Psychology Ch.13 Flashcards
Descriptive social norms
What people actually think,
feel, or do
Conformity
The altering of one’s
opinions or behaviours
to match those of
others or to match
social norms
Injunctive (or
prescriptive) social
norms
What people should
think, feel, or do
Informational influence
being in a group and going along with everyone else because you think they must be right.
Normative influence
going along with the group consensus to be socially accepted and avoid standing out or being rejected.
e.g., Imagine wearing the same team jersey as everyone else to fit in.
groupthink
When group decision making is
impaired because of a desire to
reach or maintain consensus
Compliance
a change in a
person’s behaviour in
response to a direct request;
requester has no authority
over us
Obedience
When we
comply to the request of
someone in a position of
authority
Attributions
judgments or explanations that people make about the causes of a person’s behavior. When individuals observe someone’s actions, they often try to make sense of why that person is behaving in a particular way.
Essentially, when we observe someone acting in a particular way, our minds quickly try to figure out why they are doing so.
Dispositional attributions
explanations that say a person’s behavior is because of who they are inside – like their personality or traits. For example, if someone does well in school, you might think it’s because they’re smart or hardworking. It’s like saying, “That’s just how they are.”
Situational attributions
Explanations that refer to
external events (e.g., the situation)’
If an employee snaps at a colleague, a situational attribution might be that the employee was under severe stress due to a tight deadline, rather than concluding the employee is inherently rude or aggressive.
Correspondence bias
when people tend to think someone’s actions are because of their personality, not considering the situation. For example, if someone is quiet at a party, we might think they’re just shy, not considering that the party might be overwhelming for them.
Actor observer bias
Self versus others
If you cut someone off while driving, you might justify it by thinking, “I’m late for an appointment, and I had to do it,” attributing your action to the situation. However, if someone else cuts you off, you might think, “What a reckless driver!” attributing their behavior to dispositional factors.
Self-serving bias
attributing one’s successes to internal or personal factors while attributing failures to external or situational factors
Prejudice
Negative judgments and attitudes toward a person based on their group membership
