”
Social comparison
The assumption that members of a particular out-group are “homogenous,” or very similar to each other on particular characteristics
Homogeneity effect
assumptions that members of a particular out-group share certain characteristics or behaviors
Stereotypes
The tendency to make assumptions about a person based on a single positive characteristic This is best understood not in a religious sense ( e.g. “ good “ or angelic ) but in terms of light- a “halo” radiating from a single source of light, like the sun
Halo effect
Negative attitudes resulting from stereotypes
Prejudice
a theory that states prejudice is based on a lack of information and more contact between groups will lead to greater understanding and less prejudice
Intergroup contact theory
Negative action stemming from a stereotype
Discrimination
One of two paths to changing an attitude; changes attempts to intervene on beliefs that are not very strong
Peripheral route
One of two paths to changing an attitude; changes attempts to intervene on core beliefs (e.g. Personal values or other strongly held ideas)
Central route
A feeling of obligation arising from the notion that we are in debt to someone when they do us a favor
Reciprocity
A conscious effort to get others to like us
Ingratiation